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Hosea 6:6 For I desired mercy and not sacrifice;
and the knowledge of God more than your burnt offerings.
Bible Chapter Studies
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II CHRONICLES CHAPTER 10
Welcome to the year 880B.C. where we find the Nation of the House of Israel’s third man-king, king Solomon, has now returned Home to Father and his son Rehoboam now reigns over and rules the Nation.
II Chronicles 9 brought us the queen of Sheba visiting Solomon after she had heard of the fame of Solomon—we further learn in I Kings 10:1 that this visit was concerning Solomon’s fame “concerning the name of the LORD”—the reason for her visit, was to “prove Solomon with ‘hard questions’.” There was more to these “hard questions” than what meets the eye brethren.
I wrote in my opening commentary of I Kings 12, that Solomon’s falling away from Father to worshipping satan, false gods and idols came about, because of several factors. I wrote in I Kings 12, that the queen of Sheba and her “hard questions” was one of those factors, as those hard questions were dark sayings and sentences, i.e., mysticism. We know this because, “Hard questions” in the Strong’s Concordance, is Hebrew word number: H2420, - חידה, - chı̂ydâh, pronounced - khee-dawי, and means: From H2330; a puzzle; hence a trick, conundrum, sententious maxim: - dark saying (sentence, speech), hard question, proverb, riddle. Total KJV occurrences: 17.. So, we see that she was not only proving him by asking him some very difficult questions, proverbs and\or riddles; but, also with “dark sayings.” You’ll also notice when you look up the 17 uses of “H2420” in the Strong’s Concordance—Numbers 12:8; Judges 14:12,13,14,
15,16,17,18,19; I Kings 10:1; II Chronicles 9:1; Psalms 49:4; Psalms 78:2; Proverbs 1:6; Ezekiel 17:2; Daniel 8:23; and Habakkuk 2:6—that it ties in with the “dark sayings” in Father’s Word; however, the queen’s dark sayings, or hard questions—just like the Philistines’ “riddles” in The Book of Judges—are not the same as they are when Father uses them or when one of his People use them. When Father or one of His People speaks of the “dark sayings,” He or they are referring to what the ancients—the remnant—spoke, i.e., the Truth in Father’s Word, the very same knowledge the Remnant were to pass down from the Foundation of the World. Sadly for Solomon and the Nation of the House of Israel, for the queen’s part, she was leading Solomon away from Father, toward mysticism; in other words, towards satan, as he was hard at work on Solomon to draw him away from Father; and (2) Solomon’s turning away from Father was also because of his association with Huram the kenite of the land of Tyre, and also the foreign women who he lusted after and took to himself. Solomon and Huram had bonded together and became close, he also bonded with the Zidonian people of Tyre, hence where he had gotten some of his foreign wives and concubines. Many years previous, when Huram had first befriended David and then his son Solomon, Solomon got to see the women of Tyre and he became enthralled with them. Then when he became king, he took many of these Kenite women as concubines. In doing so, he also brought in these women’s—satan’s—religion. We know that David never got caught up in, or messed around with the realm of mysticism, Father says so in I Kings 11:38; so, even though David and Huram were friends, they never mixed their religions like Solomon and Huram did. David is a great example for us living today, as by his not mixing religions with Huram, it shows us that we too can go near unto the lost—read that the gentile, the heathen, the pagan—in order to be an example to them and show them Christ; but, not to take back with us when we depart from them, their false religions. Huram and David were only associates enough that Huram was providing the materials that David needed to build the Temple to Father; but, years later as Huram was constructing the Temple with Solomon, he was also busy teaching Solomon the realm of satan’s world. For his part, as we know, Solomon readily\greedily accepted it into Israel. See, it wasn’t that “just he” was doing this; but, that he reintroduced it into the Nation of Israel—after it had been eradicated for over 100 years—in order that all the people were now also practicing the worship of satan, false gods and idols. It was this which got him into trouble with Father.
With that introduction being said, let’s go to Father and ask Him for His Blessings on our Study of His Word: “Father, I come to You right now and ask that You Oh LORD Lead me and Guide me as I try and teach Your Word, don’t allow me to mis-teach or mis-lead Your Children. We, Father, also come to You as a group who desire to Learn Your Word, to thank You for inviting us to Your table in order that we might be able to partake of and receive Your Spiritual Meat, and Father, as we prepare to dine on the sustenance which sustains our inner man, we ask that You Oh LORD open our ears and eyes, that we might be able to hear and see your Truths, open our hearts and minds and prepare us in order that we may receive Your Truth. We Pray for Your Understanding of Your Word, we seek Your Knowledge in Your Word, and most importantly Father, we Pray for and desire Your Wisdom from Your Word, in Jesus’ Precious name we Pray, thank You Father, Amen.”
I Chronicles 10:1-II Chronicles 36:21 HISTORY (UP TO
THE CAPTIVITY.) (Division.)
I Chronicles 11:1-II Chronicles 36:21 THE HOUSE of DAVID.
ESTABLISHED. (Division.)
II Chronicles 1:1-9:31 SOLOMON. (Introversion and Alternation.)
10:1-12:16 REHOBOAM. (Repeated Alternation.)
10:1 Personal events. Accession.
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II Chronicles 10:1 And Rehoboam (a people has enlarged; and, enlarger of the people) (rekh-ab-awmי) went to Shechem (ridge; and, shoulder) (shek-emי): for to Shechem were all Israel (he will rule as YAH; or, the prince that prevails with YAH) (Yis-raw-aleי) (secondary map) come to make him king. —> Rehoboam is Solomon’s son, so, this is the normal progression, as the eldest son receives the firstfruits. In this case, that means ascending to the throne, thus making him the fourth man-king of the Nation of the House of Israel. In Rehoboam’s father Solomon’s case though, Father had said he and not Amnon, David’s firstborn would ascend to be the third man king of Israel.
