Study Desk

After Rehoboam had been king for five years, King Shishak of Egypt came to fight against Jerusalem. This happened because they had not been faithful to the Lord.

Then Shemaiah the man of God came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak. He said to them, "The Lord says, ‘You have left Me. So I have left you to Shishak.'"

And he did what was sinful, because he did not follow the Lord with all his heart.

So now you plan to stand against the power of the Lord through the sons of David. You think you can because you have many people and the gold calves Jeroboam made you for gods.

So the sons of Israel were set back at that time. The sons of Judah were strong because they trusted in the Lord, the God of their fathers.

He built strong cities in Judah, since the land had rest. No one fought a war with him during those years, because the Lord had given him rest.

So he said to the people of Judah, "Let us build these cities. And let us build walls and towers around them, with iron gates. The land is still ours, because we have followed the Lord our God. We have followed Him, and He has given us rest on every side." So they built and did well.

All Judah was filled with joy because of the promise. For they had promised with their whole heart. They had looked for the Lord with a pure heart. And He let them find Him. So the Lord gave them rest on every side.

King Asa even stopped his mother from being queen mother. Because she had made a sinful object of the false goddess Asherah. Asa cut down her sinful object. He crushed it and burned it at the Kidron River.

Were not the Ethiopians and the Libyans a very large army with war-wagons? But because you trusted in the Lord, He gave them into your hand.

Then Asa was angry with the man of God. He put him in prison because he was angry at him for this. And Asa made it hard for some of the people at the same time.

The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the early ways of his father. He did not follow the false gods of Baal.

Jehu the son of Hanani the man who tells what will happen in the future went out to meet King Jehoshaphat, and said to him, "Should you help the sinful? Should you love those who hate the Lord? Because of this, the Lord is angry with you.

He said, "Listen, all Judah, the people of Jerusalem, and King Jehoshaphat. The Lord says to you, ‘Do not be afraid or troubled because of these many men. For the battle is not yours but God's.

So Jehoshaphat and his people came to take away what they wanted from them. They found cattle, many good things, clothing, and things of great worth, which they took for themselves. There was more than they could carry. It took them three days to take all the things, because there was so much.

Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah told what would happen against Jehoshaphat, saying, "Because you have joined with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy what you have made." So the ships were wrecked, and could not go to Tarshish.

Their father gave them many gifts of silver, gold, and things of much worth. He gave them strong cities in Judah. But he made Jehoram king, because he was the first-born.

Yet the Lord would not destroy the family of David, because of the agreement He had made with David. He had promised to give a light to him and his sons forever.

So Edom has been against the rule of Judah to this day. Libnah turned against Jehoram's rule at the same time, because he had left the Lord God of his fathers.

You yourself will suffer a bad sickness, a disease of your stomach. Your insides will come out because of the sickness, day by day.'"