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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadPaul Kretzmann Commentary - 2 Chronicles 10:12 - 10:19
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The Revolt of Israel
v. 12. 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.
v. 13. And the king answered them roughly, in a violent and haughty manner; and King Rehoboam, headstrong as he was, forsook the counsel of the old men,
v. 14. 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.
v. 15. So the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was of God, He it was that arranged matters in this manner, that the Lord might perform His word which He spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, 1Ki_11:29. The weakness and inexperience of Rehoboam, his utter want of common sense, and his judicial blindness was made use of by the Lord in bringing upon the house of Solomon the punishment for the latter's idolatry.
v. 16. And when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken unto them, stubbornly refusing to listen to their appeal, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David, the dynasty of Judah? And we have none inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to your tents, O Israel! And now, David, that is, the house of David, the reigning family of Judah, see to thine own house! It was a quiet, but determined declaration of withdrawal, showing the scorn and derision which the people of the northern tribes felt for the foolishness of Rehoboam. So all Israel went to their tents, thus accomplishing the rebellion with all quietness.
v. 17. But as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah, including the Simeonites and the tribe of Benjamin, Rehoboam reigned over them.
v. 18. Then King Rehoboam, apparently unaware of the seriousness of the situation and of the accomplished revolt, sent Hadoram, that was over the tribute, his chief tax-gatherer; and the children of Israel, to show that they were in dead earnest, stoned him with stones that he died. This occurred while Rehoboam was still staying in Shechem. But King Rehoboam made speed, he used all energy, to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem, since the seriousness of the situation now finally dawned upon him.
v. 19. And Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day, to the time that the account was written from which our author took his information. Note: Tyranny is usually followed by disintegration. Mark also: The sins of men are acts of their perverted will, yet God often makes use of the situations due to men's perversions, in the natural course of events, to carry out His plans.