Today’s passage: 2 Chronicles 11:1-23
Helpful thoughts:
- Rehoboam amasses an army to fight to retain his reign over all Israel. God stops him.
- The priests and Levites from all over Israel who were unwilling to serve in Jeroboam’s new idolatry relocated in order to serve the Lord.
- Jeroboam saw loyalty to the Lord and worship at the Temple in Jerusalem as a path to loyalty to Rehoboam.
- Others from the ten tribes who seceded followed the priests and Levites to remain loyal to the Lord.
- Rehoboam dealt wisely in the way he distributed his sons throughout his kingdom. He did not deal wisely in continuing the practice of polygamy.
Questions to consider:
- Why did Rehoboam listen today after not listening to the counsel of the elders before (End of verse 4)? Whose will was accomplished in both instances? (Proverbs 21:1)
- Why was Rehoboam’s reign strengthened for those first three years? Whose influence blessed the kingdom of Judah? (Verses 16-17) What heart and actions brought about that influence?
- Having good laws and justice is a good thing (1 Peter 2:14), but how can Christians be a good influence even when the laws aren’t good? How can a nation be positively influenced by the church today even if the laws are contrary to Scripture?