2 Chronicles 14:9

2 Chronicles 14:9 says, And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah.  Zerah the Ethiopian came against Asa with a million troops and three hundred chariots.  This was a sizeable force, and we as followers of Christ are nearly always going to be outnumbered in the war against Satan and his forces today.  They will attack us quite often, but we aren't called on to attack them out of anger but to reach out to them with the love of God.  Verse ten adds, Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.  In this case, Asa went out to meet them.  I do believe that we need to meet the enemies of God head on when they attack us and never retreat in fear, no matter how badly we are outnumbered.  Verse eleven continues, And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let no man prevail against thee.  Asa prayed to God and acknowledged that He was more powerful that any enemy and asked Him to help the people if Judah.  We serve that same God today as Christians.  As His people, we should always call on Him, but when life seems to be overpowering, we need to call on Him even more and rely on his power to keep us safe.  We must also acknowledge that even if we lose our life here on earth while standing with God, we are still the victors.  Verse twelve states, So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.  We are not told how, but we are told that God defeated the Ethiopians, and they fled from Asa.  We may not always know how God has protected us from our enemies, but we can rest assured that we are forever victorious if we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord. Verse thirteen adds, And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar: and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before the Lord, and before his host; and they carried away very much spoil.  Asa and his troops pursued the Ethiopians, and they were overthrown.  They also carried away a lot of spoils of war.  We are not to go to war with the world today seeking to benefit from doing so materially, but we do need to do what God calls us to do to win the victory over them spiritually.  It wasn't Asa and his troops that defeated the Ethiopians, but God did.  If we are successful in our battle against evil today, it will always be by the power of God.  Verse fourteen continues, And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for the fear of the Lord came upon them: and they spoiled all the cities; for there was exceeding much spoil in them.  We are told that they continued to destroy the cities around Gerar because the fear of the Lord came on them.   We need to have that same fear, or awesome respect I would say, for doing what God call us to do today.  We should never act without knowing that God is leading us to do so, and if we know that He is, nothing should stop us from doing what He has called us to do.  Verse fifteen concludes, They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.  They also gained a lot of spoils, but what we gain today will be our rewards in heaven.  Asa stated before, we don't serve God for earthly rewards, but for a home in Heaven.

2 Chronicles 14:1

 2 Chronicles 14:1 says, So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land was quiet ten years.  After Abijah died and was buried, Asa his son became king, and during his reign, it was quiet, or peaceful, in Judah for ten years.  When we become a follower of Christ, there should be a spiritual peace in our lives no matter what in happening in the world.  Verse two adds, And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God:  Asa did good in God's eyes, or obeyed God's commandments.  As Christians, we need to do what is good in the eyes of God, or obey His commandments, not to be saved, but to show that even though we have salvation through our faith in Jesus Christ that we still realize that we need to obey them.  They are still His laws.  Verse three continues, For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves:  Asa destroyed all the places of worship of false gods and destroyed their images and even cut down groves where they were worshipped.  He did all he could to remove the physical presence of false God, but that didn't mean that the people of Judah completely gave up worshipping them.  We may remove all the physical things associated with the worship of false gods, but until people accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord, they will still be worshipping them.  Verse four states, And commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.  Asa commanded that the people of Judah seek the Lord of their fathers and obey His laws and commandments, but it doesn't work that way.  He might have gotten them to appear to do this, but the decision of whether to be obedient to God or not, which has to start with putting our faith in Jesus Christ, is the responsibility of each individual.  Outward compliance to God's commandments is not enough if He does not live in our hearts.  Verse five adds, Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.  He removed the images, or idols, and the high places, where people worshipped falsely, from the kingdom of Judah and the kingdom was quiet before him.  If we remove all the idols from our lives as Christians and worship only God, then we should live a peaceful life spiritually.  Verse six adds, And he built fenced cities in Judah: for the land had rest, and he had no war in those years; because the Lord had given him rest.  Though Asa built fenced cities and lived without war during this period, it was God that gave him peace.  We cannot rely on the things of this world to bring us peace but must rely on God for peace in the world.  Verse seven says, Therefore he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us; because we have sought the Lord our God, we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.  During this time, Asa said they should build cities with walls, towers, and gates, because God had given them rest, and they built and prospered.  God has given us spiritual rest if we have put our faith in Jesus Christ as our personal Savior ad Lord, and we should be doing all we can to build His kingdom.  Verse eight adds, And Asa had an army of men that bare targets and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand: all these were mighty men of valour.  Asa had an army that totaled five hundred and eighty thousand men, but it was still God that brought peace to Judah and Asa himself.  No matter how big our army may be today, it will always be God Who brings us peace, spiritually if not physically.