Shechem is approximately 34 miles north of Jerusalem, very near the territories of the ten northern tribes, and will very shortly become the Capital of the ten northern tribes. We have read a lot of history concerning this Shechem, beginning with Jacob coming to this land in Genesis 33 as he was leaving his father-in-law—Laban, his mother’s brother—in order to return to his home land—Canaan—and see his brother Esau. Of course when he departed Canaan, Esau had wanted to kill him; but now, after having been gone for 20+ years, he figures it safe to return. Anyway, Jacob with his wives, sons and at least one daughter—Dinah—stop in this land of Shechem where he buys a parcel of land from Hamor, sons and at least one daughter—we don’t know his name as Hamor, like pharaoh and abimelech, are titles—the Hivite prince of the land. As we see, these people are those who have been messing with and mating with the fallen angels. So, anyway, Dinah goes out one day to see the daughters of the land, and Hamor’s son Shechem, sees her and rapes her. Later, after he has done this dastardly deed, Shechem tells his father he wants to marry Dinah. So, they come to Jacob and offer to give their daughters to Jacob’s sons and their sons to Jacob’s daughters, in order that they all dwell together and be merry. The sons of Jacob—namely Simeon and Levi—tell them that the only way this could happen, is if the men of Shechem first come under the law of the God of Abraham, which means that they must be first circumcised. The men of Shechem agree, and as they’re sore and recovering, Simeon and Levi go and slay every male in the city of Shechem. The Israelites then took all the herds, sheep and asses, all their women and children, and fled Shechem and went to Beth-el where Jacob told them to give unto him all the strange gods that they had taken from Shechem. Jacob buries these idols under an oak tree. We next read of Shechem in Genesis 37 as young 17 year old Joseph is sent by Jacob to find his brothers who are supposed to be shepherding Jacob’s sheep. Of course, his brothers are not in Shechem where they are supposed to be, no, they are in Dothan sluffing off. When Joseph finds them, they throw him into the pit in order that he not be able to go back and report their activity to Jacob. A band of Ishmaelites come by and they sell young Joseph to them, who take him down into Egypt, and Joseph’s brothers all tell Jacob that their brother was slain by an animal as they handed him Joseph’s coat that Jacob had given him. As can be read in Joshua 24, it was in Shechem that our forefathers buried the bones of Joseph after having brought them out of Egypt and carrying them with them for their 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. We next read in Father’s Word—in Judges 9—that it was in Shechem that the first usurper—Abimelech—took over the kingdom as ruler, after having slain 70 of his brethren.
Dr. Bullinger in his companion notes explains all the information I put above this way: “Shechem, a national sanctuary (Joshua 24:1). Now a Nablous, a corruption of Neapolis, the (new town) of Vespasian. The site of Abraham’s first altar, Jacob’s first home. Here the tribes met. Here Joseph was buried. All this before Jebus became Jerusalem. Hence the envy of Ephraim for Judah (Isaiah 11:13). Degraded by new name, Sychar=drunkenness (Isaiah 28:1-7). Yet here alone in all the world is the Paschal lamb still slain.”.
Rehoboam=For a detailed description of Rehoboam, including his birth, history, the etymology of his name, the Strong’s Concordance definition of his name, and the Smith’s Bible Dictionary information, click here.
Shechem=For a detailed description of Shechem, including the nation’s history, the etymology of the name, the Strong’s Concordance definition of the name, and the Smith’s Bible Dictionary information, click here.
Israel=For a detailed description of Israel, including his birth, his and the Nation’s history, the etymology of the name, the Strong’s Concordance definition of the name, and the Smith’s Bible Dictionary information, click here.
10:2-11:4 Public events. Revolt of Jeroboam.
10:2-11:4 REVOLT OF JEROBOAM. (Introversion.)
10:2 Jeroboam and Rehoboam.
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II Chronicles 10:2 And it came to pass, when Jeroboam ([the] people will contend; and, whose people are many) (yaw-rob-awmי) the son of Nebat (regard; and, aspect) (neb-awtי), who was in Egypt (land of the copts) (mits-rahי-yim), whither he had fled from the presence of Solomon (peaceful; and, peaceful) (shel-o-moי) the king, heard it, that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt. —> Jeroboam the son of Nebat=There is sort of a difference between this Book of Chronicles and The Book of Kings in that, here in The Book of Chronicles, there is no explanation of who Jeroboam was and why he was so afraid of Solomon that he felt the need to flee Egypt. Therefore, it is thus assumed that we have read I Kings 11:26-40 where it chronicles, details and explains that Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor and was very industrious, so Solomon had set him as a taskmaster over all Israel. At the same time, Solomon was chasing after his foreign wives’ and concubines’ false gods and idols—i.e., ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, chemosh the god of the Moabites, and milcom the abomination of the Ammonites—which angered Father. Father was so angry with Solomon that He told Solomon that He was going to rend the Kingdom from him and give part of it to Solomon’s servant—what He didn’t tell Solomon was that it was going to be Solomon’s servant Jeroboam. Father then sent several adversaries against Solomon, Hadad the Edomite, Rezon the son of Eliadah, and then even Jeroboam.
