mh_parser/vol_split/14 - 2Chronicles/Chapter 12.xml

<div2 id="iiCh.xiii" n="xiii" next="iiCh.xiv" prev="iiCh.xii" progress="81.87%" title="Chapter XII">
<h2 id="iiCh.xiii-p0.1">S E C O N D   C H R O N I C L E
S</h2>
<h3 id="iiCh.xiii-p0.2">CHAP. XII.</h3>
<p class="intro" id="iiCh.xiii-p1">This chapter gives us a more full account of the
reign of Rehoboam than we had before in Kings and it is a very
melancholy account. Methinks we are in the book of Judges again;
for, I. Rehoboam and his people did evil in the sight of the Lord,
<scripRef id="iiCh.xiii-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.12.1" parsed="|2Chr|12|1|0|0" passage="2Ch 12:1">ver. 1</scripRef>. II. God thereupon
sold them into the hands of Shishak, king of Egypt, who greatly
oppressed them, <scripRef id="iiCh.xiii-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.12.2-2Chr.12.4" parsed="|2Chr|12|2|12|4" passage="2Ch 12:2-4">ver. 2-4</scripRef>.
III. God sent a prophet to them, to expound to them the judgment
and to call them to repentance, <scripRef id="iiCh.xiii-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.12.5" parsed="|2Chr|12|5|0|0" passage="2Ch 12:5">ver.
5</scripRef>. IV. They thereupon humbled themselves, <scripRef id="iiCh.xiii-p1.4" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.12.6" parsed="|2Chr|12|6|0|0" passage="2Ch 12:6">ver. 6</scripRef>. V. God, upon their
repentance, turned from his anger (<scripRef id="iiCh.xiii-p1.5" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.12.7 Bible:2Chr.12.12" parsed="|2Chr|12|7|0|0;|2Chr|12|12|0|0" passage="2Ch 12:7,12">ver. 7, 12</scripRef>) and yet left them under the
marks of his displeasure, <scripRef id="iiCh.xiii-p1.6" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.12.8-2Chr.12.11" parsed="|2Chr|12|8|12|11" passage="2Ch 12:8-11">ver.
8-11</scripRef>. Lastly, Here is a general character of Rehoboam
and his reign, with the conclusion of it, <scripRef id="iiCh.xiii-p1.7" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.12.13-2Chr.12.16" parsed="|2Chr|12|13|12|16" passage="2Ch 12:13-16">ver. 13-16</scripRef>.</p>
<scripCom id="iiCh.xiii-p0.1_1" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.12" parsed="|2Chr|12|0|0|0" passage="2Ch 12" type="Commentary"/>
<scripCom id="iiCh.xiii-p0.2_1" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.12.1-2Chr.12.12" parsed="|2Chr|12|1|12|12" passage="2Ch 12:1-12" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:2Chr.12.1-2Chr.12.12">
<h4 id="iiCh.xiii-p1.10">Abijah's Reign over Judah. (<span class="smallcaps" id="iiCh.xiii-p1.11">b. c.</span> 970.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="iiCh.xiii-p2">1 And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had
established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook
the law of the <span class="smallcaps" id="iiCh.xiii-p2.1">Lord</span>, and all Israel
with him.   2 And it came to pass, <i>that</i> in the fifth
year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against
Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the <span class="smallcaps" id="iiCh.xiii-p2.2">Lord</span>,   3 With twelve hundred chariots, and
threescore thousand horsemen: and the people <i>were</i> without
number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims,
and the Ethiopians.   4 And he took the fenced cities which
<i>pertained</i> to Judah, and came to Jerusalem.   5 Then
came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and <i>to</i> the princes of
Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak,
and said unto them, Thus saith the <span class="smallcaps" id="iiCh.xiii-p2.3">Lord</span>, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I
also left you in the hand of Shishak.   6 Whereupon the
princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said,
The <span class="smallcaps" id="iiCh.xiii-p2.4">Lord</span> <i>is</i> righteous.  