2 Chronicles 13:13

2 Chronicles 13:13 says, But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them.  Instead of accepting peace, Jeroboam set up an ambush of the people of Judah.  People of the world will often still attempt to ambush and destroy Christians before they will accept peace with us,  Verse fourteen adds, And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind: and they cried unto the Lord, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.  When the people of Judah found themselves surrounded, they cried out to God and the priests sounded the trumpets.  If we are overwhelmed by life today as followers of Christ, we need to cry out to Him, and He may not sound the trumpet yet, but we will be secure spiritually until He does.  Verse fifteen continues, Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.  The men of Judah then gave a shout, and God took care of their enemies.  We as the church and s individual Christians need to always cry out to God in times of crisis and He will deal with the situation.  Verse sixteen states, And the children of Israel fled before Judah: and God delivered them into their hand.  The people of Israel might have had the people of Judah outnumbered and surrounded, but they fled when God got involved.  The people of the world may have us outnumbered and surrounded, but if we keep our faith in God, we will have the ultimate victory.  Verse seventeen adds, And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.  Abijah and his forces killed five hundred thousand of the men of Israel, so they no longer had the advantage in numbers.  As long as we are on God's side, we will always have the advantage, no matter how many people oppose us.  Verse eighteen continues, Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the Lord God of their fathers.  It states very plainly that the people of Judah prevailed because they relied on God.  This is the only way we can be sure of success today as Christians.  We must rely on the leadership and power of the Holy Spirit.  Verse nineteen says, And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with the towns thereof, and Jeshanah with the towns thereof, and Ephraim with the towns thereof.  Not only did Jeroboam and Israel lose a lot of troops, but they also lost some cities.  What we need to acknowledge is that those who oppose God are going to lose everything when the trumpet sounds and Jesus Christ returns.  Verse twenty adds, Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and the Lord struck him, and he died.  Jeroboam never did recover his strength as a king after this, and we are told that God struck him, and he died.  If we don't put our faith in Jesus Christ, we are going to be spiritually dead, and one day we will be sent away to everlasting punishment.  Verse twenty continues, But Abijah waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters.  Abijah became stronger in his position, but like many other kings of Israel and Judah, he failed to follow God's law, at least concerning marriage, having fourteen wives.  We cannot allow our success in the world lead us away from God's commandments. and laws.  Verse twenty-two concludes, And the rest of the acts of Abijah, and his ways, and his sayings, are written in the story of the prophet Iddo.  We are told that the rest of the acts of Abijah were written in the story of the prophet Iddo, which we do not have.  Not everything written by people concerning the kings of Israel and Judah was preserved by God, but we have what He considered important.

2 Chronicles 13:1

2 Chronicles 13:1 says, Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah.  Jeroboam had been ruling in Israel for eighteen years when Abijah became king of Judah, after Rehoboam his father died.  Kings and rulers will come and go in the world, but our King, Jesus Christ, rules forever.  Verse two adds, He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.  We are told who Abijah's mother was, but not much else about her, but in chapter 11, verse 20, she was said to be the daughter of Absalom, but also Samuel 14, verse 27 that she was likely Absalom's granddaughter, since even future generations were referred to as children of earlier ancestors.  During the three years of his reign, Judah was at war with Israel.  These were all supposed to be God's people, and they were at war with each other.  We as Christians cannot afford to be fighting one another as I have said many times.  Verse three continues, And Abijah set the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men: Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valour.  Abijah set four hundred thousand men of valor against Jeroboam's eight hundred thousand men.  Abijah was greatly outnumbered, but if God was with him, it wouldn't have mattered.  Matthew Henry says that although Rehoboam had been prevented by God from going to war with the rest of Israel that Jeroboam was likely the aggressor in this case, so God allowed Abijah to defend the people of Judah.  We are not called to try to defeat other people, especially those who profess to be Christians, but we are called to defend the truth of God and those who really are His people.  Verse four states, And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, thou Jeroboam, and all Israel;  Abijah first tried to reason with Jeroboam and the people of Israel, and we as followers of Christ should always try to reason with people who stand against us.  Verse five adds, Ought ye not to know that the Lord God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?  Abijah asked Jeroboam and the people of Israel if they didn't know that God had given all the kingdom of Israel to David and his descendants forever, and Jeroboam wasn't one of them.  He was saying that they should come back under his rule.  The fulfillment of the promise to David came with Jesus Christ, and He is the only one that it applies to.  Verse six continues, Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, is risen up, and hath rebelled against his lord.  Abijah told them that Jeroboam, the son of one of David's servants had rebelled against God and made himself king.  If we try to establish ourselves as anything that is contrary to God's word as Christians, we do so in rebellion to Him.  Verse seven says, And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.   Abijah added that Jeroboam had gathered vain men to himself and had strengthened themselves against Rehoboam when he was young and foolish.  If God has placed someone in a position of leadership in the church today, if they are young and make mistakes, we need to support them and help correct them and not rebel against them.  Verse eight adds, And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David; and ye be a great multitude, and there are with your golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods.  Abijah asked them if the thought that they and their idols could stand against someone God had put in power.  These were all part of God's chosen people, but most were going against God's word and worshipping idols.  We can never defy God's word and be successful spiritually, no matter how many other people who call themselves Christians might.  Verse nine continues, Have ye not cast out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods.  Abijah then said that the people following Jeroboam had cast out the true priests and allowed anyone who wanted to offer a sacrifice to their gods, who were no gods, to consecrate themselves and declare themself a priest.  As a part of the priesthood of believers, we are free to come to God at any time, but at the time this was occurring, they were still to go through the priests appointed by God to come before Him.  Verse ten states, But as for us, the Lord is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, which minister unto the Lord, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business:  Abijah said the people of Judah had not forsaken God's law and had the priests the sons of Aaron and the Levites to minister to God for them.  We have an even greater priest, Jesus Christ, to stand before God for us.  Verse eleven adds, And they burn unto the Lord every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense: the shewbread also set they in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening: for we keep the charge of the Lord our God; but ye have forsaken him.  Abijah then said that the people of Judah worshipped in accordance with God's laws, but the people of Israel had forsaken Him.  No matter what goes on in the church today, we must make sure that everything is done in accordance with God's will and for His glory.  Verse twelve continues, And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the Lord God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.  Abijah said the Lord was on their side and said the people of Israel should not fight against Him.  As long as God is on our side and we are following His leadership, we don't need to be concerned about the number or strength of those who oppose us.