We also learned in I Kings 11, that Father had sent His Prophet Ahijah to Jeroboam and told him, that though Rehoboam would be the next king of Israel, Father was going to divide the House of Israel into two separate Nations, and that he—Jeroboam—would be king over the larger portion of the two separate Houses. Solomon also heard of this, and he therefore desired to kill Jeroboam in order to keep the kingdom under the rule of his offspring; this caused Jeroboam to flee down to Egypt in fear of his life. However, now that Solomon has returned Home to Father, Jeroboam decides it is now safe to return to Israel.
Jeroboam=For a detailed description of Jeroboam, including his history, the etymology of his name, the Strong’s Concordance definition of his name, and the Smith’s Bible Dictionary information, click here.
Nebat=For a detailed description of Nebat, including his birth, history, the etymology of his name, the Strong’s Concordance definition of his name, and the Smith’s Bible Dictionary information, click here.
Egypt=For a detailed description of Egypt, including the nations history, the etymology of the name, the Strong’s Concordance definition of the name, and the Smith’s Bible Dictionary information, click here.
Solomon=For a detailed description of Solomon, including his birth, history, the etymology of his name, the Strong’s Concordance definition of his name, and the Smith’s Bible Dictionary information, click here.
10:3 Jeroboam and Rehoboam.
10:3-5 First application.
10:3-5 APPLICATIONS.
10:3 Petition made. The first.
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II Chronicles 10:3 And they sent and called him. So Jeroboam and all Israel came and spake to Rehoboam, saying, —> …they…=The “they” being the People of the Nation of the House of Israel whom first Solomon, and now his son Rehoboam, have been oppressing, by utilizing them as forced labor. Again, Solomon had called Jeroboam to see him in order to make him a taskmaster over his own brethren of the House of Israel. Jeroboam had been a very industrious man, Solomon took notice and decided that he could make better use of him, if he put a whip in his hand, and used him to make the rest of his own brethren work just as hard as Jeroboam had been working. It was about that time, that Ahijah came to Jeroboam and told him that he’d be one of the two kings over Israel, Solomon heard of this and that was when and why Jeroboam fled to Egypt. Now that Solomon has died, Jeroboam’s brethren had sent for him to return, in order to lead them.
Jeroboam, now back from Egypt and with his brethren behind him, have come to seek an audience with Rehoboam in order to ask for a lighter tasking. Again, it isn’t that the men don’t want to be hard workers, as it isn’t the hard work that is bothering them, it’s the non-stop building appetite that Solomon had, and appears that Rehoboam will continue. The men are just asking that they be allowed to slow down somewhat in order that they be able to spend time with their families and what-not.
How will Rehoboam accept this bit of news? We’ll find, that he at least does somewhat of the correct thing, in that he seeks the counsel of his advisers, not only his, but those of his father’s as well, the bad news—for the men of the House of Israel—is that he’ll throw off the advice of Solomon’s counselors—the elders—in favor of the advice of his peers—men his own age, some his brothers and some his cousins, who, like Rehoboam, grew up with “gold spoons in their mouths”. Rehoboam will reply, that not only will he continue as his father had; but, he’ll make it even more grievous than what they endured under Solomon. I’m reminded of a future to this time, when our Lord Jesus walked in the flesh, He told the people something entirely different concerning being yoked, we can read of it in Matthew 11, which reads: Matthew 11:29 Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. [11:30] For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” —> Both kings, Solomon and Rehoboam’s yoke and burden were heavy, our Lord tells us to yoke ourselves with Him, and He’ll take upon Himself, the heavier burden in order to make our burdens light.
10:4 Petition made. The first.
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II Chronicles 10:4 “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.” —> Jeroboam and the People tell Rehoboam to slack up some, but he won’t. In reality, this heavy burden shouldn’t have come as a surprise to our forefathers, as Father told Samuel this is what a man king would do, we can read of that in I Samuel 8:10-19, which reads: I Samuel 8:10 And Samuel told all the words of the LORD unto the People that asked of him a king. —> The People, through the elders, asked Samuel to ask Father for a man king, and Father through His Prophet Samuel, warned them what would happen should they desire a man to be set over them. Did the people listen? [8:11] And he said, “This will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons, and appoint them for himself, for his chariots, and to be his horsemen; and some shall run before his chariots. —> This came to pass with their very first king — Saul, in I Samuel 14:52: I Samuel 14:52 And there was sore war against the Philistines all the days of Saul: and when Saul saw any strong man, or any valiant man, he took him unto him.. It doesn’t matter whether you are under a king, republic, or a democracy; the government will always make conscripts out of your sons, and today, your daughters too. [8:12] And he will appoint him captains over thousands, and captains over fifties; and will set them to ear his ground, and to reap his harvest, and to make his instruments of war, and instruments of his chariots. —> …ear…=This is an old Angelo-Saxon term meaning “to plough,” and in Hebrew, it means the same thing. The phrase …to make his instruments of war…=Father through Samuel, told our forefathers exactly what would happen when they set “their man-king” that they desired to be set over them as like all the nations around them; and what this boiled down to is this: it is the king who appoints who will be in charge over the soldiers and laborers, and it just does not matter what the People think. What Father is saying here, is that the king decides whether you will carry a gun or be sent to the field to plow the land and reap the harvest, while the king will keep the factories going and maintaining the weapons of war with other of his conscripts. [8:13] And he will take your daughters to be confectionaries, and to be cooks, and to be bakers. —> Are you really sure you want a man-king—or President for that matter, think of Bill Clinton, obama and or our soon-to-be, creepy