Shemaiah

21Rehoboam came to Jerusalem and gathered the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. He gathered 180,000 of his best fighting men. He wanted to fight Israel and win the kingdom back.

And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.

NoteJudah and Benjamin were two of the twelve tribes. The other ten tribes went with Jeroboam.

22But God spoke to Shemaiah, a man of God who carried God's messages.

But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

23God said, "Speak to Rehoboam, king of Judah, and to all the people of Judah and Benjamin.

Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying,

24"Tell them the LORD says, 'Do not fight your brothers, the people of Israel. Go home, each of you. I made this happen.'" So they obeyed the LORD and went home.

Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the LORD, and returned to depart, according to the word of the LORD.

Note"Your brothers" means the other people of Israel. They were all one family long ago.

1Rehoboam came to Jerusalem. He gathered 180,000 of his best soldiers. They came from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. He wanted to fight Israel and rule them again.

And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he gathered of the house of Judah and Benjamin an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam.

NoteIsrael here means the ten tribes who broke away from Rehoboam. The land had just split into two kingdoms.

2But God gave a message to Shemaiah. Shemaiah was a man who spoke for God.

But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,

NoteA man of God was a prophet. A prophet told people what God said.

3God said, "Tell Rehoboam son of Solomon, the king of Judah. Tell all the people in Judah and Benjamin too."

Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying,

4"Tell them this: Do not go up. Do not fight your own brothers. Every man go back home. This happened because I planned it." So they listened to God. They went home instead of fighting Jeroboam.

Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: return every man to his house: for this thing is done of me. And they obeyed the words of the LORD, and returned from going against Jeroboam.

NoteThe King James says "your brethren." That means the other Israelites. They all came from one big family long ago.

1Rehoboam became a strong king with firm control. Then he stopped obeying God's law. All Israel stopped obeying too.

And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him.

NoteGod's law was the set of rules God gave his people. The rules told them how to live and how to worship him.

2In Rehoboam's fifth year as king, Shishak, the king of Egypt, attacked Jerusalem. This happened because the people had not been faithful to the LORD.

And it came to pass, that in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the LORD,

NoteEgypt was a big, powerful country to the south with its own king. "The LORD" in capital letters is God's own special name.

3Shishak came with 1,200 chariots and 60,000 men on horses. Too many soldiers came with him from Egypt to count. Among them were Libyans, Sukkites, and Cushites.

With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians.

NoteChariots were small carts with wheels, pulled by fast horses. Soldiers rode in them to fight. Libyans, Sukkites, and Cushites were people from lands near Egypt. They fought as part of Shishak's army.

4He captured the walled cities of Judah. Then he came all the way to Jerusalem.

And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem.

NoteWalled cities had thick, high walls built all around them. The walls kept enemies out and kept people safe inside.

5Shemaiah was a prophet. He came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah. They had gathered in Jerusalem because of Shishak. Shemaiah said, "The LORD says this: 'You left me. So I have left you in Shishak's hands.'"

Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.

NoteA prophet was someone who told people what God said. Judah was the part of the land where Rehoboam was king. The rest of the people had made another man their king.

6Then the leaders of Israel and the king made themselves humble. They said, "The LORD is right in what he does."

Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The LORD is righteous.

NoteTo be humble means to stop being proud. They admitted they had done wrong and did not make excuses.

7The LORD saw that they had made themselves humble. So the LORD spoke to Shemaiah again. He said, "They have made themselves humble. I will not destroy them. I will rescue them soon. My anger will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak.

And when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.

Note"Poured out" is a word picture, like water tipped from a jug. It means God's anger would not come pouring down on the city.

8But they will have to serve Shishak. Then they will learn the difference. Serving me is not the same as serving kings of other lands."

Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.

NoteServing another king meant obeying him and sending him money. The people would not be free to rule themselves.

9So Shishak, the king of Egypt, attacked Jerusalem. He took the treasures from the LORD's temple and from the king's palace. He took everything. He even took the gold shields that Solomon had made.

So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house; he took all: he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made.

NoteThe temple was the special building in Jerusalem for worshiping God. Solomon was Rehoboam's father, the king before him. Treasures are valuable things like gold, silver, and jewelry.

10So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them. He gave them to the officers who guarded the palace door.

Instead of which king Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king’s house.

NoteBronze is a brown metal. It is strong, but it costs far less than gold. The new shields looked poorer than the ones that were taken.

11Whenever the king went into the LORD's temple, the guards carried the shields. Afterward they put them back in the guardroom.

And when the king entered into the house of the LORD, the guard came and fetched them, and brought them again into the guard chamber.

NoteA guardroom was the room where the guards kept their weapons and waited.

12Because Rehoboam made himself humble, the LORD stopped being angry with him. God did not destroy him completely. Things went well in Judah.

And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the LORD turned from him, that he would not destroy him altogether: and also in Judah things went well.