The Pulpit Commentary — 2 Chronicles — Section 123

HOMILETICS. Vera. 1-19.-.A notable and very mw,rnful instance of lacldng wisdom, through not aslcing of God. The compiler of the Chronicles, in the pursuit of the special objects which he bad in view, feels that he need lose no time in details, or in parts of the whole history, which were to be found elsewhere, but which were less important to bis own object. The fifteenth verse of this chapter supplies us with an instance of this, its reference to .Ahijah the Shilonite :finding full explanation in the fuller parallel (1 Kings xi. 29-40). Our own familiarity with the mournful history and mournful needlessness of the schism, and the method in which it was brought a.bout, which is the subject of this chapter, seems to lose for us nothing of that same mournfulness. Men may make use of the contents of this portion of the history of Israel (as of other portions of Holy Scripture, which seem to trench on the unfathomable depth of the doctrine of God's election and fore-ordination) to find their (ever very easily found) theoretic difficulties, as unconcealedly suggested by the words of the above-quoted fifteenth verse. But it remains the same, that the election and the fore-ordainin" of One who forelcnows, and whosa word of prophecy is as sure as the word of any other being after the event, are altogether different phenomena, different facts from what they otherwise should seem to be. Still, the central mystery must needs remain, before which we wonder, exercise faith, and silently adore, or we should not be creatures in the presence of the Creator. The history of this crisis of the nation highly favoured reminds us- I. OF THE BURE WORD OF GoD. The forewarning, "Thou shalt surely die," was not more truly fulfilled)han the forewarning made now, not a century and a quarter ago, that the nation that would have an earthly king would come to :find, not its gain therein, but its loss. The dicta of revealed religion (for such both of the above forewarnings may be justly styled) are great, simple, and eternal for man. And from instances on a universal scale, and then on a national scale, are we, as individuals, mercifully, most forcibly, and most graciously admonished, JI. 'fHE ERRING UNCER'.l'AINTY FIRST, AND THEN THE CERTAilf ERRilfG::S""ESS OF THE MAN WHO FAILS TO MAKE GoD AND RIGHT, DUTY AND TRUTH, ms SWORN GUIDE. High place, high office, high responsibility,-these give the prominence which is needed to enforce the example or such truth. 'l'he deviation is not more real than in the humblest, lowliest life, but it is more conspicuous. Let us note, as circumstances bearing on the case, what follows. 1. Rehoboam must have had some forewarning of the place to which he was to come. Solomon's was not a sudden death, nor his son's a sudden, unexpected accession. 2. Rehoboam must have had some acquaintance with the severity of tihe oppression and servitude of the people as a whole, and probably some anticipation of the likelih0od of the representations, which in fact they made to him, of their experi- wces. 3. 'l'hese representations, and the manner in which they were brought before Rehoboam, were far from unreasonable. 4. Rehoboam, to all appearance, is disposed to begin by acting wisely. He will wait three days beforo replying. He will utilize that interval by asking the advice of the experienced. He asks it; it is given, and given rightly. 6. There can be little doubt that it was at this point that self and self-will showed themselves in Rehoboam. Perhaps he had already heard, already knew, the feeling and the reckless bias of the younger men-for it is significantly sai1 they were of tho~e who had been brought up with him, and who were bis chief associates now- or otherwise if his own inclination and will were strong enough of themselves, he did not lean to' the judgment of the old men, and hoped ~or differe~t advice from the younger men, though it were but the merest prop to his own WISI), He asks their Advice and is flattered and is c,Jad that it leaps with tho thought of his own brave anti bravatio spirit I In this show~ of right-doing, iu this superficial wisLlolll, so L!.iffcrcut  124 THE SECOND BOOK OF 'l'Ht CE:RONICLES. tcu. x. 1-19.