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<center><h1>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary
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on the Whole Bible</h1>
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[<A HREF="MHC00000.HTM">Table of Contents</A>]<BR>
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Matthew Henry<BR><I>Commentary on the Whole Bible</I> (1708)
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<!-- (Begin Body) -->
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+3><B>S E C O N D C H R O N I C L E S</B></FONT>
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<BR>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+2>CHAP. X.</FONT>
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<HR SIZE=1 WIDTH=50>
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<FONT SIZE=-1>
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<P>
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This chapter is copied almost verbatim from
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=1Ki+12:1-19,2Ch+10:1-19">1 Kings xii. 1-19</A>,
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where it was opened at large. Solomon's defection from God was not
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repeated, but the defection of the ten tribes from his family is, in
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this chapter, where we find,
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I. How foolish Rehoboam was in his treating with them,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+10:1,5-14">ver. 1, 5-14</A>.
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II. How wicked the people were in complaining of Solomon
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+10:2-4">ver. 2-4</A>)
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and forsaking Rehoboam,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+10:16-19">ver. 16-19</A>.
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III. How just and righteous God was in all this,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+10:15">ver. 15</A>.
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His counsel was thereby fulfilled. With him are strength and wisdom;
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both the deceived and the deceiver (the fool and the knave) are his
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Job+12:16">Job xii. 16</A>),
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that is, are made use of by him to suit his purposes.</P>
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</FONT>
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<A NAME="2Ch10_1"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch10_2"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch10_3"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch10_4"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch10_5"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch10_6"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch10_7"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch10_8"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch10_9"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch10_10"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch10_11"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec1"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>Rehoboam Succeeds Solomon.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1>B. C.</FONT> 975.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for to Shechem were all Israel
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come to make him king.
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2 And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who
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<I>was</I> in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of Solomon
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the king, heard <I>it,</I> that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt.
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3 And they sent and called him. So Jeroboam and all Israel came
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and spake to Rehoboam, saying,
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4 Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou
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somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke
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that he put upon us, and we will serve thee.
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5 And he said unto them, Come again unto me after three days.
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And the people departed.
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6 And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had
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stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What
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counsel give ye <I>me</I> to return answer to this people?
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7 And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this
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people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will
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be thy servants for ever.
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8 But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and
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took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him,
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that stood before him.
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9 And he said unto them, What advice give ye that we may return
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answer to this people, which have spoken to me, saying, Ease
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somewhat the yoke that thy father did put upon us?
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10 And the young men that were brought up with him spake unto
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him, saying, Thus shalt thou answer the people that spake unto
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thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou <I>it</I>
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somewhat lighter for us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little
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<I>finger</I> shall be thicker than my father's loins.
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11 For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put
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more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I
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<I>will chastise you</I> with scorpions.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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We may observe here,
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1. The wisest and best cannot give every body content. Solomon enriched
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and advanced his kingdom, did all (one would think) that could be done
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to make then happy and easy; and yet either he was indiscreet in
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burdening them with the imposition of taxes and services, or at least
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there was some colour of reason to think him so. No man is perfectly
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wise. It is probable that it was when Solomon had declined from God and
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his duty that his wisdom failed him, and God left him to himself to act
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in this impolitic manner. Even Solomon's treasures were exhausted by
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his love of women; and probably it was to maintain them, and their
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pride, luxury, and idolatry, that he burdened his subjects.
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2. Turbulent and ungrateful spirits will find fault with the
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government, and complain of grievances, when they have very little
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reason to do so. Had they not peace in Solomon's time? They were never
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plundered by invaders, as formerly, never put in fear by the alarms of
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war, nor obliged to hazard their lives in the high places of the field.
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Had they not plenty--meat enough, and money enough? What would they
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more? <I>O fortunatos nimium, sua si bona norint!</I>--<I>O happy, if
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they knew their happy state!</I> And yet they complain that Solomon
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made their yoke grievous. If any complain thus of the yoke of Christ,
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that they might have a pretence to break his bands in sunder and cast
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away his cords from them, we are sure that he never gave them any cause
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at all for the complaint, whatever Solomon did. <I>His yoke is easy,
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and his burden is light.</I> He never <I>made us serve with an
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offering, nor wearied us with incense.</I>
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3. Many ruin themselves and their interests by trampling upon and
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provoking their inferiors. Rehoboam thought that because he was king
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he might assume as much authority as his father had done, might have
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what he would, and do what he would, and carry all before him. But,
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though he wore his father's crown, he wanted his father's brains, and
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ought to have considered that, being quite a different man from what
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his father was, he ought to take other measures. Such a wise man as
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Solomon may do as we will, but such a fool as Rehoboam must do as he
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can. The high-mettled horse may be kicked and spurred by him that has
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the art of managing him; but, if an unskilful horseman do it, it is at
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his peril. Rehoboam paid dearly for threatening, and talking big, and
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thinking to carry matters with a high hand. It was Job's wisdom, as
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well as his virtue, that he <I>despised not the cause of his
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man-servant or maid-servant,</I> when they argued with him
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Job+31:13">Job xxxi. 13</A>),
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but heard them patiently, considered their reasons, and gave them a
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soft answer. And a similar tender consideration of those in subjection,
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and a forwardness to make them easy, will be the comfort and praise of
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all in authority, in the church, in the state, and in families.