Joe Biden—to be set over you? You do realize that he will have the power to take your daughters and make them objects for his own use, i.e., to use them as cooks and bakers in his kitchens, and maybe even to sweeten some of them up for his own sexual services. Beware what you ask for, as the king will control all parts of your life and demand obedience to his desires. [8:14] And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your oliveyards, even the best of them, and give them to his servants. —> This came to pass in I Kings 21, where we read that when king Ahab saw the vineyard of Naboth, he desired it for himself. Ahab asked Naboth for his field, to which Naboth told the king — “no.” Of course, Naboth (1) liked his vineyard; and (2) more importantly, Naboth was following the Law of Father as outlined in The Book of Leviticus and Numbers 36:7-9. [8:15] And he will take the tenth of your seed, and of your vineyards, and give to his officers, and to his servants. —> …he will take a tenth…=Here in the USA, this happens during every paycheck and again on the fifteenth of April of each year, as the Government, through the IRS, collects it’s portion of your seed, vineyards, and payroll to provide for the public servants and the needs of the Government. This is the same in a Republic as it is in a kingdom, such as England. Taxes truly are necessary; however, when corruption creeps in, then over burdensome and unnecessary taxes are collected from the people. [8:16] And he will take your menservants, and your maidservants, and your goodliest young men, and your asses, and put them to his work. —> First Solomon with his building appetite, and now his son Rehoboam are doing exactly as Father had told them “their man-king” would do to them, put them to work; now what are they doing here in our current Chapter of II Chronicles 10? Asking for some relief. [8:17] He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. —> Yes, Father required a tithe — of every one, a tenth of part of ones increase. He was fair and said: a Tenth of your herd, flocks, seed, corn or oil, and that was what He meant. [8:18] And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the LORD will not hear you in that day.” —> …which ye have chosen you…=Father told them up front, you desired a man be you set over you and when—not if, but when—he starts taking all the best of what you have; don’t come whining to me about it, as I don’t want to hear about it, because I told you this would happen. Father has now laid out all the problems and heartache that a man-king will cause in their lives, letting them know up front that they’ll whine, cry, scream and kick at what they receive by their men-king. Did they listen, or did they continue in their pursuit of having a man-king set over them? [8:19] Nevertheless the People refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, “Nay; but we will have a king over us; —> …the People refused to obey…and they said…“Nay…=Our forefathers basically said, that what Father and Samuel said was foolishness; because, “no man would ever do that to us, we’re selecting a man from among ourselves, and not one of us would ever do that to ourselves,” boy were they wrong!
10:5 Dismissal. The first.
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II Chronicles 10:5 And he said unto them, “Come again unto me after three days.” And the people departed. —> After hearing all that Jeroboam and the House of Israel had to say in their requesting a lighter burden and yoke, Rehoboam sends them away while he consults his advisors, telling the House of Israel to return to him in three days and he’ll give them his answer.
10:6-19 Second application.
10:6-12 Petition considered. The second.
1A6
II Chronicles 10:6 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?” —> Rehoboam first seeks the counsel of Solomon’s advisors—most of these men were the elders, some of them were left over from when Solomon’s father, King David reigned and ruled the Nation, some of them were Solomon’s age who had not grown up with a silver spoon in their mouths—to see what answer they would give him. Again, this in an intelligent thing to do, as these men are wise sages having lived many years, hearing the wisdom of the wisest man to have walked in the flesh to this point in time, and seeing many of the things that Israel has been through. These elders also knew that Rehoboam was not his father Solomon, and therefore, he could not expect the same from the men of Israel that his father had. Rehoboam had to relate to the men of Israel based upon who he was, and not on who his father was. Had he shown humility and kindness to the men of Israel, they would have loved him and served him with a glad heart forever. Sadly, Rehoboam’s seeking them, is only for “show”as he’ll forgo and reject what they advise, in favor of what his own counselors will recommend, sadly, and it isn’t going to be pretty for the men of the House of Israel.
I said Rehoboam “first seeks counsel from Solomon’s advisors, and that it was an intelligent thing to do” and I stand by that statement; however, with that being said, he should have truly first sought out the counsel of Father YHVH; but, he’ll next seek the same from young men his own age. He never once—at least not that it’s written—seeks counsel from the most important One Who can provide the best counsel: Father. We can see where his young mind is, or should I say isn’t, because right now it appears that he is not right with Father, not walking His Path. He has been afforded the life of luxury because of who his father and grandfather were; and therefore, his mind is nowhere near Father.
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II Chronicles 10:7 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.” —> The elders of Israel tell Rehoboam that he should concur with, and grant the request of Jeroboam and the men of the House of Israel, who say that, should he make their burden lighter, they’ll work harder and thus give a better output, which in turn, will result in a better product. Not only that; but, they’ll serve him with pleasure and joy all the days that he is on the throne. What will Rehoboam do with this prudent counsel?
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II Chronicles 10:8 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 didn’t like what the elder statesmen recommended; and therefore, he rejected their learned advice in favor of his young sottish advisors. Rehoboam favored the reckless “wisdom of youth” instead of sensible knowledge of elderly statesmen—we can’t be too hard on Rehoboam as, he is like most young men his age, myself included when I was that age.