2 Chronicles 12:9

2 Chronicles 12:9 says, 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.  Shishak took away many of the things Solomon had amassed during his reign.  We don't serve God for earthly riches, so everything we amass here in this world will one day be left behind.  Also, as followers of Christ, if we stray away from Him, the things He has blessed us with may be taken away while we live.  Verse ten adds, 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.  Where Solomon had lived in peace, making shields of gold, Rehoboam lived with war making shields of brass.  He gave these shields of brass to the chief of the guard, and they were kept at the entrance of the king's house.  Rehoboam was concerned with protecting himself more than he was worried about the rest of the kingdom of Israel it would seem.  I do know that we as Christians cannot afford to put our own physical well-being ahead of following God's word.  Verse eleven continues, And when the king entered into the house of the Lord, the guard came and fetched them, and brought them again into the guard chamber.  When the king was in the house, the guard got the shields and brought them into the guard chamber.  Again, it seems that Rehoboam was concerned with protesting himself after he lost all the treasures that David by war and Solomon by trade had amassed.  If we have amassed things in this world as Christians by the grace of God, and we turn away from Him, we should be prepared to lose them.  We cannot expect God's blessings if we do not obey Him, and Rehoboam hadn't obeyed God. Verse twelve states, 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. Rehoboam then humbled himself before God, and he wasn't destroyed.  Things also went well for Israel, but much of their riches were gone.  As followers of Christ, we will never be destroyed spiritually, but we may lose a lot of the blessings of God if we turn away from doing His will.  Verse thirteen adds, So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned: for Rehoboam was one and forty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess.  Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, the city of God, we are told and ruled from the time he was forty-one until he was fifty-eight.  He had a fairly long reign to have started so badly.  He gave up on many of the fortified cities it would seem and concentrated on keeping Jerusalem safe.  We aren't called to just protect one place but to spread the gospel to all the world.  Verse fourteen continues, And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the Lord.  Though Rehoboam may not have been worshipping idols, neither was he worshipping God with all his heart.  We don't need to rely on the fact that we aren't worshipping other gods but must instead worship God wholeheartedly.  Verse sixteen says, Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.  We are told that the acts of Rehoboam, from the beginning of his reign to the end, were recorded in the book of Shemiah the prophet and his genealogy was kept by Iddo the seer.  We don't have these books, which means they are unimportant to our understanding God.  Verse sixteen adds, And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David: and Abijah his son reigned in his stead.  Rehoboam died and was buried in Jerusalem, and his son Abijah became king.  Unless Jesus Christ returns first, one day we are going to die and someone else will take our place in doing God's work, but our King will never die and be replaced.

