29 lines
2.1 KiB
Markdown
29 lines
2.1 KiB
Markdown
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title = "2 Chronicles 10:1–19"
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date = "2024-12-14"
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### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/2Chronicles10.1-19)
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Solomon's son Rehoboam reigns as king of Israel in Jerusalem after his father's death.
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Jereboam the son of Nebat hears about this from his exile in Egypt, and returns to Israel. (_v. 2_)
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[1 Kings 11](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/1Kings11) gives us the necessary background that explains why Jereboam was afraid of King Solomon.
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The Chronicler doesn't mention Solomon's idolatry, but it is because of this unfaithfulness to Yahweh that the majority of the kingdom will be stripped from David's line.
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Jereboam was the man prophesied to be the king over ten of the tribes of Israel by Ahijah the Shilonite. (_v. 15_)
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When Solomon heard of this, he tried to kill Jereboam, but man cannot invalidate what the Lord has said.
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When Jereboam returns to Israel, he doesn't do anything unreasonable like start a rebellion without cause.
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Instead, because he used to be the overseer of the forced labor from the tribes of Joseph, he seeks to negotiate better working conditions for the common Israelite.
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Rehoboam's older advisors, who had served his father Solomon, thought this was a good idea.
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The advisors who were closer to Rehoboam's age believed Rehoboam needed to show them who was boss, and that he would make things harder instead.
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Most applications of this story revolve around listening to the wisdom of elders, political compromise, and other practical things.
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These things may be true and useful, but they aren't the main point.
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No, the point is that Rehoboam made a poor decision because these events were appointed by God to happen so that His word would be fulfilled. (_v. 15_)
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This passage doesn't explain what the Lord's word was or why He said it, but we already know it is the turning away of Solomon's heart to the gods of his foreign wives.
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Kingdoms and nations can fall because of a single bad decision, and if that is what the Lord has decreed will happen, there's not a thing to be done except trust in Him and endure the trials that come.
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* * *
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You alone are a perfect ruler, and You will always accomplish Your good purposes.
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