OBEY THE WORD OF GOD

PROCLAMATION

“Thus saith The Lord, ‘Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren, return every man to his house … And they obeyed the words of The Lord, and returned from going against Jeroboam.”  2 Chronicles 11:4 (KJV)

 

EXPLANATION

The words of First and Second Chronicles were written as one book under the influence of The Holy Spirit of God by Ezra the scribe and priest and historical Bible scholar according to Jewish tradition.  After all of Israel saw that King Rehoboam did not listen to the counsel of the elders of Israel, they wanted nothing to do with Rehoboam and they rebelled against the house of David. (2 Chronicles 10:16-19)  Rehoboam left Jerusalem and gathered the men from Judah and Benjamin to go to war against Israel.  But The word of The Lord came unto Shemaiah, the man of God, telling him to speak to Rehoboam say to him that he should not go to war against his brothers in Israel. (2 Chronicles 11:1-4)  He obeyed the words of The Lord and did not go to war against Israel, but he built a number of fortified, high-walled, strong-hold cities throughout Judah for his defense.  The priests and the Levites supported Rehoboam because Jeroboam had cast them out and replaced them with his own appointees who would worship the calves he made.  Whereas Rehoboam walked in the way of The Lord as David and Solomon had done, and he did so for three years. (2 Chronicles 11:5-17)  Rehoboam took Mahalath, the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David to be his wife.  He also took Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse, and Maachah the daughter of Absalom the son of David to be his wives.  He took a total of eighteen wives and he had sixty concubines, and together they bore him twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters.  In order to secure his future, Rehoboam placed his sons in each of the fortified cities throughout Judah. (2 Chronicles 11:18-23)

 

APPLICATION

As believers we love The Lord and obey His Holy Word, but occasionally mess up and sin.  All of us have sinned at times and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23)  Being obedient to His word can spare us from a lot of negative consequences.  Here, Rehoboam was stopped from going up against a stronger army and fighting his brothers.  He was also allowed to strengthen his position by fortifying his cities.  When we follow God’s word, things may not always go the way that we want them to go but they work out for our good. (Romans 8:28)