2 Chronicles 12:1

2 Chronicles 12:1 says, And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him.  After Rehoboam was established as king, he forsook the law of God, and all Israel did so as well.  Though the kingdom was divided, I believe all of Israel, and not just Judah, the part Rehoboam ruled over, rejected God's law.  Ruling from Jerusalem with the temple there as well, Rehoboam should have followed God's law, but he didn't.  We may live in what is called a Christian nation and have a church on every corner, but that doesn't mean that we are going to obey God.  Verse two adds, And it came to pass, that in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the Lord,  In the fifth year of Rehoboam's reign, Shishak the king of Egypt came up against him.  God had removed His protective hand from them and the time of peace was over.  If we as Christians turn away from doing God's will, our time of spiritual peace will be over, though we will still be a part of God's kingdom.  Verse three continues, With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians.  Shishak came with twelve hundred chariots, sixty thousand horsemen, and a force that was too large to number.  As we draw ever closer to the return of Christ, which we do every day no matter how long it may be before He returns, the forces of Satan are going to attack us even more.  We cannot afford to be divided as Christians.  Verse four states, And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem.  Rehoboam had set up fenced cities for defense, but they did him no good.  We should not rely things of this world to keep us safe as followers of Christ but must rely on God alone.  Verse five adds, Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to 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.  Shemiah the prophet came to Rehoboam with a message from God, and it wasn't good news.  He said since Rehoboam had forsaken God, God had removed His protection from him and Judah and left them in the hand of Shishak.  We as individual Christians and as a Christian nation need to pray that we don't get so far away from God that He removes His protective hand from us.  Verse six continues, Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The Lord is righteous.  The princes of Israel and Rehoboam humbled themselves before God.  If we have strayed away from God, we need to humble ourselves and return to Him.  Verse seven says, 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.  God sent another message by Shemiah.  Since the people of Judah had humbled themselves before God, He was going to keep Shishak from destroying them.  If we are in danger of spiritual defeat today, we need to humble ourselves before God and ask for His forgiveness if we have allowed sin back into our life.  Verse eight adds, Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.  Though they weren't going to be destroyed, they were going to be under Shishak's rule.  Their disobedience was going to cost them, and our disobedience to God as Christians will always bring consequences.

2 Chronicles 11:13

2 Chronicles 11:13 says, And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts.  The priests and Levites came to support Rehoboam, though he wasn't following God's leadership.  They were still loyal to God, so this improved Rehoboam's standing.  We cannot support those who are in power if they are not following God, especially if they are going against what His word teaches, but we can stand for God before them.  Verse fourteen adds, For 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:  One reason they left where they were to come to Jerusalem was because Jeroboam and his sons had stopped them from executing the office of the priesthood.  No one can ever take away our status as a part of the priesthood of believers away from us.  Verse fifteen continues, And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made.  Of course, Jeroboam then appointed his own priests of the high places and for the devils and for the golden calves that he made.  We shouldn't be surprised if people who stand against God attempt to make their own gods.  Verse sixteen states, And 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.  All the people in Israel who were still loyal to God came to Jerusalem seeking to worship Him.  We need to leave the world behind and come to where we can worship and serve God. Verse seventeen adds, 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.  For three years, in spite of following some bad advice, Rehoboam, and the kingdom of Judah, was made strong because the people followed the way of David and Solomon, or obeyed God's commandments.  As Christians, if we want to be spiritually strong, we need to obey God through the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Verse eighteen continues, And Rehoboam took him Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David to wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse;  Rehoboam married more than one wife, and these two would have been his relatives, even if distant.  He may have felt this would strengthen his position, since they were from David's family.  I do know that we cannot strengthen our position with God by marrying into a family that is known to be great Christians, and we certainly cannot do so by disobey His laws.  Verse nineteen says, Which bare him children; Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham.  He had children with these wives.  Verse twenty adds, And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom; which bare him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.  Then, he married another relative and had even more children with her.  He was possibly just following the example that had been set by David and Solomon his father in marrying more than one wife.  We cannot follow the example of our parents if they are doing something that goes against God's word and expect Him to still bless us.  Veres twenty-one continues, And 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.)  By now, Rehoboam had eighteen wives and sixty concubines.  He had twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters, but we are told he loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom more than the others.  This was bound to have caused problems for him.  Of course, when we stray away from God's commandments as followers of Christ, we shouldn't be surprised if we have problems in life.  Verse twenty-two states, And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief, to be ruler among his brethren: for he thought to make him king.  Rehoboam put the son of Maachah over the others with the plan to one day make him king.  We should never play favorites with our children.  Verse twenty-three adds, And 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.  Rehoboam also placed his children throughout the cities of Judah and Benjamin and gave them an abundance of food, and it is said he desired many wives.  We are not told of his seeking God's guidance in any of this, but it does say that he dealt wisely with the people.  We need Christians throughout the world to be witnessing for God today, and He will provide for our needs when we are obeying His commandments.

