2 Chronicles 11

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Dave Burnette's Commentary

2 Chronicles Chapter 11

Written By: God through Inspiration

Penned By: Ezra

Date Penned: (430 BC)

Overview: A History of God's Chosen People (c 1-36)

Theme: The Kingdom of Judah (c 10-36)

Message: Judah is Forbidden to Reunite the Kingdom (v 1-23)

2 Chronicles 11 Commentary

(11:1) Rehoboam Fails to Unite the Kingdom - Rehoboam's foolishness divided his kingdom, and he tried to reunite it by force. True unity, however, cannot be forced- it must be the free response of willing hearts. If you want the loyalty of employees, children, or anyone else in your charge, win their respect through love and proper direction instead of trying to gain their submission through force.

(11:4) God Uses the Rebellion for His Purpose - Why would God support this rebellion? It was part of the people's punishment for turning away from him (1 Kings 1:11). It may also have been God's way of saving Rehoboam's smaller kingdom from defeat. In doing so, God preserved David's line and kept intact his plan for the Messiah to be a descendant of David (see 2 Samuel 7:16). When we see division, especially in a church that splits, we wonder what God would have us do. God desires unity, but while we should always work toward reconciliation, we must recognize that only God knows the future. He may allow a division in order to fulfill his greater purposes.

(11:3-14) The Split Nation Fails to Follow the Lord - Before the nation split, the center of worship was in Jerusalem, and people flocked there for the three great annual feasts. During the rest of the year, other worship services and rituals were conducted in the tribal territories by priests and Levites who lived throughout the land. They offered sacrifices, taught God's laws, and encouraged the people to continue to follow God and avoid pagan influences. After the nation split, Jeroboam, the new king of Israel, saw these priests and Levites as a threat to his new government because they retained loyalty to Jerusalem, now the capital of Judah. So he appointed his own priests, effectively banning the Levites from their duties and forcing them to move to the southern kingdom. Jeroboam's false priests encouraged idol worship. With the absence of spiritual leaders, the new northern kingdom was in danger of abandoning God.

(11:16) The People Obeyed God - These people obeyed God rather than Jeroboam. By their actions, they preserved their integrity and strengthened the southern kingdom. In the future, most of the people in the northern kingdom would go along with the evil designs of the kings, hoping to personally benefit by cooperating. Drifting along with negative trends and rationalizing away God's teachings can lead to ruin. The benefits sought will ultimately disappear.

Dave Burnette's Life Application
Exposing Our Hearts

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we Continue in the book of 2 Chronicles with Chapter 11 and we see Israel and Judah are now 2 divided kingdoms. What catches my eye is how the Lord allowed the split of His chosen nation. Instead of removing Rehoboam as the driving force between the split the Lord allowed the hearts of the nation to be exposed. In the days to come we see a constant battle between worshiping pagan gods and the one true God. In making application we see a glimpse into why God may allow many divisions in families, Churches, and even nations today. To Expose Our Sinful Hearts. At the base of any division is a heart that is far from God. Until that heart is exposed it cannot come to a place of repentance. God does not force His Will on any of us, He has made a way for us to have our sins forgiven through Jesus-Christ but we must receive this free gift. It is a loving God that allows this to unfold. It is not His will that any of us should perish but all to come to repentance. How about you? Have you been involved in a division between you and others? Let us learn from our text today to see the Lord allows division in our lives to to expose the hearts involved so all can come to repentance.

2 Chronicles 11

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2 Chronicles 11

¹And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he gathered of the house of Judah and Benjamin an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam.

²But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

³Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,

⁴Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: return every man to his house: for this thing is done of me. And they obeyed the words of the LORD, and returned from going against Jeroboam.

⁵And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah.

⁶He built even Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa,

⁷And Bethzur, and Shoco, and Adullam,

⁸And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,

⁹And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,

¹⁰And Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin fenced cities.

¹¹And he fortified the strong holds, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and of oil and wine.

¹²And in every several city he put shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.

¹³And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts.

¹⁴For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest's office unto the LORD:

¹⁵And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made.

¹⁶And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers.

¹⁷So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years: for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon.

¹⁸And Rehoboam took him Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David to wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse;

¹⁹Which bare him children; Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham.

²⁰And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom; which bare him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.

²¹And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and threescore daughters.)

²²And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief, to be ruler among his brethren: for he thought to make him king.

²³And he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, unto every fenced city: and he gave them victual in abundance. And he desired many wives.

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