7 And when the <span class="smallcaps" id="iiCh.xiii-p2.5">Lord</span> saw that they
humbled themselves, the word of the <span class="smallcaps" id="iiCh.xiii-p2.6">Lord</span> came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled
themselves; <i>therefore</i> 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.   8 Nevertheless they
shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the
service of the kingdoms of the countries.   9 So Shishak king
of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of
the house of the <span class="smallcaps" id="iiCh.xiii-p2.7">Lord</span>, and the
treasures of the king's house; he took all: he carried away also
the shields of gold which Solomon had made.   10 Instead of
which king Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed
<i>them</i> to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the
entrance of the king's house.   11 And when the king entered
into the house of the <span class="smallcaps" id="iiCh.xiii-p2.8">Lord</span>, the
guard came and fetched them, and brought them again into the guard
chamber.   12 And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the
<span class="smallcaps" id="iiCh.xiii-p2.9">Lord</span> turned from him, that he would
not destroy <i>him</i> altogether: and also in Judah things went
well.</p>
<p class="indent" id="iiCh.xiii-p3">Israel was very much disgraced and weakened
by being divided into two kingdoms; yet the kingdom of Judah,
having both the temple and the royal city, both the house of David
and the house of Aaron, might have done very well if they had
continued in the way of their duty; but here we have all out of
order there.</p>
<p class="indent" id="iiCh.xiii-p4">I. Rehoboam and his people left God: He
<i>forsook the law of the Lord,</i> and so in effect forsook God,
and <i>all Israel with him,</i> <scripRef id="iiCh.xiii-p4.1" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.12.1" parsed="|2Chr|12|1|0|0" passage="2Ch 12:1"><i>v.</i> 1</scripRef>. He had his happy triennium, when
he walked in the way of David and Solomon (<scripRef id="iiCh.xiii-p4.2" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.11.17" parsed="|2Chr|11|17|0|0" passage="2Ch 11:17"><i>ch.</i> xi. 17</scripRef>), but it expired, and he
grew remiss in the worship of God; in what instances we are not
told, but he fell off, and Judah with him, here called
<i>Israel,</i> because they walked in the evil ways into which
Jeroboam had drawn the kingdom of Israel. Thus he did <i>when he
had established the kingdom and strengthened himself.</i> As long
as he thought his throne tottered he kept to his duty, that he
might make God his friend; but, when he found it stood pretty
firmly, he thought he had no more occasion for religion; he was
safe enough without it. Thus <i>the prosperity of fools destroys
them. Jeshurun waxed fat and kicked.</i> When men prosper, and are
in no apprehension of troubles, they are ready to say to God,
<i>Depart from us.</i></p>
<p class="indent" id="iiCh.xiii-p5">II. God quickly brought troubles upon them,
to awaken them, and recover them to repentance, before their hearts
were hardened. It was but in the fourth year of Rehoboam that they
began to corrupt themselves, and in the fifth year the king of
Egypt came up against them with a vast army, took <i>the fenced
cities of Judah, and came against Jerusalem,</i> <scripRef id="iiCh.xiii-p5.1" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.12.2-2Chr.12.4" parsed="|2Chr|12|2|12|4" passage="2Ch 12:2,3,4"><i>v.</i> 2, 3, 4</scripRef>. This great calamity
coming upon them so soon after they began to desert the worship of
God, by a hand they had little reason to suspect (having had a
great deal of friendly correspondence with Egypt in the last
reign), and coming with so much violence that all the <i>fenced
cities of Judah,</i> which Rehoboam had lately fortified and
garrisoned and on which he relied much for the safety of his
kingdom, fell immediately into the hands of the enemy, without
making any resistance, plainly showed that it was from the Lord,
because they had transgressed against him.</p>
<p class="indent" id="iiCh.xiii-p6">III. Lest they should not readily or not
rightly understand the meaning of this providence, God by the word
explains the rod, <scripRef id="iiCh.xiii-p6.1" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.12.5" parsed="|2Chr|12|5|0|0" passage="2Ch 12:5"><i>v.</i>
5</scripRef>. When the princes of Judah had all met at Jerusalem,
probably in a great council of war, to concert measures for their
own safety in this critical juncture, he sent a prophet to them,
the same that had brought them an injunction from God not to fight
against the ten tribes (<scripRef id="iiCh.xiii-p6.2" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.11.2" parsed="|2Chr|11|2|0|0" passage="2Ch 11:2"><i>ch.</i> xi.