2 Chronicles 11:1

2 Chronicles 11:1 says, And 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.  When Rehoboam got back to Jerusalem, he gathered a hundred and eighty thousand warriors from Judah and Benjamin, the two tribes still loyal to him, to fight against Israel and bring them under his rule again.  We should never go to war with other Christians for any purpose.  Verse two adds, But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,  While Rehoboam was preparing for war, God's word came to Shemiah, the man of God.  I think it is important to note that during all his actions, we see no mention of Rehoboam seeking God's will for what he should do, but now God was going to tell him anyway.  If believe that if we are one of God's people, even if we aren't seeking His guidance, He is still going to let us know what we should be doing.  Verse three continues, Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,  God told Shemiah he had a message for Rehoboam and for all the people of Judah and Benjamin.  God still applies to all Christians, and not just one or two, but if He has a work for us to do or if He wants to prevent us from doing something that is wrong He may send His message by a particular individual.  If He does, the message will always be consistent with His written word.  Verse four concludes, Thus 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.  God told them not to go to war against their brothers because He was behind their actions.  Since God was with the people of Israel, Rehoboam could only hope to not lose what he had left if he went to war with Israel.  If we fight against what God has ordained, we can only hope that we don't lose what we have left in this world.  Verse five states, And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah.  Rehoboam listened to God's word, so at least he had that much wisdom.  He stayed in Jerusalem and built up cities for defense.  The next several verses just tell us the names of cities he built up.  Verse six adds, He built even Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa, Verse seven continues, And Bethzur, and Shoco, and Adullam,  Verse eight says, and Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph,  Verse nine adds, And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah,  Verse ten continues, And Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin fenced cities.  These were all cities within Judah and Benjamin and were built up for defense instead of being built to attack the rest of the nation of Israel.  I think sometimes instead of looking to reconcile with other Christians we can fortify our defense of our opposition against them.  Had Rehoboam been obedient to God, he would have had no reason to have a divided kingdom and fear those who were a part of God's people.  Verse eleven states, And he fortified the strong holds, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and of oil and wine.  Rehoboam fortified these cities with troops and supplies.  I believe we too often look to the things of this world to protect us as followers of Christ instead of looking to God by faith.  Verse twelve adds, And in every several city he put shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.  Rehoboam put weapons of war in these cities, since he still had Judah and Benjamin on his side.  I believe he would have been much better off by relenting and seeking God's guidance, and I know that we are much better off relying on God than on anything else in the world to keep us safe today.

2 Chronicles 10:9

2 Chronicles 10:9 says, And he said unto them, What advice give ye that we may return answer to this people, which have spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father did put upon us?  Having rejected the advice of the old men, as we saw in the last verse, Rehoboam the went to the young men for advice.  I find no evidence of his going to God for advice, and that should always be our first step.  In the church, those who have been Christians longest should be able to give us good advice about how to treat other people and we shouldn't dismiss their advice because they are old.  Verse ten adds. And the young men that were brought up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou answer the people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it somewhat lighter for us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins.  The young men that Rehoboam grew up with advised him to be even more demanding of the people than his father Solomon had been.  I don't know if they didn't include themselves in the ones that this greater demand would be placed on, but I have to assume they didn't.  They would be more like Rehoboam in receiving the extra benefits.  I do know that we as followers of Christ should never expect greater financial burdens to be placed on others just so we can benefit from their sacrifices, even if we are in a position of leadership.  Verse eleven continues, For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.  They continued to tell him to treat the people even more harshly than Solomon had.  We aren't told much about Solomon, who was known for his wisdom, treating the people harshly, but evidently later in his reign he had needed more and more resources to maintain a lifestyle that had become filled with foreign wives and their gods.  It wasn't where they were from that was the really bad thing, though God had warned the people of Israel against marrying outside of the kingdom of Israel, though that was wrong, but it was the fact that he allowed the worship of false gods to come into his house.  Verse twelve states, So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come again to me on the third day.  Jeroboam and the people returned to Rehoboam the third day as he had requested.  They were still obeying his command.  We should be obedient to those in power unless they start to come between God and us or start to pass laws that are disobedient to Him.  Verse thirteen adds, And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men,  Rehoboam didn't follow the advice of the old men but treated the people roughly as the young men had advised.  We cannot treat other people with disrespect and make unnecessary demand on them and expect them to blindly follow us, and whatever we do needs to be based on God's guidance, and I see no mention of Rehoboam ever seeking God's guidance.  Verse fourteen continues, And answered them after the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.  Rehoboam told them that he was going to treat them even more harshly than his father had.  This was not a good way to start his reign successfully.  We as Christians are promised that God will lighten our load instead of increasing it.  Verse fifteen continues, So the king hearkened not unto the people: for the cause was of God, that the Lord might perform his word, which he spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.  Rehoboam didn't listen to the people, and we are told his was so God's word to Ahijah could be fulfilled, but once more, I don't think God caused this, but He allowed it and knew how Rehoboam was going to react.  We should never attempt to blame God for our bad decisions.  Verse sixteen says, And when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? and we have none inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: and now, David, see to thine own house. So all Israel went to their tents.  The people refused to obey Rehoboam and said they had nothing to do with David and went home.  Of course, as people of Israel, they were still part of God's promise to David, and as Christians, we are all a part of God's promise of salvation through Jesus Christ, and we should be united in love and respect for one another, just as the people should have been then.  Verse seventeen adds, But as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.  The kingdom was becoming divided between the people of Israel and the people of Judah, even though they were all called to be God's people.  As followers of Christ, we are all a part of His people and cannot afford to be divided in doing His work here in the world today.  Verse eighteen continues, Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram that was over the tribute; and the children of Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. But king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.  Rehoboam sent Hadoram who was over the tribute, or taxes, to collect it from the rest of Israel, and he was stoned to death.  We don't need to kill those who would impose unfair burdens on us, but if it has to do with our relationship with God, we can never give in to them.  Rehoboam fled back to Jerusalem, where those who supported him were, and I would assume this included the young men who had already given him bad advice.  He could have realized his error at this time and made peace with the people by doing what the old men had advised, but he chose not to.  If we are going in the wrong direction in our relationship with God, we cannot continue to go that way but must turn back to Him.  Verse nineteen concludes, And Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.  The majority of the people of Israel rebelled against the house of David.  This led to centuries of conflict between God's people, but God's promise to David was still in effect.   He did establish his kingdom forever, not in an earthly kingdom, but in a spiritual on in which his descendant, Jesus Christ became the King of God's people forever.  As followers of Christ, we need to be united in serving Him.  

