Thursday, October 23, 2014

Ye shall not go up

Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
2 Chronicles 11:1–12, “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. But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, 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. And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah. He built even Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa, And Bethzur, and Shoco, and Adullam, And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph, And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah, And Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin fenced cities. And he fortified the strong holds, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and of oil and wine. 2 And in every several city he put shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.”

Rehoboam mustered a large army to go and fight against Israel and force them back into his kingdom. This was from the Lord because Solomon had followed the strange gods of his wives when he was old. A messenger came from the Lord and told Rehoboam not to fight against his brothers from the rest of Israel. Finally the young king saw sense and decided not to go to war. Instead he began to strengthen his own kingdom against attacks from other countries and build up his arsenal.

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