2</scripRef>), Shemaiah by name; he told them plainly that the
reason why Shishak prevailed against them was not because they had
been impolitic in the management of their affairs (which perhaps
the princes in this congress were at this time scrutinizing), but
because they had forsaken God. God never leaves any till they first
leave him.</p>
<p class="indent" id="iiCh.xiii-p7">IV. The rebukes both of the word and of the
rod being thus joined, the king and princes humbled themselves
before God for their iniquity, penitently acknowledged the sin, and
patiently accepted the punishment of it, saying, <i>The Lord is
righteous,</i> <scripRef id="iiCh.xiii-p7.1" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.12.6" parsed="|2Chr|12|6|0|0" passage="2Ch 12:6"><i>v.</i> 6</scripRef>.
"We have none to blame but ourselves; let God be clear when he
judgeth." Thus it becomes us, when we are under the rebukes of
Providence, to justify God and judge ourselves. Even kings and
princes must either bend or break before God, either be humbled or
be ruined.</p>
<p class="indent" id="iiCh.xiii-p8">V. Upon the profession they made of
repentance God showed them some favour, saved them from ruin, and
yet left them under some remaining fears of the judgment, to
prevent their revolt again.</p>
<p class="indent" id="iiCh.xiii-p9">1. God, in mercy, prevented the destruction
they were now upon the brink of. Such a vast and now victorious
army as Shishak had, having made themselves masters of all the
fenced cities, what could be expected but that the whole country,
and even Jerusalem itself, would in a little time be theirs? But
when God saith, <i>Here shall the proud waves be stayed,</i> the
most threatening force strangely dwindles and becomes impotent.
Here again the destroying angel, when he comes to Jerusalem, is
forbidden to destroy it: "<i>My wrath shall not be poured out upon
Jerusalem;</i> not at this time, not by this hand, not utterly to
destroy it," <scripRef id="iiCh.xiii-p9.1" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.12.7 Bible:2Chr.12.12" parsed="|2Chr|12|7|0|0;|2Chr|12|12|0|0" passage="2Ch 12:7,12"><i>v.</i> 7,
12</scripRef>. Note, Those that acknowledge God righteous in
afflicting them shall find him gracious. Those that humble
themselves before him shall find favour with him. So ready is the
God of mercy to take the first occasion to show mercy. If we have
humbled hearts under humbling providences, the affliction has done
its work, and it shall either be removed or the property of it
altered.</p>
<p class="indent" id="iiCh.xiii-p10">2. He granted them some deliverance, not
complete, but in part; he gave them some advantages against the
enemy, so that they recruited a little; he <i>gave them deliverance
for a little while,</i> so some. They reformed but partially, and
for a little while, soon relapsing again; and, as their reformation
was, so was their deliverance. Yet it is said (<scripRef id="iiCh.xiii-p10.1" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.12.12" parsed="|2Chr|12|12|0|0" passage="2Ch 12:12"><i>v.</i> 12</scripRef>), <i>in Judah things went
well,</i> and began to look with a better face. (1.) In respect of
piety. <i>There were good things in Judah</i> (so it is in the
margin), good ministers, good people, good families, who were made
better by the calamities of their country. Note, In times of great
corruption and degeneracy it is some comfort if there be a remnant
among whom good things are found; this is a ground of hope in
Israel. (2.) In respect of prosperity. In Judah things went ill
when all the fenced cities were taken (<scripRef id="iiCh.xiii-p10.2" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.12.4" parsed="|2Chr|12|4|0|0" passage="2Ch 12:4"><i>v.</i> 4</scripRef>), but when they repented the