2 Chronicles 10:1

2 Chronicles 10:1 says, And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for to Shechem were all Israel come to make him king.  Rehoboam went to Shechem, since that was where the people were gathered to make him king.  I don't know why they didn't do this in Jerusalem, but it was called the city of God, and Rehoboam was not going to prove to be much of a man of God.  I do know that we don't need to do things in the church that are not in accordance with God's will.  Verse two adds, And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was in Egypt, whither he fled from the presence of Solomon the king, heard it, that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt.  When Jeroboam heard that Solomon was dead, he returned from Egypt where he had fled for fear of Solomon.  He had been appointed by Solomon to build the fortress at Millo and other public works, and I don't find the reason that he fled to Egypt stated here, but he had formed conspiracies to make himself king of the ten northern tribes even during Solomon's reign, according to Matthew Henry.  If we have fled from God, and all people have, we have the good news that Jesus Christ died for our sins, and we can return to God by putting our faith in Him.  Verse three adds, And they sent and called him. So Jeroboam and all Israel came and spake to Rehoboam, saying,  Jeroboam was called on to be the spokesman for the people to bring their concerns to Rehoboam.  We have the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, to bring our concerns to God, and we can rest assured that he will always do what is best for us as long as we are obedient to God.  Verse four concludes, Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee.  They wanted Rehoboam to lighten their yoke, which they said his father Solomon had made grievous.  Matthew Henry says that with all his wealth, he wasn't sure why Solomon had to tax the people so heavily, but that it might have been to do with his lifestyle and his many foreign wives.  I will say that preachers today never should expect their parishioners to sacrifice more than they are able to give to support his lifestyle.  Verse five states, And he said unto them, Come again unto me after three days. And the people departed.  Rehoboam told them to come back in three days.  Verse six adds, And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people? He wanted to seek the counsel of the old men who had stood with Solomon.  It is always good to seek the counsel of those who are familiar with the situation before we make decisions.  He asked them what they thought his decision to the people should be.  They would have been best prepared to offer him advice.  The older people in the church are often in a position to offer advice, but even their advice should come from the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Verse seven adds, And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever.  They advised Rehoboam to be kind to the people and they would be his servants forever.  God is always kind to us, and as Christians, we should willingly serve Him forever.  Verse eight says, But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him.  Rehoboam had asked the advice of the older men, but he rejected it.  It doesn't do us any good to get good advice if we are going to reject it if we don't like it.

