S They followed the example of the 1ſraelttes, although they were better inſtructed, and had the Temple in their Kingdom, and liberty of acceſsto it, which was denied to the Iſraelites ; and the privi- ledge of Worſhipping God in his owa way, and the Counte!s, and Sermons, and Examples of the Prieſts and Levites, to teach and ſabliſh them, and the dreadfui example of I/7rae!'s horrid ApoPacy to caution and terrifie them. # Which was unlawful, and, now eſpecially when the Temple was Buitc, and ready to receive them : unneceflary, and therefore exprefled a greater contempt of God and his expreſs Command to the contrary. « Not oaly atcer the manner of the Heathens and Iſraelites, bur againſt a dire and particular prohibition. x The People were univerſally corruptea . whichisa prodigious. all things contidered, and is aclcar evidence of the great- neſs and depth of the Original corruption of Man s Nature, which without Gods Grace is ready to break forth into all forts of wicked- neſs.
24 And there were allo Sodomites 7 inthe land aud they did according to all the abominations cf the nations which the LORD caſt out before the chiſdic::
of Ifrael.
3 i. e. Males, who proſtituted their Bodies to the filthy Luſts of others : of whom ſee on Deuz. 23: 17. who alſo dil this in the worſhip, and to the honour of their Idols, as alſo the Women d'4. Numb. 25.1, 2 And this might be one occalion of lo greata {p-.ad- ing of idolatry amoag the Luſtful ſ7aelires. And onthe other tive God doth frequently puniſh Idolatry with Corporal uncleannets. Rom.1. 21, 28. Sce 1 Kwgs 15. 12. and 22.46: 2 Krg5 23, 7,
25 T And it came to pals in the fiith year of king Rehoboam z, that Shiſhak king of Egypt a came up againſt Jeruſalem 6. |
z Preſently after his and his peoples Apoſtacy, which was not til! his fourth year : When the Apoſtatical 1ſraelites enjoyed Peace anc ſome kind of Proſperity, at firit, for many years together: of whicl, difference two reaſons may be given : Firſt, That Judabs tins wer. committed againſt clezrer Light, and more powerful means and re- medies ofall ſorts, and therefore deſerved more ſevere and ipcedy Judgments. Secunuly, That God diſcovered mo: c Love to Judah in chaſtizing them ſpecdily, that ſo thy might be humbled, and reformed, and ſo gracioutly preſerved, as it happened ; and more anger againſt Iſrael, thar he ipared them, and by their 1mpuniry hard- ned and ripened them to that roral Deſtruction which he intended to bring upon them. Of whom fee 1 Kings 11: 40; and 2 Chron 12;2, &c. where this Hiſtory is more tul'y d-{cribed. He is thoughr ' by many to be Solomons Brother-in-law Bur how little ſuch Relations ſignifie among Princes, when their Intereſt is concerned all Hiſtories witneſs. Beltides Rehobcam was not Solomon; Son by Pharachs Daugh- ter, and ſo the relation was in a manner extin&. b Either, irom ambition and a defireto enlarge his Empire : or, from jcalouſie of Rehoboams growing-greatneſs 3; Of which iec 2 Chron, 11, or, by
IN Oo
—_—
Jercboams inftigation 2 or, from a covetous deſire of poſſeſſing theſe great Treafurcs which David and Solomon had left : and, above all, by Gods Providence. difpoling his heart to this expedition for Rehoboams puniſhaient. |
26 AnG he took away the treaſures c of the houſe of che LORD, and the treaſures of the kings houſe, he
:ven took away a!l: and he took away all the ſhields of goid * wich So:omon had: made.
; Ir is implied, that firſt he rook the Ciry : which may ſeem tranec, conificering the great ſtrength of that City, and how much time ir took Ne. uchadnezzar and Tits to take it. Bur, Firſt, Ic night coſt Shiſbak aiſo ſome time. and along yicge e're he took it, thous h that be not here related. Secondly, Ir is probable that David and S9:omon in their Building and altering of this Ciry, had more iefpett roState and Magniiicence, than to its defence, as having no great cauſero fear the invaſion of any Enemies, and being too ſecure in reference to their Poſterity, bccaute of Gods Promilc of the xingdom to be continued to them and to their Seed for ever, And It 15 probable and certain, that after the diviſion between Judab and Iſrael, the Kings of Judah did add very much to the Fortifications of this Ciry. |
27 And king Rehoboam made in their ſtead brazen ſhields, and commi:ced them unto. the hands of the chiefof the T guard 4, which kept the door of rhe kings houſe.
a4 Whereay the Golden Shields, as being more precious, were kept in a certain place.
28 And it was ſo, when the king wentinto the houſe of th: LORD e, that theguard bare them, and brought them back into the guard-chamber.
e By which it ſeems the afflition had done him ſome good, and brought him back to the Worſhip of God, which he had forſaken, Chap 12: 1,
25 \ Now the reſt of the as of Rehoboam, and all rhat he did, are they not written in the book of the Chronicles of the kings of Judah f.
f Such a Book of Chronicles as that mentioned above, v.19. .
30 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam g all rheir days.
g Notan Invaſive War with Potent Armies, which was forbidden, Chap: 12: 12: and not revived till Av/jams Reign, 2 Chron: 13. but 4 detenſive War from thoſe Hoftilitics which by ſinall Parties and Skirmilhes they did to one another.
31 And Rehoboam flept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David : and his mothers name was Naamah an Ammoniteſs bh, And Abijam his fon reigned in his ſtead.
h This is repeated as athing very obſervable. See above, v. 21.
ER A P. XY.
Abijam followeth his Father's Sins : God hywever keepeth promiſe « He dieth, and Aſa his Son ſucceedeth him, x = - $8. His good Reign, 9- 15. Broſha warreth againſt him : he maketh a League with Benkadad, 16 --— 22. He dieth, and Fehoſaphat ſucceedeth him, 23, 24. Nadab's w.cked Reign : Baaſha flayeth h.m : deftroyeth his Father's Houſe ; and ſucceeds him : Has wicked Reign, 25 34
N ſon of Nebat, reigned Abijam over Judah.
s Obj. iow can this be. when he Reigned 3Years, v. 2. and Ala, his vucccltor, began his Reign in the twentieth Year of Jeroboamn, v.92? Az}. Parts of Years are ommonly called and accounted Ycars bothin the Old and New Teſtament, and in Prophane Writers. So his Reign began with Jeroboarn's 18th Year, and continued his whole
| 19th Year, and ended within his 2oth Year, in whichalſo 4ſa's Reign