prophets and kings-第14节

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y；　and　I　will　add　to　your　yoke：　my　father　also　chastised　you　with　whips；　but　I　will　chastise　you　with　scorpions。〃　Verses　12…14。

Had　Rehoboam　and　his　inexperienced　counselors　understood　the　divine　will　concerning　Israel；　they　would　have　listened　to　the　request　of　the　people　for　decided　reforms　in　the　administration　of　the　government。　But　in　the　hour　of　opportunity　that　came　to　them　during　the　meeting　in　Shechem；　they　failed　to　reason　from　cause　to　effect；　and　thus　forever　weakened　their　influence　over　a　large　number　of　the　people。　Their　expressed　determination　to　perpetuate　and　add　to　the　oppression　introduced　during　Solomon's　reign　was　in　direct　conflict　with　God's　plan　for　Israel；　and　gave　the　people　ample　occasion　to　doubt　the　sincerity　of　their　motives。　In　this　unwise　and　unfeeling　attempt　to　exercise　power；　the　king　and　his　chosen　counselors　revealed　the　pride　of　position　and　authority。

The　Lord　did　not　allow　Rehoboam　to　carry　out　the　policy　he　had　outlined。　Among　the　tribes　were　many　thousands　who　had　become　thoroughly　aroused　over　the　oppressive　measures　of　Solomon's　reign；　and　these　now　felt　that　they　could　not　do　otherwise　than　rebel　against　the　house　of　David。　〃When　all　Israel　saw　that　the　king　hearkened　not　unto　them；　the　people　answered　the　king；　saying；　What

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portion　have　we　in　David？　neither　have　we　inheritance　in　the　son　of　Jesse：　to　your　tents；　O　Israel：　now　see　to　thine　own　house；　David。　So　Israel　departed　unto　their　tents。〃　Verse　16。

The　breach　created　by　the　rash　speech　of　Rehoboam　proved　irreparable。　Thenceforth　the　twelve　tribes　of　Israel　were　divided；　the　tribes　of　Judah　and　Benjamin　composing　the　lower　or　southern　kingdom　of　Judah；　under　the　rulership　of　Rehoboam；　while　the　ten　northern　tribes　formed　and　maintained　a　separate　government；　known　as　the　kingdom　of　Israel；　with　Jeroboam　as　their　ruler。　Thus　was　fulfilled　the　prediction　of　the　prophet　concerning　the　rending　of　the　kingdom。　〃The　cause　was　from　the　Lord。〃　Verse　15。

When　Rehoboam　saw　the　ten　tribes　withdrawing　their　allegiance　from　him；　he　was　aroused　to　action。　Through　one　of　the　influential　men　of　his　kingdom；　〃Adoram；　who　was　over　the　tribute；〃　he　made　an　effort　to　conciliate　them。　But　the　ambassador　of　peace　received　treatment　which　bore　witness　to　the　feeling　against　Rehoboam。　〃All　Israel　stoned　him　with　stones；　that　he　died。〃　Startled　by　this　evidence　of　the　strength　of　revolt；　〃King　Rehoboam　made　speed　to　get　him　up　to　his　chariot；　to　flee　to　Jerusalem。〃　Verse　18。

At　Jerusalem　〃he　assembled　all　the　house　of　Judah；　with　the　tribe　of　Benjamin；　an　hundred　and　fourscore　thousand　chosen　men；　which　were　warriors；　to　fight　against　the　house　of　Israel；　to　bring　the　kingdom　again　to　Rehoboam　the　son　of　Solomon。　But　the　word　of　God　came　unto　Shemaiah　the　man　of　God；　saying；　Speak　unto　Rehoboam；　the　son　of　Solomon；　king　of　Judah；　and　unto　all　the　house

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of　Judah　and　Benjamin；　and　to　the　remnant　of　the　people；　saying；　Thus　saith　the　Lord；　Ye　shall　not　go　up；　nor　fight　against　your　brethren　the　children　of　Israel：　return　every　man　to　his　house；　for　this　thing　is　from　Me。　They　hearkened　therefore　to　the　word　of　the　Lord；　and　returned　to　depart；　according　to　the　word　of　the　Lord。〃　Verses　21…24。

For　three　years　Rehoboam　tried　to　profit　by　his　sad　experience　at　the　beginning　of　his　reign；　and　in　this　effort　he　was　prospered。　He　〃built　cities　for　defense　in　Judah；〃　and　〃fortified　the　strongholds；　and　put　captains　in　them；

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and　store　of　victual；　and　of　oil　and　wine。〃　He　was　careful　to　make　these　fortified　cities　〃exceeding　strong。〃　2　Chronicles　11：5；　11；　12。　But　the　secret　of　Judah's　prosperity　during　the　first　years　of　Rehoboam's　reign　lay　not　in　these　measures。　It　was　their　recognition　of　God　as　the　Supreme　Ruler　that　placed　the　tribes　of　Judah　and　Benjamin　on　vantage　ground。　To　their　number　were　added　many　God…fearing　men　from　the　northern　tribes。　〃Out　of　all　the　tribes　of　Israel；〃　the　record　reads；　〃such　as　set　their　hearts　to　seek　the　Lord　God　of　Israel　came　to　Jerusalem；　to　sacrifice　unto　the　Lord　God　of　their　fathers。　So　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。〃　Verses　16；　17。

