Verse 17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong for three years, because they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.
When King Rehoboam realized that his kingdom was divided, he assembled an army to attack the north and bring his kingdom back together by force. The Lord sent a prophet to Rehoboam and told him to cease mounting this war effort, because brothers should not go against brothers. Rehoboam conceded the word of the prophet and redistributed his forces to fortified Jerusalem and cities within his boundaries.
Meanwhile, King Jeroboam of the northern kingdom built himself forbidden places of worship called "high places," and appointed new priests to oversee them. This lead to many God-fearing priests to retreat to the south, where they joined King Rehoboam in worshiping the living God in the Jerusalem temple!
King Rehoboam did great following in his grandfather David and father Solomon's shoes for three consecutive years. While everything is going smoothly, he started marrying women within his clan, took for himself many concubines, and bore many sons. Abijah, perhaps Rehoboam's favorite son, was given the responsibility of being 'ruler among his brothers.'
King Rehoboam certainly had a lot on his plate, just like his grandpa and daddy!
When one thinks about why God would allowed this kingdom to be divided, one conclusion comes to mind: if He did not allow this to happen, the whole nation of Israel would have probably destroyed itself and disappear into oblivion. God was, is and will always be sovereign! He is in control and He sees the big picture!
Looking back today at Israel, we learned that the Assyrians from the north eventually destroyed the northern kingdom, but did not touch the southern kingdom. The southern kingdom is known to have the "good kings," while the northern kingdom worshipped demonic idols under the 'bad kings.' Just imagine if the whole Israel was under all the corrupted 'bad kings.' Israel would've been simply "no more....bye bye."
So the principle is this: King Rehoboam went through a split within his kingdom, and it hurt him a great deal. He sought God and God helped him by sending the priests from the north. As a result, he prospered! When you are in a hole, don't be discourage. Focus on the Lord and the Lord will provide for you. Don't be surprise, He might bless your socks off!
Prayer: Lord, thank you for watching over us. Thank you for being in control of everything that we go through. Help us to see that when our circumstances look bleak, you see a brighter tomorrow. Always Lord, help us to put our trust in you!
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