posture of their affairs altered, and things went well. Note, If
things do not go so well as we could wish, yet we have reason to
take notice of it with thankfulness if they go better than was to
have been expected, better than formerly, and better than we
deserved. We should own God's goodness if he do but grant us some
deliverance.</p>
<p class="indent" id="iiCh.xiii-p11">3. Yet he left them to smart sorely by the
hand of Shishak, both in their liberty and in their wealth.</p>
<p class="indent" id="iiCh.xiii-p12">(1.) In their liberty (<scripRef id="iiCh.xiii-p12.1" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.12.8" parsed="|2Chr|12|8|0|0" passage="2Ch 12:8"><i>v.</i> 8</scripRef>): <i>They shall be his
servants</i> (that is, they shall lie much at his mercy and be put
under contribution by him, and some of them perhaps be taken
prisoners and held in captivity by him), <i>that they may know my
service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.</i> They
complained, it may be, of the strictness of their religion, and
<i>forsook the law of the Lord</i> (<scripRef id="iiCh.xiii-p12.2" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.12.1" parsed="|2Chr|12|1|0|0" passage="2Ch 12:1"><i>v.</i> 1</scripRef>) because they thought it a yoke
to hard, too heavy, upon them. "Well," saith God, "let them better
themselves if they can; let the neighbouring princes rule them
awhile, since they are not willing that I should rule them, and let
them try how they like that. They might have <i>served God with
joyfulness and gladness of heart,</i> and would not; let them
<i>serve their enemies then in hunger and thirst</i> (<scripRef id="iiCh.xiii-p12.3" osisRef="Bible:Deut.28.47-Deut.28.48" parsed="|Deut|28|47|28|48" passage="De 28:47,48">Deut. xxviii. 47, 48</scripRef>), till they
think of returning to <i>their first Master, for then it was better
with them,</i>" <scripRef id="iiCh.xiii-p12.4" osisRef="Bible:Hos.2.7" parsed="|Hos|2|7|0|0" passage="Ho 2:7">Hos. ii. 7</scripRef>.
This, some think, is the meaning of <scripRef id="iiCh.xiii-p12.5" osisRef="Bible:Ezek.20.24-Ezek.20.25" parsed="|Ezek|20|24|20|25" passage="Eze 20:24,25">Ezek. xx. 24, 25</scripRef>. <i>Because they
despised my statutes, I gave them statutes that were not good.</i>
Note, [1.] The more God's service is compared with other services
the more reasonable and easy it will appear. [2.] Whatever
difficulties or hardships we may imagine there are in the way of
obedience, it is better a thousand times to go through them than to
expose ourselves to the punishment of disobedience. Are the laws of
temperance thought hard? The effects of intemperance will be much
harder. The service of virtue is perfect liberty; the service of
lust is perfect slavery.</p>
<p class="indent" id="iiCh.xiii-p13">(2.) In their wealth. The king of Egypt
plundered both the temple and the exchequer, the treasuries of both
which Solomon left very full; but he <i>took them away;</i> yea, he
<i>took all,</i> all he could lay his hands on, <scripRef id="iiCh.xiii-p13.1" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.12.9" parsed="|2Chr|12|9|0|0" passage="2Ch 12:9"><i>v.</i> 9</scripRef>. This was what he came for. David
and Solomon, who walked in the way of God, filled the treasuries,
one by war and the other by merchandise; but Rehoboam, who forsook
the law of God, emptied them. The taking away of the golden
shields, and the substituting of brazen ones in their place
(<scripRef id="iiCh.xiii-p13.2" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.12.9-2Chr.12.11" parsed="|2Chr|12|9|12|11" passage="2Ch 12:9-11"><i>v.</i> 9-11</scripRef>), we had
an account of before, <scripRef id="iiCh.xiii-p13.3" osisRef="Bible:1Kgs.14.25-1Kgs.14.28" parsed="|1Kgs|14|25|14|28" passage="1Ki 14:25-28">1 Kings xiv.