Sadly for everybody involved, Rehoboam’s young counselors don’t have the experience to be advising him concerning this or—for the most part—any other matter. Remember, these elders who he snubbed, had been through the hard times, they saw the trouble of brother killing brother, and all the other troubles prior to Solomon’s reign. They remembered and knew what a split kingdom would do to Israel; yet, Father laid it upon Rehoboam’s heart to rebuff them, and take the advice of the young men. These youth had become callused to Father’s ways, why? Because, some of them were the offspring of Solomon’s heathen wives and concubines, while some of the others were their cousins and such. In either case, they all offered sacrifices to false gods and idols, and in some cases, even offered their own children in living sacrifices. Brethren, one generation can make a lot of difference as far as falling away from the ways of Father YHVH. Rehoboam’s generation had all been born into luxury and good times: Rehoboam’s house, The Temple, the streets, had all been inlaid or overlaid with the finest of gold and the most expensive woods from all over the world. They had everything that their little minds could imagine, and they had never witnessed the trouble that a war could bring upon them. The state of Solomon’s kingdom was in good times, and they did not witness any of the hard times outside of Jerusalem. This is the mind set of those kids whom Rehoboam is asking for advice.
1A9
II Chronicles 10:9 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?’ ” —> So, after refusing the counsel of the elders, Rehoboam then turns to his friends and asks them, “OK, how do you say I should answer Jeroboam and Israel’s request to make their burden and yoke lighter?”
Remember, these youngsters have never had to work for a day in their lives, they’ve lived the proverbial “silver Spoon in their mouths” life; though in the case here, it’s been gold, as, as we learned in I Kings 11, both gold and silver were so plentiful, that silver was as stones on the street; and it is these whom Rehoboam is going to turn to for advice. I ask you brethren, do you think they’ll offer any valuable counsel?
1A10
II Chronicles 10:10 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. —> They answer Rehoboam—Just like the young spoiled brats that they are—with a smart mouthed reply: “Rehoboam, you tell them that ‘your little finger shall be thicker than your father’s loins;’ ” this brethren, was a common Hebraism of the day which I’ll not go into detail to explain; but, suffice it to say that they basically told Rehoboam to tell Jeroboam and Israel in unkind words, “no.”
1A11
II Chronicles 10:11 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.’ ” —> Did you notice in the previous verse that these young juveniles who Rehoboam is turning to for counsel, are all boys he grew up with from infancy? They are all in their early forties and most are either his brothers, half-brothers, or very close family, i.e., cousins. Yeah, there may be a friend or two among them; but, more likely than not, only one or two. For most of them, their daddy was “king Solomon,” thus they are acting very arrogantly, and hence, their nasty reply.
…scorpions…=We read back in I Kings 11:28, that Solomon used Jeroboam to be a taskmaster over Israel, and he had him use whips to get the men to perform to his standards. Rehoboam’s young counselors, tell him to not only continue using the whips; but, to now use a cat-o-nine-tails, which is a multiple-tailed whip with metal barbs on the ends, so that it not only cuts as it hits it’s intended victim, but inflicts severe injury by tearing the flesh.
…whips…=Our forefathers were familiar with whips, as they were the badge of the Egyptian taskmasters.
10:12-14 Answer returned. The second.
1A12
II Chronicles 10:12 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.” —> Stop and put all this in perspective brethren, since our forefathers desired, and then gotten their wish for a man to rule over them, they have had men from only two tribes set over them: Saul a Benjamite, and David and his descendants—Solomon and now Rehoboam—of the tribe of Judah. Though in the time of David, there were at least two named Benjamites—Shimei in II Samuel 16:5 and Sheba in II Samuel 20:1—who show us that these two tribes were not always on the same page, and were indeed somewhat against each other, as the Benjamites were angry that the kingship had been removed from them. However, it is these same two tribes who will now make up the House of Judah. These two tribes for the most part have only seen the high side of life, for as I mentioned in my companion notes while explaining II Samuel 16, with having a man from your tribe being king, your tribe then received many perks, and thus far, they have known for the most part a gold plated world, with plenty to eat, entertainment and all the luxuries of life, while the other ten tribes have known only hardship and hard work, and it was they who provided the good times for the people in Jerusalem. Now Jeroboam and the men of the ten tribes have come to ask Rehoboam for an lighter load to bear, and Rehoboam and those who have only known this good life are not only saying “no,” but, are threatening to now not only use whips to get them to work harder; but, scorpions. There has to be a screw loose somewhere in Rehoboam’s mind. Remember, Father had already let us know what the outcome is going to be, and it was even made known to Solomon by the prophets. There is a time to listen, and Rehoboam is just not listening to reason and common sense.
So, Jeroboam and company do as told and return to Rehoboam after waiting anxiously for three days for an answer. They’re hoping against hope for some good news; but, that is not what Rehoboam has for them.
10:13 Petition of Jeroboam. Answered. The second.
1A13
II Chronicles 10:13 And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men, —> So, there are Jeroboam and his company of men from the ten tribes, pleased to be there in front of the king and hoping to hear the good news; however, immediately upon Rehoboam opening his mouth, the Israelites are shocked to hear that he starts speaking cruelly to them and in a very harsh tone of voice.
Father’s Will is coming to pass exactly as He spoke it. Jeroboam has already been told by Ahijah that he was going to be king over the ten northern tribes; so, he should have been expecting some of this from Rehoboam. He had been told it was going to happen, just not the “how” it was going to come about. Now he knows.
10:14 Petition of Jeroboam. Answered. The second.
