And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers. (2 Chronicles 11:16)
"...set their hearts to seek the Lord God..." ~ Do I do that? Not set my heart, for in and of myself I would never have sought the Lord, but do I seek Him? Really and truly desire to be conformed into His likeness?
And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. (1 Kings 14:24)
Is this the state of America? Israel went in to cleanse the land, for the nations were an abomination. God used Israel to judge, yet they became perverse as those nations they overthrew. How are we any different? Do we really, truly desire a righteous and holy standard? Are we willing to adamantly conform to HIS standard, even when the world does not. Even if we suffer persecution for doing so? O Lord, in and of ourselves we have not the power to say or do ought, but by Thy strength and Thy good mercy, help us, Your people to be bold witnesses and lights for Your kingdom.
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. (2 Chronicles 12:5)
Shemaiah - H8098 - From H8085 and H3050; Jah has heard; Shemajah, the name of twenty five Israelites.
- H8085 - A primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively to tell, etc.).
- H3050 - Contracted for H3068, and meaning the same; Jah, the sacred name.
- H3068 - From H1961; (the) self Existent or eternal; Jehovah, Jewish national name of God.
As it pertains to Shemaiah and Rehoboam:
But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 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, 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. (1 Kings 12:22-24)
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. (2 Chronicles 11:2-4)
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. Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The LORD is righteous. 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. (2 Chronicles 12:5-7)
Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually. (2 Chronicles 12:15)
The Book of Shemaiah?
Where ya been? Wabbit hunting. :-D So...I plug the book of Shemaiah into the search engine...browse a few sites and come up with this as an offering. Quite an impressive list of "missing" books and a perspective on why.
And Jeroboam's wife did so, and arose, and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. But Ahijah could not see; for his eyes were set by reason of his age. (1 Kings 14:4)
Eyes set by reason of his age? Gill:
for his eyes were set by reason of his age; or "stood" fixed and immovable, as the eyes of blind men are; or the nerves and muscles of his eyes stood within the holes thereof, so that he could not see objects.
Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house: and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die. And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him: for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam. (1 Kings 14:12-13)
Say what? Some good thing found in the child?
Gill:
because in him there is found some good thing towards the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam; the principles of grace were implanted, and seeds of piety and religion sown in his heart; and there appeared a disposition of mind, and desires in him to the name of God, and the remembrance of it; or to his pure worship and service; it might be discerned that he had a dislike of idolatry, and a desire to have true religion restored. The Jews say (k) that this good thing in him was, that he was the means of removing the watch or guards that were placed in the way to hinder the Israelites from going up to the feasts of the Lord.
Intriguing thought. Scripture does not state the age of the child. That would be an interesting study.
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