In　continuing　this　course　lay　Rehoboam's　opportunity　to　redeem　in　large　measure　the　mistakes　of　the　past　and　to　restore　confidence　in　his　ability　to　rule　with　discretion。　But　the　pen　of　inspiration　has　traced　the　sad　record　of　Solomon's　successor　as　one　who　failed　to　exert　a　strong　influence　for　loyalty　to　Jehovah。　Naturally　headstrong；　confident；　self…willed；　and　inclined　to　idolatry；　nevertheless；　had　he　placed　his　trust　wholly　in　God；　he　would　have　developed　strength　of　character；　steadfast　faith；　and　submission　to　the　divine　requirements。　But　as　time　passed；　the　king　put　his　trust　in　the　power　of　position　and　in　the　strongholds　he　had　fortified。　Little　by　little　he　gave　way　to　inherited　weakness；　until　he　threw　his　influence　wholly　on　the　side　of　idolatry。　〃It　came　to　pass；　when　Rehoboam　had　established　the　kingdom；　and　had　strengthened　himself；　he　forsook

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the　law　of　the　Lord；　and　all　Israel　with　him。〃　2　Chronicles　12：1。

How　sad；　how　filled　with　significance；　the　words；　〃And　all　Israel　with　him〃！　The　people　whom　God　had　chosen　to　stand　as　a　light　to　the　surrounding　nations　were　turning　from　their　Source　of　strength　and　seeking　to　become　like　the　nations　about　them。　As　with　Solomon；　so　with　Rehoboamthe　influence　of　wrong　example　led　many　astray。　And　as　with　them；　so　to　a　greater　or　less　degree　is　it　today　with　everyone　who　gives　himself　up　to　work　evilthe　influence　of　wrongdoing　is　not　confined　to　the　doer。　No　man　liveth　unto　himself。　None　perish　alone　in　their　iniquity。　Every　life　is　a　light　that　brightens　and　cheers　the　pathway　of　others；　or　a　dark　and　desolating　influence　that　tends　toward　despair　and　ruin。　We　lead　others　either　upward　to　happiness　and　immortal　life；　or　downward　to　sorrow　and　eternal　death。　And　if　by　our　deeds　we　strengthen　or　force　into　activity　the　evil　powers　of　those　around　us；　we　share　their　sin。

God　did　not　allow　the　apostasy　of　Judah's　ruler　to　remain　unpunished。　〃In　the　fifth　year　of　King　Rehoboam　Shishak　king　of　Egypt　came　up　against　Jerusalem；　because　they　had　transgressed　against　the　Lord；　with　twelve　hundred　chariots；　and　three　score　thousand　horsemen：　and　the　people　were　without　number　that　came　with　him　out　of　Egypt。。。。And　he　took　the　fenced　cities　which　pertained　to　Judah；　and　came　to　Jerusalem。

〃Then　came　Shemaiah　the　prophet　to　Rehoboam；　and　to　the　princes　of　Judah；　that　were　gathered　together　to

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Jerusalem　because　of　Shishak；　and　said　unto　them；　Thus　saith　the　Lord；　Ye　have　forsaken　Me；　and　therefore　have　I　also　left　you　in　the　hand　of　Shishak。〃　Verses　2…5。

The　people　had　not　yet　gone　to　such　lengths　in　apostasy　that　they　despised　the　judgments　of　God。　In　the　losses　sustained　by　the　invasion　of　Shishak；　they　recognized　the　hand　of　God　and　for　a　time　humbled　themselves。　〃The　Lord　is　righteous；〃　they　acknowledged。

〃And　when　the　Lord　saw　that　they　humbled　themselves；　the　word　of　the　Lord　came　to　Shemaiah；　saying；　They　have　humbled　themselves；　therefore　I　will　not　destroy　them；　but　I　will　grant　them　some　deliverance；　and　My　wrath　shall　not　be　poured　out　upon　Jerusalem　by　the　hand　of　Shishak。　Nevertheless　they　shall　be　his　servants；　that　they　may　know　My　service；　and　the　service　of　the　kingdoms　of　the　countries。

〃So　Shishak　king　of　Egypt　came　up　against　Jerusalem；　and　took　away　the　treasures　of　the　house　of　the　Lord；　and　the　treasures　of　the　king's　house；　he　took　all：　he　carried　away　also　the　shields　of　gold　which　Solomon　had　made。　Instead　of　which　King　Rehoboam　made　shields　of　brass；　and　committed　them　to　the　hands　of　the　chief　of　the　guard；　that　kept　the　entrance　of　the　king's　house。。。。　And　when　he　humbled　himself；　the　wrath　of　the　Lord　turned　from　him；　that　He　would　not　destroy　him　altogether：　and　also　in　Judah　things　went　well。〃　Verses　6…12。

But　as　the　hand　of　affliction　was　removed；　and　the　nation　prospered　once　more；　many　forgot　their　fears　and　turned　again　to　idolatry。　Among　these　was　King　Rehoboam　himself。　Though　humbled　by　the　calamity　that　had　befallen

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him；　he　failed　to　make　this　experience　a　decisive　turning　point　in　his　life。　Forgetting　the　lesson　that　God　had　endeavored　to　teach　him；　he　relapsed　into　the　sins　that　had　brought　judgments　on　the　nation。　After　a　few　inglorious　years；　during　which　the　king　〃did　evil；　because　he　prepared　not　his　heart　to　seek　the　Lord；〃　〃Rehoboam　slept　with　his　fathers；　and　was　buried　in　the　City　of　David：　and　Abijah　his　son　reigned　in　his　stead。〃　Verses　14；　16。

With　the　rending　of　the　kingdom　early　in　Rehoboam's　reign　the　glory　of　Israel　began　to　depart；　never　again　to　be　regained　in　its　fullness。　At　times　during　the　centuries　that　followed；　the　throne　of　David　was　occupied　by　men　of　moral　worth　and　far…seeing　judgment；　and　under　the　rulership　of　these　sovereigns　the　blessings　resting　upon　the　men　o