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4. Moderate counsels are generally wisest and best. Gentleness will do
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what violence will not do. Most people love to be accosted mildly.
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Rehoboam's old experienced counsellors directed him to this method
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(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+10:7"><I>v.</I> 7</A>):
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"<I>Be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to
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them,</I> and thou art sure of them for ever." Good words cost nothing
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but a little self-denial, and yet they purchase good things.
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5. God often fulfils the counsels of his own wisdom by infatuating men,
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and giving them up to the counsels of their own folly. No more needs to
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be done to ruin men than to leave them to themselves, and their own
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pride and passion.</P>
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<A NAME="2Ch10_12"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch10_13"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch10_14"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch10_15"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch10_16"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch10_17"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch10_18"> </A>
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<A NAME="2Ch10_19"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec2"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>Rehoboam's Folly.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT><FONT SIZE=-1>B. C.</FONT> 975.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third
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day, as the king bade, saying, Come again to me on the third day.
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13 And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam
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forsook the counsel of the old men,
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14 And answered them after the advice of the young men, saying,
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My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father
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chastised you with whips, but I <I>will chastise you</I> with
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scorpions.
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15 So the king hearkened not unto the people: for the cause was
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of God, that the L<FONT SIZE=-1><B>ORD</B></FONT> might perform his word, which he spake by
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the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
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16 And when all Israel <I>saw</I> that the king would not hearken
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unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion
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have we in David? and <I>we have</I> none inheritance in the son of
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Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: <I>and</I> now, David, see
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to thine own house. So all Israel went to their tents.
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17 But <I>as for</I> the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities
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of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
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18 Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram that <I>was</I> over the tribute;
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and the children of Israel stoned him with stones, that he died.
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But king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to <I>his</I> chariot, to
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flee to Jerusalem.
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19 And Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this
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day.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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We may learn here,
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1. That when public affairs are in a ferment violent proceedings do but
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make bad worse. Rough answers (such as Rehoboam here gave) do but stir
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up anger and bring oil to the flames. The pilot has need to steer
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steadily in a storm. Many have been driven to the mischief they did
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not intend by being too severely dealt with for what they did intend.
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2. That, whatever the devices and designs of men are, God is, by all,
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doing his own work, and fulfilling the word which he has spoken, no
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iota or tittle of which shall fall to the ground. The cause of the
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king's obstinacy and thoughtlessness was <I>of God, that he might
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perform the word which he spoke by Ahijah,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Ch+10:15"><I>v.</I> 15</A>.
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This does not at all excuse Rehoboam's folly, nor lessen the guilt of
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his haughtiness and passion, that God was pleased to serve his own ends
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by them.
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3. That worldly wealth, honour, and dominion, are very uncertain
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things. <I>Solomon reigned over all Israel,</I> and, one would think,
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had done enough to secure the monarchy entire to his family for many
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ages; and yet he is scarcely cold in his grave before ten of the twelve
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tribes finally revolt from his son. All the good services he had done
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for Israel were now forgotten: <I>What portion have we in David?</I>
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Thus is the government of Christ cast off by many, notwithstanding all
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he has done to bind the children of men for ever to himself; they say,
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<I>We will not have this man to reign over us.</I> But this rebellion
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will certainly be their ruin.
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4. That God often visits the iniquities of the fathers upon the
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children. Solomon forsakes God, and therefore not he, but his son after
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him, is forsaken by the greatest part of his people. Thus God, by
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making the penal consequences of sin to last long and visibly to
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continue after the sinner's death, would give an indication of its
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malignity, and perhaps some intimation of the perpetuity of its
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punishment. He that sins against God not only wrongs his soul, but
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perhaps wrongs his seed more than he thinks of.
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5. That, when God is fulfilling his threatenings, he will take care of
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that, at the same time, promises do not fall to the ground. When
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Solomon's iniquity is remembered, and for it his son loses ten tribes,
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David's piety is not forgotten, nor the promise made to him; but for
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the sake of that his grandson had two tribes preserved to him. The
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failings of the saints shall not frustrate any promise made to Christ
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their Head. They shall be chastised, but the covenant not broken,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ps+89:31-34">Ps. lxxxix. 31-34</A>.</P>
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[<A HREF="MHC00000.HTM">Table of Contents</A>]<BR>
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[<A HREF="MHC14011.HTM">Next</A>]<BR>
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Matthew Henry<BR><I>Commentary on the Whole Bible</I> (1708)
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