In 2 Chronicles in the context of the Divided Kingdom during the reign of Jehoram, king of Judah, the statement is made, “Yet the LORD was not willing to destroy the house of David because of the covenant which He had made with David, and since He had promised to give a lamp to him and his sons forever” (21:7). (The NET Bible reads, “But the LORD was unwilling to destroy David’s dynasty because of the promise he had made to give David a perpetual dynasty”).
To say that Jehoram was very wicked would be an understatement. His first act when his co-regency with his father Jehoshaphat (good king!) ended was to murder all six of his brothers! (21:4). Jehoram was married to Athaliah, the wicked daughter of Ahab and Jezebel, and greatly swayed by them. Though King of Judah, “he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab had done” (21:6).
Lamp, dating to the time of the Divided Kingdom. Author’s personal collection. Photo by Leon Mauldin.
Our inspired historian is stating that although Jehoram deserved destruction, as had indeed been meted out to several dynasties in Israel, that Yahweh, the faithful God of the Covenant, would insure that the lineage of David would continue. The use of the word picture of a lamp which continues to burn, and is not extinguished, was a fitting metaphor. The Davidic lineage (here seen in the kings of Judah, both good and bad) would continue until the Messiah came to earth, God Incarnate. This fulfilled the promise made in 2 Samuel 7; cf. 1 Chron. 17, and etc.). Indeed, “the Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35).
I have earlier written about Judah’s King Jehoram here.
Some context: Mareshah in southern Israel was a city which Solomon’s son, King Rehoboam fortified (2 Chronicles 11:8). Later Judah’s King Asa met a military force of Cushites which greatly outnumbered Judah’s forces, but YAHWEH granted deliverance (2 Chronicles 14:9ff). Here is a photo of a Blessed Milkthistle I took while there a few years ago:
The wording of our titles comes from 2 Chronicles 12:2, “And it happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the LORD.” As most readers know, “Pharaoh” was not a personal name but a dynastic title designating the king of Egypt. The first biblical mention of a Pharaoh is Genesis 12:15, in the days of Abraham’s sojourn into Egypt. Other subsequent pharaohs are mentioned as time goes on, including the events in Joseph’s life, and later in the time of Moses and the Exodus. But the first Pharaoh mentioned by name is Shishak (cf. 1 Kings 11:40; 14:25-26). Shishak reigned during Egypt’s 22nd dynasty, which was a Libyan dynasty. His reigned 946-924 BC. He invaded Judah in his 19/20th year, which was 927/926 BC. This lines up with the 5th year of Rehoboam, 926/5 BC (2 Chron. 12:2), r. 931/930-913 BC.
In the days of Solomon’s adversary Jeroboam (who would become Israel’s first king when the kingdom divided into Israel and Judah after Solomon’s death, 931 BC), “Jeroboam arose and fled into Egypt, to Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon” (1 Kings 11:40). Solomon was succeeded by his son Rehoboam (1st king of the southern kingdom of Judah), and Pharaoh Shishak was again mentioned in scripture: “It happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. And he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house; he took away everything. He also took away all the gold shields which Solomon had made” (14:25-26). God allowed this invasion of Jerusalem because of Judah’s unfaithfulness (2 Chron. 12:2). The text explains, “Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and to the princes of Judah, who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, “Thus says the LORD, ‘You abandoned me, so I have abandoned you to the hand of Shishak'” (2 Chron. 12:5).
It was the 21st year of his reign when Shishak returned to the capital of Thebes (ESV, “No” in NKJV), at Karnak he recorded his victory, including the listing not only of cities of Judah, but of many Israelite cities as well. Our photo shows the Shishak Inscription. Here he lists conquests, including Yuda Melchi (kingdom of Judah). This hieroglyphic inscription contains the names of ca. 50-60 localities in Israel and about 100 in Judah which were captured on this expedition.
The site of Tanis/Zoan is to be associated within the area of Goshen where the Israelites had lived for some time and were living at the time of the Exodus. “Psalm 78:12 Marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers, In the land of Egypt, in the field of Zoan” (Psa. 78:12). Tanis is the site where Shishak was entombed. Our photo here shows the entrance into Tanis:
This is a fascinating example of how archaeology can enhance our understanding of the biblical text, as well as underscore the fact that the Bible is factual. While we do not depend on archaeology to “prove” the Bible, as it stands on its own merit, this “intersection” of biblical history with secular records has an important place in the discipline of apologetics.
“Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king” (2 Chron. 10:1, ESV). Biblical Shechem is modern Tell Balata, near Nablus, in today’s West Bank. Though our text does not specify why Rehoboam went to Shechem, it was a city of great historical significance to God’s people, especially prior to the monarchy. We will briefly summarize what happened to Rehoboam at Shechem, but first let’s consider some of the biblical events that transpired at this location.
Shechem, at Israel’s geographical center. Map courtesy of biblemapper.com.
Having first entered the land of Canaan, Abraham was standing here at Shechem, with Mt. Ebal and Mt. Gerizim looming on either side, when God gave him the land promise (Gen. 12:6-7). Sadly, it was also here that Jacob’s daughter Dinah was defiled, and where Levi and Simeon savagely destroyed much of the populace in retaliation (Gen. 34).
In Joshua 8:30-35, in the early days of the Conquest of Canaan, all Israel assembled at Shechem, with six tribes on Mt. Gerizim (mount of “blessing”) and six tribes on Mt. Ebal (mount of “cursing”). At that time Joshua “read all the words of the law, the blessing and the cursings, according to all that is written in the Book of the Law” (v.34, NKJV). This was in obedience to prior instructions given by Moses in his final days (Deut. 27:11-26). In our Joshua text, that great nation who had descended from that childless couple (at the time of the promise), Abraham and Sarah, was there to lay claim to the promise. But they weren’t just there to receive the land; their reception of Canaan was grounded upon their pledge to keep the covenant of Yahweh.
Then later as Joshua’s death approached, Shechem was the location for Joshua’s last words and for Israel’s covenant renewal (Josh. 24:1-28). Shechem was also where Joseph was buried (Josh. 24:32).
In addition to its great historical significance, the site of Shechem was also a central location and thus a logical meeting place for the matter at hand, Rehoboam’s coronation. On the other hand, Maier suggests that perhaps Rehoboam sensed a bit of discontent among the northern tribes. “One clue was that they did not come to Jerusalem but wanted the meeting at another place, in Shechem, on their own turf, so to speak” (A Theological Exposition of Sacred Scripture, pub. Concordia, 1K12-22, p. 1052).
The outcome of the meeting at Shechem: The northern tribes rejected Rehoboam, with the result that the kingdom divided into Israel (north) and Judah (south). This was punitive, as a result of Solomon’s apostasy, and foretold by the prophet Ahijah (1 Kings 11; 2 Chron. 10:15; 11:1-5). The dynasty would change several times in Israel to the north, but the southern kingdom of Judah would be ruled by the Davidic dynasty, from Rehoboam (Solomon’s son) down through Zedekiah. This covers the years 931-586 BC.
It was at Shechem that Israel met with Solomon’s son Rehoboam to make him king. Shechem is located between Mount Gerizim (left) and Mount Ebal (right).
Posted by Leon Mauldin 
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