25-28</scripRef>.</p>
</div><scripCom id="iiCh.xiii-p0.3" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.12.13-2Chr.12.16" parsed="|2Chr|12|13|12|16" passage="2Ch 12:13-16" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:2Chr.12.13-2Chr.12.16">
<h4 id="iiCh.xiii-p13.5">Jeroboam Defeated by Abijah. (<span class="smallcaps" id="iiCh.xiii-p13.6">b. c.</span> 965.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="iiCh.xiii-p14">13 So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in
Jerusalem, and reigned: for Rehoboam <i>was</i> one and forty years
old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in
Jerusalem, the city which the <span class="smallcaps" id="iiCh.xiii-p14.1">Lord</span>
had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there.
And his mother's name <i>was</i> Naamah an Ammonitess.   14
And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the
<span class="smallcaps" id="iiCh.xiii-p14.2">Lord</span>.   15 Now the acts of
Rehoboam, first and last, <i>are</i> they not written in the book
of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning
genealogies? And <i>there were</i> wars between Rehoboam and
Jeroboam continually.   16 And Rehoboam slept with his
fathers, and was buried in the city of David: and Abijah his son
reigned in his stead.</p>
<p class="indent" id="iiCh.xiii-p15">The story of Rehoboam's reign is here
concluded, much as the story of the other reigns concludes. Two
things especially are observable here:—1. That he was at length
pretty well <i>fixed in his kingdom,</i> <scripRef id="iiCh.xiii-p15.1" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.12.13" parsed="|2Chr|12|13|0|0" passage="2Ch 12:13"><i>v.</i> 13</scripRef>. His fenced cities in Judah did
not answer his expectation, so he now <i>strengthened himself in
Jerusalem,</i> which he made it his business to fortify, and there
he reigned seventeen years, in <i>the city which the Lord had
chosen to put his name there.</i> This intimates his honour and
privilege, that he had his royal seat in the holy city, which yet
was but an aggravation of his impiety—near the temple, but far
from God. Frequent skirmishes there were between his subjects and
Jeroboam's, such as amounted to <i>continual wars,</i> (<scripRef id="iiCh.xiii-p15.2" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.12.15" parsed="|2Chr|12|15|0|0" passage="2Ch 12:15"><i>v.</i> 15</scripRef>), but he held his own,
and reigned, and, as it should seem, did not so grossly <i>forsake
the law of God</i> as he had done (<scripRef id="iiCh.xiii-p15.3" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.12.1" parsed="|2Chr|12|1|0|0" passage="2Ch 12:1"><i>v.</i> 1</scripRef>) in his fourth year. 2. That he
was never rightly fixed in his religion, <scripRef id="iiCh.xiii-p15.4" osisRef="Bible:2Chr.12.14" parsed="|2Chr|12|14|0|0" passage="2Ch 12:14"><i>v.</i> 14</scripRef>. He never quite cast off God;
and yet in this he did evil, that he <i>prepared not, he engaged
not, his heart to seek the Lord.</i> See what the fault is laid
upon. (1.) He did not serve the Lord because he did not seek the
Lord. He did not pray, as Solomon did, for wisdom and grace. If we
prayed better, we should be every way better. Or he did not consult
the word of God, did not seek to that as his oracle, nor take
directions from it. (2.) He made nothing of his religion because he
did not set his heart to it, never minded it with any closeness of
application, and never any hearty disposition to it, nor ever came
up to a steady resolution in it. What little goodness he had was
transient and passed away like the morning cloud. He did evil
because he was never determined for that which is good. Those are
easily drawn by Satan to any evil who are wavering and inconstant
in that which is good and are never persuaded to make religion
their business.</p>
</div></div2>