1A14
II Chronicles 10:14 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.” —> Speaking very defiantly and sounding like a tyrant, Rehoboam—save for his leaving out the phrase “my little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins”—repeated the words of his advisors exactly as they uttered them to him, thus setting the stage for the rebellion which is about to come upon Israel
1A15
II Chronicles 10:15 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 (brother (that is, worshipper) of Yah; and, friend of YAH) (akh-ee-yahי) the Shilonite (this is just saying that Ahijah was from Shiloh) to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. —> …the cause was of God…=Here it is brethren, Father was and is in control of all things, as He is in this case. For negativity or bad things to happen, Father either directs them for His purpose; or, He allows them to come-to-pass in order to fulfill His plan. Look at the case of Job as our example, satan had to ask Father to remove His hedge of protection from around Job, he couldn’t do it himself, nor could he do anything while the hedge was there around Job. So, after Father removed His hedge of protection, then and only then could satan attempt to temp Job to turn from Father, he never succeeded though. However, here in this case, Father had told Solomon through His Prophet Ahijah that because of Solomon’s worshipping and causing all Israel to worship satan, and their false gods and idols, He was going to divide the Nation into two separate Nations, and this is now coming to pass.
God=As used in this verse, this is אלהים, ELOHIM—from Dr. Bullinger’s Companion Bible Appendices,: ELOHIM—the genus God, in other words, Father in His role of Creator of all things. From Dr. Bullinger’s Companion Bible, Appendix 4: “ELOHIM occurs 2,700 times. Its first occurrence connects it with creation, and gives it its essential meaning as the Creator. It indicates His relation to mankind as His creatures (see note on II Chronicles 18:31, where it stands in contrast with YEHOVAH as indicating covenant relationship). ELOHIM is God the Son, the living “WORD” with creature form to create (John 1:1; Colossians 1:15-17; Revelation 3:14); and later, with human form to redeem (John 1:14). “Begotten of His Father before all worlds; born of His mother, in the world.” In this creature form He appeared to the Patriarchs, a form not temporarily assumed.”. Dr. Bullinger further notes in his Companion notes to this verse, that “(with Art.) = the [true] God.”.
The LORD=This Title of Father as used here in this verse, is Father in His Role of יְהֹוָה, YHVH—from Dr. Bullinger’s Companion Bible Appendices: YHVH, YAHVEH, or YEHOVAH—the sacred and personal name of Father. While Elohim is God as the Creator of all things, YEHOVAH is the same God in covenant relation to those whom He has created (compare II Chronicles 18:31). YEHOVAH means the Eternal, the Immutable One, He Who WAS, and IS, and IS TO COME. The Divine definition is given in Genesis 21:33. He is especially, therefore, the God of Israel; and the God of those who are redeemed, and are thus now “in Christ”. We can say “My God,” but not “My YEHOVAH,” for YEHOVAH is “MY God.”.
Ahijah=For a detailed description of Father’s Prophet Ahijah, including his history, the etymology of his name, the Strong’s Concordance definition of his name, and the Smith’s Bible Dictionary information, click here.
Shiloh=For a detailed description of Shiloh, including the City’s history, the etymology of the name, the Strong’s Concordance definition of the name, and the Smith’s Bible Dictionary information, click here.
10:16-19 Answer. Consequences. The second.
1A16
II Chronicles 10:16 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 (extant; and, wealthy) (ee-shah-eeי): every man to your tents, O Israel: and now, David (loving; and, well-beloved) (Daw-veedי), see to thine own house.” So all Israel went to their tents.
—> When Jeroboam and the men of the ten northern tribes of Israel heard the tripe coming out of the tyrant Rehoboam’s mouth, they knew then they were through with having anything more to do with this king and his running the Nation. They were fed-up, if the king wanted them to do anything further, it would be under duress, and even then there would be a fight. If he wants to rule as a dictator, it’ll be over his own tribe and not them, so they all—as one man—returned home to their own homes.
Father’s plan for the Nation—His People—since they decided they no longer wanted Him as their King, Him as their God, Him as their Protector; He would let them be to their own demise. Brethren, pay close attention to this, as we are seeing the exact same thing in this Country—the USA, and also our brothers Great Britain and Canada—today. We too from our previous usurper-in-charge who weaponized the government, to our Congress and Senate, to our Supreme Court, all three Branches of our Government have corrupted themselves because of their Pride and Power. We too will shortly feel Father’s wrath for this; unless, we change our way.
…to your tents…=This is one of the eighteen emendations of the sopherim, by which they transposed the middle two letters of the primitive texts and made it read “tents” instead of “gods.” The primitive text in the Codices actually read, “to your gods,” because the sin here, was the apostasy of the worship of Father YHVH in Jerusalem. We first saw this with this phrase in II Samuel 20:1, and we can see it again in II Chronicles 10:16.