2 Chronicles 9:21

2 Chronicles 9:21 says, For the king's ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Huram: every three years once came the ships of Tarshish bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.  Solomon's ships continued to engage in trade with other countries, along with the servants of Huram.  They brought not only gold, silver, and ivory, but apes and peacocks as well.  Solomon was successful in business.  Whether we are successful in worldly terms or not, we as followers of Christ need to be successful in sharing the gospel with others. Verse twenty-two adds, And king Solomon passed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.  Solomon was greater than any king of the earth in riches and wisdom, but he pales in comparison to our King as Christians, Jesus Christ.  Verse twenty-three continues, And all the kings of the earth sought the presence of Solomon, to hear his wisdom, that God had put in his heart.  All the other kings sought to be in the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which was really the wisdom that God had given him.  It would be nice if everyone came to Christians to hear the wisdom of God, but too often they do just the opposite.  They try to discredit us as people who have been deceived.  Verse twenty-four states, And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and raiment, harness, and spices, horses, and mules, a rate year by year.  These were freewill offerings according to Matthew Henry, given to seek the favor of Solomon.  I do know that if we are to be saved, we must offer ourselves to God as a freewill offering, but we shouldn't do it just to gain His favor.  We should do it because He loves us and has already granted us His favor, salvation through the sacrifice of His only begotten Son on the cross.  Verse twenty-five adds, And Solomon had four thousand stalls for horses and chariots, and twelve thousand horsemen; whom he bestowed in the chariot cities, and with the king at Jerusalem.  Solomon also had four thousand horse and chariot stalls and twelve thousand horsemen to use them throughout the nation of Israel.  God has His army in place today, but our main purpose is to spread the gospel.  Verse twenty-six continues, And he reigned over all the kings from the river even unto the land of the Philistines, and to the border of Egypt.  Solomon ruled over many other kings, and King Jesus rules over all other kings or leaders of any kind, whether they acknowledge it or not.  Verse twenty-seven says, And the king made silver in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar trees made he as the sycomore trees that are in the low plains in abundance.  In Jerusalem, silver was like stones and cedars like sycamore trees.  When we get to our heavenly home, we will walk on streets of gold, but our real riches come from the forgiveness of sins and restoration with God through our faith in Jesus Christ.  Nothing else will matter. Verse twenty-eight continues, And they brought unto Solomon horses out of Egypt, and out of all lands.  This is just another statement of people bringing gifts to Solomon, this time horses from Egypt and elsewhere.  Verse twenty-nine states, Now the rest of the acts of Solomon, first and last, are they not written in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of Ahijah the Shilonite, and in the visions of Iddo the seer against Jeroboam the son of Nebat?  We are told that the rest of the acts of Solomon were written in two books that we do not have.  If they were important, I believe that God would have preserved them for us, but we know what we need to know about Solomon and his reign from the Bible.  Verse thirty adds, And Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.  Solomon reigned for forty years, during which time Israel was mostly at peace and even looked up to by the rest of the world.  Jesus Christ, our King, will reign forever and He will always lead those who put their faith in Him to peace with the Heavenly Father.  Verse thirty-one continues, And Solomon slept with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead.  Then, Solomon died and left all the riches behind.  Whatever we own and no matter how powerful we may be, one day we will die and leave it all behind, unless Jesus Christ returns first, and even then, we will leave it all behind.

2 Chronicles 9:13

2 Chronicles 9:13 says, Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six hundred and threescore and six talents of gold;  Solomon was bringing in a lot of gold to the kingdom of Israel.  I don't believe that he was just using it for his own personal gain, but for the benefit of all of Israel.  I do know that I believe that if God is blessing us as individuals or as a nation, that we should use the things He blesses us with for the good of the more than just ourselves.  Verse fourteen adds, Beside that which chapmen and merchants brought. And all the kings of Arabia and governors of the country brought gold and silver to Solomon.  People from other countries were bringing gold and silver to Solomon.  Solomon had not defeated them in war, but he ruled with wisdom in a time of peace, and this was all because of the blessing God shed on him.  We need o do our best to live at peace int he world, but I am afraid that we will always at war with Satan and his forces.  We will likely never have the eartly riches that Solomon had either, but we do have God's promise that He will always meet our needs.  Verse fifteen continues, And king Solomon made two hundred targets of beaten gold: six hundred shekels of beaten gold went to one target.  Verse sixteen concludes, And three hundred shields made he of beaten gold: three hundred shekels of gold went to one shield. And the king put them in the house of the forest of Lebanon.  Solomon made defensive weapons out of gold, but they were stored and not used.  God's gives us all the defensive weapons we need spiritually, and they are even more valuable than weapons made of gold.  They are forged by God's word.  Verse seventeen states, Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold.  Solomon made a great throne of ivory overlaid with gold.  As great as Solomon's throne was, it was temporary.  We will never have a throne as followers of Christ, but we worship the One Who sets on the throne forever.  Verse eighteen adds, And there were six steps to the throne, with a footstool of gold, which were fastened to the throne, and stays on each side of the sitting place, and two lions standing by the stays:  This was an elaborate throne, and Solomon had to go up six steps just to sit on it.  There was also a footstool of gold, maybe so people could sit at Solomon's feet.  It seems to me that Solomon went overboard in making his throne.  We do not need to sit ourselves above other people, no matter how rich and powerful we may be, nor do I believe that we need to spend lots of money just to make things look impressive.  Verse nineteen continues, And twelve lions stood there on the one side and on the other upon the six steps. There was not the like made in any kingdom.  There were six lions on each side of the throne, plus the two by the stays.  The stays served a purpose, but the lions really didn't.  As Christians, I don't believe we should spend a lot of resources on things that really serve no purpose other than adornment. Verse twenty concludes, And all the drinking vessels of king Solomon were of gold, and all the vessels of the house of the forest of Lebanon were of pure gold: none were of silver; it was not any thing accounted of in the days of Solomon.  Silver was too cheap for the drinking vessels of Solomon, so they were made of pure gold.  This was about as necessary as gold toilet seats today, and I don't believe God is pleased if we live in opulence while others are starving.

