Shemaiah’s Prophecy
(1 Kings 12:20–24)
When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mobilized the house of Judah and Benjamin—180,000 chosen warriors—to fight against Israel and restore the kingdom to Rehoboam. 1Ki 12:21-24Pro 21:30-31Psa 33:10Psa 33:16 But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God: 2Ch 12:151Ki 12:22-241Sa 2:271Ti 6:112Ch 12:5-72Ch 8:14Deu 33:1 “Tell Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah and all the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin 2Ki 17:34Exo 24:4Gen 49:28Php 3:5Rev 7:4-8 that this is what the LORD says: ‘You are not to go up and fight against your brothers. Each of you must return home, for this word is from Me.’” Gen 50:201Ki 11:29-382Ch 10:15-162Ch 25:7-102Ch 28:8-151Co 6:5-81Jn 3:11-131Ki 22:36
So they listened to the words of the LORD and turned back from going against Jeroboam.
Rehoboam Fortifies Judah
Rehoboam continued to live in Jerusalem, and he built up cities for defense in Judah. 2Ch 8:2-62Ch 11:232Ch 14:6-72Ch 16:62Ch 17:122Ch 26:62Ch 27:4Isa 22:8-11 He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 1Ch 4:321Sa 17:122Ch 20:202Sa 14:2Amo 1:1Gen 35:19Jdg 15:8Jer 6:1 Beth-zur, Soco, Adullam, Jos 15:351Sa 22:12Sa 23:13Jos 12:15Jos 15:58Mic 1:15 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 1Ch 18:11Sa 23:141Sa 23:19Jos 15:24Jos 15:44Psa 54:1 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 2Ch 32:9Jos 10:11Jos 10:5Jos 15:35Jos 15:39 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, the fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. 2Sa 2:11Gen 23:2Jos 14:14Jos 15:33Jos 19:41-42Jos 20:7Num 13:22 He strengthened their fortresses and put officers in them, with supplies of food, oil, and wine. 2Ch 11:232Ch 17:19Isa 22:10-11 He also put shields and spears in all the cities and strengthened them greatly. So Judah and Benjamin belonged to him. 2Ch 26:14-152Ch 32:52Sa 13:192Sa 13:22
Jeroboam Forsakes the Priests and Levites
Moreover, the priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel stood with Rehoboam. For the Levites left their pasturelands and their possessions and went to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the LORD. 2Ch 13:9Num 35:2-51Ki 12:28-331Ch 6:66-811Ki 13:33Jos 21:20-42Lev 27:30-34Num 18:21-28 And Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat demons and calf idols he had made. 1Ki 12:281Ki 12:311Ki 13:33Deu 32:171Ki 14:91Ti 4:1Exo 32:31Exo 32:4-8
Those from every tribe of Israel who had set their hearts to seek the LORD their God followed the Levites to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their fathers. 2Ch 15:91Ch 16:291Ch 22:11Sa 7:3-42Ch 30:112Ch 30:18-19Act 11:23Dan 6:14 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon for three years, because they walked for three years in the way of David and Solomon. 2Ch 12:12Ch 1:1-122Ch 7:17-192Ch 8:13-16Hos 6:4Mat 13:20-21
Rehoboam’s Family
And Rehoboam married Mahalath, who was the daughter of David’s son Jerimoth and of Abihail, the daughter of Jesse’s son Eliab. 1Sa 16:61Ch 27:181Sa 17:131Sa 17:281Ch 2:13 She bore sons to him: Jeush, Shemariah, and Zaham.
After her, he married Maacah daughter of Absalom, and she bore to him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. 2Ch 13:21Ki 15:1-22Ch 11:212Ch 12:16Mat 1:7 Rehoboam loved Maacah daughter of Absalom more than all his wives and concubines. In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and he was the father of twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. 1Ki 11:3Deu 17:17Jdg 8:302Sa 3:2-52Sa 5:132Ch 11:23Sng 6:8-91Ch 3:1-9
Rehoboam appointed Abijah son of Maacah as chief prince among his brothers, intending to make him king. Deu 21:15-171Ch 29:11Ch 5:1-2 Rehoboam also acted wisely by dispersing some of his sons throughout the districts of Judah and Benjamin, and to all the fortified cities. He gave them abundant provisions and sought many wives for them. 1Ki 1:5-62Ch 10:8-152Ch 21:3Gen 25:6Luk 16:8