Jesse
Jesse=There are 39 verses with 42 matches for the name Jesse, and the Strong’s Hebrew word number—3426—associated with it in Father’s Word. Of the man himself, we know nothing; except that, he was in Jesus’ genealogy, and he sired David, who was also in Jesus’ genealogy, David was also the second man-king of the House of Israel. Jesse had sired a total 8 sons, one of which died before having any progeny, thus David is the seventh named, and the youngest. The only thing we read of Jesse in Father’s Word is that he was fairly wealthy as he had flocks of both goats and sheep; then, of the account of his elder sons going to war against the Philistines and their prized mighty giant named Goliath, whom David will slay. Other than this, Jesse lived a quiet, uneventful life, with nothing of significance happening to warrant being recorded in Father’s Word. † For the etymology of the name Jesse, we read the following in Abarim Publications: “Jesse the Bethlehemite is the son of Obed, the son of Boaz and Ruth. Jesse is the father of eight (I Samuel 16:10-13) or seven (I Chronicles 2:15) sons, namely Eliab, Abinadab, Shimea, Nethanel, Raddai, Ozem, and David, and two daughters, Zeruiah and Abigail. II Samuel 17:25 ascribes these two daughters to Nahash, which may mean that Nahash is another name of Jesse. If Nahash was indeed Jesse’s youngest, he was probably held in the same low esteem as David was. When Samuel came to Jesse with the intention to anoint the next king of Israel, Jesse assumed it would be his first-born. Young David wasn’t even called to the house to witness this great event, until it became clear it was he who Samuel was after. The prophet Isaiah reported that the Messiah would come forth from Jesse (Isaiah 11:1 and 11:10), and since he indeed became an ancestor of Christ, his name also appears in the Greek New Testament (spelled Ιεσσαι, Iessai, it’s used 5 times in the New Testament; The meaning of the name Jesse is rich enough to ignite debate. In I Chronicles 2:13, Jesse is called by the similar name אישי, Ishi, meaning My Husband (see Genesis 29:32, Hosea 2:16) and it may be that both the names Ishi and Jesse are formed from the word איש ss(יish), meaning man: It is then noted that the phrase אישי is only one letter beth away from the name Abishai (אבישי), meaning My Father Is Jesse, and thus My Father Is My Husband. Another way of explaining the name Jesse may be in the combination יה, which is short for יהוה (YHVH; the Name of the LORD), and the enigmatic particle יש (yesh), asserting existence: Jones’ Dictionary of Old Testament Proper Names explains the name Jesse solely through the word יש but seems to derail a bit in the explanation. The word יש can’t be literally translated in English because it expresses the existence of the word or phrase that follows it. In Proverbs 8:21 the word occurs so that the literal translation would be something like: the grain houses are full of whatever it is that grain houses get filled with. The latter part is commonly translated with wealth or abundance, but this is implied by the context and not by the word יש. Jones freely assumes that Jesse was a man of substance and so translates his name with Wealth. This name, however, does not imply this. If it comes from the word יש it stresses Jesse’s presence in the world. Maybe the name Jesse is the Hebrew equivalent of pop-appellatives like The Fonz or The Man. The name Jesse holds a wide pallet of meaning, especially since no reader should feel coerced to choose just one. The name Jesse means My Husband, as well as Yah Exists (New Open Bible Study Edition (NOBSE) Study Bible Name List) but see our article on the name Isshiah for some objections to this.”. † Now from the Strong’s Concordance, we find that it is Hebrew word number: H3448, - יִשַׁיss or אִישַׁי, - yishay or ı̂yshay, pronounced - yee-shahיee or ee-shahיee, and means: From the same as H3426; extant; Jishai, David’s father: - Jesse. Total KJV occurrences: 42.. † Now from the Smith’s Bible Dictionary, where we read: “wealthy. The father of David, was the son of Obed, who again was the fruit of the union of Boaz and the Moabitess Ruth. His great-grandmother was Rahab the canaanite, (the author of this Website emphatically disagrees with the statement of Dr Smith that Rahab was a Canaanite; as, IF Rahab had been a Canaanitess, she would not have been able to be in Jesus’ lineage\genealogy due to her tainted blood having been mixed with the fallen angels) of Jericho Matthew 1:5. Jesse’s genealogy is twice given in full in the Old Testament, viz. Ruth 4:18-22; and I Chronicles 2:5-12, He is commonly designated as “Jesse the Bethlehemite” I Samuel 16:1,18; 17:58, but his full title is “the Ephrathite of Bethlehem Judah” I Samuel 17:12. He is an “old man” when we first meet with him I Samuel 17:12, with eight sons I Samuel 16:10; 17:12, residing at Bethlehem I Samuel 16:4,5. Jesse’s wealth seems to have consisted of a flock of sheep and goats, which were under the care of David I Samuel 16:11; 17:34,35. After David’s rupture with Saul he took his father and his mother into the country of Moab and deposited them with the king, and there they disappear from our view in the records of Scripture. Who the wife of Jesse was, we are not told.”.
David=For a detailed description of David, including his birth, history, the etymology of his name, the Strong’s Concordance definition of his name, and the Smith’s Bible Dictionary information, click here.
1A17
II Chronicles 10:17 But as for the children of Israel that dwelt in the cities of Judah (celebrated; and, praised, celebrated) (yeh-hoo-dawי), Rehoboam reigned over them. —> …as for the children of Israel…=In other words, those people who were born into one of the ten northern tribes, but were living in the territories of Judah. If they wanted to stay living where they were, then Rehoboam was king over them.
Dr. Bullinger points out in his companion notes, that “here was a nucleus of true worshippers constantly increased (I Kings 12:19; I Chronicles 9:3; II chronicles 10:17; 11:3,16,17; 15:9; 16:1; 19:8; 23:2; 30:1,5,10,11; 31:6). In Ezra 1:5; 2:2,59,70; 7:13; 9:1; 10:5, those returning of Judah’s captivity are called “of Israel,” and “all Israel,” Ezra 2:2,70; 3:1; 6:21; 7:10,13; 8:25; 9:1; 10:1,2,5,10,25; Nehemiah 2:10; 7:7,61,73; 8:17; 10:33; 11:3; 12:47 Judah was thus always representative of “all Israel.” Hence Acts 4:27, “the people of Israel,” and Acts 2:14,22,36 “of Judah.” The words are used interchangeably, except where otherwise stated. Also see I Chronicles 22:17, 23:2 and II chronicles 12:6 for “the princes of Israel,” used of Judah before the division. Also, on the cause of the increase of Judah’s valiant men of war from 400,000 to 800,000, the number steadily increased in Judah while decreasing in Israel: Rehoboam could assemble 180,000; Ahijah (eighteen years later), 400,000; Asa (six years later), 580,000; Jehoshaphat (thirty-two years later), 1,160,000. On the other hand, with Israel, Jeroboam could assemble 800,000, while Ahab’s army was compared to “two little flocks of kids” in I Kings 20:7, which could not stand against the Syrians. This increase in Judah was caused by the constant emigration of Israelites from the ten northern tribes.”.