2 Chronicles 9:1

2 Chronicles 9:1 says, And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart.  The queen of Sheba had heard about Jerusalem, and came to ask Solomon what is said to be some hard questions.  People who hear about Jesus Christ today may come to us who are followers of Christ with some hard questions, but we can only share with them the gospel, because until they understand and accept it, they can never understand anything about God.  They may have some general knowledge about God's existence, but they will never really understand Who He is until they accept His gift of salvation.  The queen of Sheba came with gifts and not in an attitude of demanding.  People today should come with an air of superiority demanding to know God.  Verse two adds, And Solomon told her all her questions: and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not.  Solomon answered all her questions and didn't hide anything from her.  We need to answer people's questions about God today, starting with sharing gospel and not trying to hide any of God's truth from them.  We are not to view God as ours exclusively.  Verse three continues, And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built,  The queen of Sheba we are told saw the wisdom of Solomon and the house that he built, which I would think means that she understood that God was behind what Solomon had done and gave him both the wisdom and the resources to accomplish it.  I do know that whatever we achieve in life as Christians, we need to make sure that people realize that God is behind our success.  Verse four concludes, And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the Lord; there was no more spirit in her.  When the queen of Sheba saw all the work in the temple, we are told there was no more spirit in her.  I believe this means she was humbled at what God had done through Solomon, and people must be humbled before God when they see what He did for them when He sent His only begotten Son to die for them. Verse five states, And she said to the king, It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom:  She said what she had heard about Solomon was true, and people must realize that what we say about Jesus Christ is true today, and they can only know this by hearing and accepting Him as their personal Savior and Lord.  Verse six adds, Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: for thou exceedest the fame that I heard.  She then told Solomon that she couldn't believe what she had heard until she saw it with her own eyes, and then when she did it exceeded what she had heard.  Until someone personally sees the truth of the gospel, they cannot believe it, and when they do accept it, it will exceed their belief.  Verse seven continues, Happy are thy men, and happy are these thy servants, which stand continually before thee, and hear thy wisdom.  She noted that Solomon's men were happy to stand before him and hear his wisdom, and we as Christians should be happy to stand before God and hear His wisdom.  Verse eight says, Blessed be the Lord thy God, which delighted in thee to set thee on his throne, to be king for the Lord thy God: because thy God loved Israel, to establish them for ever, therefore made he thee king over them, to do judgment and justice.  Then, she gave praise to God for Solomon's success.  She said God had set Solomon on the throne because He loved Israel and established them forever.  Still, the nation of Israel is not the only people God loves.  He loved the queen of Sheba just as much, even if He had chosen to work through the nation of Israel.  God love each individual the same, no matter where we are from, since Jesus Christ died for the sins of all.  Of course, like the nation of Israel, we must be faithful to Him in order for Him to work through us.  Verse nine adds, And she gave the king praise hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices great abundance, and precious stones: neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon.  She then gave Solomon many gifts, including a very unique spice.  We as followers of Christ should never expect the praise of people nor expect them to reward us for doing what God calls us to do.  The praise and rewards should all go to God and we should be content with His providing for us daily.  Verse ten continues, And the servants also of Huram, and the servants of Solomon, which brought gold from Ophir, brought algum trees and precious stones.  Huram and Solomon's servants also brought gold, algum trees, and precious stones into his storehouse.  This was a very prosperous time for the people of Israel, but I don't think that Solomon was using these gifts or profits just for himself, but I believe he was using them for God's glory; at least at first.  I do know that we shouldn't use the things that God blesses us with just for our own benefit or glory.  Verse twelve states, And the king made of the algum trees terraces to the house of the Lord, and to the king's palace, and harps and psalteries for singers: and there were none such seen before in the land of Judah.  We are told that at least with the algum trees that Solomon used them for doing God's work, making a terrace on the temple and harps and psalteries for the singers.  Verse twelve adds, And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which she had brought unto the king. So she turned, and went away to her own land, she and her servants.  Solomon showed respect for the queen of Sheba as she had for him, giving here anything she desired and asked for, and then she went back to her own land.  We as Christians today should have same mutual respect for each other.