Judah=For a detailed description of Judah, including the Tribes history, the etymology of the name, the Strong’s Concordance definition of the name, and the Smith’s Bible Dictionary information, click here.
1A18
II Chronicles 10:18 Then king Rehoboam sent Hadoram (noble honor; and, exalted glory) (had-o-rawmי) (he is identified as Adoram in II Kings 12:18) 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 (founded peaceful; or, the habitation of peace) (Yer-oo-shaw-lahי-im). —> Let’s check out this word “tribute” in our Strong’s Concordance brethren, when we do, we find that it is Hebrew word number: H4522, - מַסss or מִס, - mas or mis, pronounced - mas or mees, and means: From H4549; properly a burden (as causing to faint), that is, a tax in the form of forced labor: - discomfited, levy, task [-master], tribute (-tary). Total KJV occurrences: 23.. So, after Jeroboam and all the men of Israel return to their homes; Rehoboam—still thinking he is king and ruler over the ten northern tribes—sends his task master Adoram with his cat-o-ninetails to force the men of the ten northern tribes back to work. What do they do? They rebel by stoning Adoram to death, and thus send a strong message to Rehoboam, that they—as they stated—are no longer under his reign or control.
What we’re seeing here is a test of wills, Rehoboam—though only two tribes strong, thinks he is stronger than his new adversary—is testing his strength against the ten northern tribes to see if they are indeed rebelling and breaking away from Israel: the new soon-to-be House of Judah. He does so by sending his chief labor enforcer right into a hornets nest, and the hornets respond by stinging the intruder with stones until he dies. Rehoboam seeing what his subjects have done to his taskmaster, climbs onto his chariot and makes haste back to Jerusalem from Shechem, in order to gather his war-fighters to come against these rebellious surfs.
…stoned him…=Why stoning brethren? Well first and foremost there are numerous instances in Father’s Word where He commands the congregation stone someone till they die, why the entire congregation? Because everybody participates and everybody understands. There are nine persons mentioned in Father’s Word as being stoned, 8 who were stoned to death, and one, Paul, who lived. There was “The blasphemer” of Leviticus 24:14; “The sabbath-breaker” of Numbers 15:36; Achan of Joshua 7:25; Abimelech of Judges 9:53; this Adoram here in I Kings 12:18 and II Chronicles 10:18; Naboth in I Kings 21:13; Zechariah in II chronicles 24:21; Steven in Acts 7:58 and Paul in Acts 14:19, see also concerning Paul in II Corinthians 11:25.
Hadoram=As this Hadoram is identified as Adoram in I Kings 12:18, I will provide the descriptive information for him: For a detailed description of Adoram, including the Tribes history, the etymology of the name, the Strong’s Concordance definition of the name, and the Smith’s Bible Dictionary information, click here.
Jerusalem=For a detailed description of Jerusalem, including the Nations history, the etymology of the name, the Strong’s Concordance definition of the name, and the Smith’s Bible Dictionary information, click here.
1A19
II Chronicles 10:19 And Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day. —> Jeroboam and the men of Israel rebelled against and broke away from, the House of Judah and from now on, when you hear the name “ISRAEL” in Father’s Word, it is always referring to the ten northern tribes which make up “the House of Israel.” They will occupy the territories in the northern kingdom and their capital city will be “Samaria.” The two tribes which make up the “House of Judah” comprise of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, with Jerusalem being their capital city. Both Nations will have their own kings and separate governments: Jeroboam will be the first king over the House of Israel; while Rehoboam is over the house of Judah.
Sadly, many Christians—and even the “Jews” themselves—today, don’t comprehend or understand the difference between these two Nations—Houses—and they get the two confused in their make-up; however, from this point forward, Father is going to deal with each Nation separately and individually. Just as they will have separate kings and governments, they will also have separate Priests and prophets, likewise also, separate outcomes. Though both of these Nations will be scattered over time because of their whoring after false god and idols, Israel will be the first to go into captivity and Father will send them into captivity to the Assyrians approximately 745-722B.C., they will then later be scattered because they then whore after the Assyrian’s gods; and once scattered, they become known as “Caucasians,” because of their fleeing up, over the Caucasus Mountains and their spreading throughout Europe—you can read of this scattering here. About two hundred years after the House of Israel goes into captivity, Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon will capture the House of Judah—as Father said would come to pass—when they come out of their captivity seventy years later led by Ezra and Nehemiah, the House of Judah will then be referred to as “the Jews,” and many of the Israelites today still believe they are part of the House of Judah, but they are not, they are of the House of Israel: the scattered ten tribes.
To this present day the two Houses are still split, and they will remain this way until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ at the sounding of the Seventh Trumpet. We will not see the joining of these two Peoples while still in our flesh bodies; for it won’t be until Jesus’ 1,000 year Millennium when Father’s Prophesy of Ezekiel 37 will come to pass, when the two sticks will be joined back together again.
…unto this day…=Though we don’t know exactly when this was written, this statement was certainly written before the captivity of the House of Israel in II Kings 17.
Jan 2021
This Bible Study was written by Scott Reis and is provided in order to be used as a private Bible Study Tool. Therefore, it may be copied in whole or in part and shared for private Bible Study; however, it may not be reproduced and published as an original work.
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