1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Life Audio. For more resources to help you in your 2 00:00:06,760 --> 00:00:10,760 Speaker 1: walk with Christ, please visit us at Bible Study Headquarters 3 00:00:11,080 --> 00:00:15,240 Speaker 1: dot com. You're listening to the chapter today Audio Bible. 4 00:00:15,720 --> 00:00:20,920 Speaker 1: I'm John Stangi, and today we're in Second Chronicles, chapter eleven, 5 00:00:21,560 --> 00:00:26,680 Speaker 1: and we'll be reading from the New Living Translation. When 6 00:00:26,720 --> 00:00:30,760 Speaker 1: Reeboham arrived at Jerusalem, he mobilized the men of Judah 7 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 1: and Benjamin one hundred eighty thousand select troops to fight 8 00:00:35,080 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 1: against Israel and to restore the kingdom to himself. But 9 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:42,880 Speaker 1: the Lord said to Shemaiah, the man of God, say 10 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:46,320 Speaker 1: to Raeboam, son of Solomon, King of Judah, and all 11 00:00:46,400 --> 00:00:49,919 Speaker 1: the Israelites in Judah and Benjamin. This is what the 12 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: Lord says. Do not fight against your relatives. Go back home, 13 00:00:55,280 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 1: for what has happened is my doing. So they obeyed 14 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:02,280 Speaker 1: the message of the Lord and did not fight against Jerobom. 15 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:08,000 Speaker 1: Raaboam remained in Jerusalem and fortified various towns for the 16 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:19,400 Speaker 1: defense of Judah. He built up Bethlehem, Etam, Tacoa, beth Zur, Soco, Adulem, Gath, Marishah, 17 00:01:20,160 --> 00:01:29,720 Speaker 1: zith Adoram, lakish Azakah, Zora, Ajalon, and Hebron. These became 18 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:34,680 Speaker 1: the fortified towns of Judah and Benjamin. Raaboam strengthened their 19 00:01:34,720 --> 00:01:38,720 Speaker 1: defenses and stationed commanders in them, and he stored supplies 20 00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:43,000 Speaker 1: of food, olive, oil, and wine. He also put shields 21 00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 1: and spears in these towns as a further safety measure. 22 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 1: So only Judah and Benjamin remained under his control, but 23 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:55,320 Speaker 1: all the priests and Levites living among the northern tribes 24 00:01:55,360 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 1: of Israel sided with Reebom. The Levites even abandoned their 25 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 1: pastures and property and moved to Judah and Jerusalem. Because 26 00:02:03,880 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 1: Jerobom and his sons would not allow them to serve 27 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 1: the Lord as priests. Jeobom appointed his own priests to 28 00:02:11,760 --> 00:02:15,079 Speaker 1: serve at the pagan shrines, where they worshiped the goat 29 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:18,840 Speaker 1: and calf idols he had made from all the tribes 30 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:22,320 Speaker 1: of Israel. Those who sincerely wanted to worship the Lord, 31 00:02:22,520 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 1: the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem, where 32 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:29,480 Speaker 1: they could offer sacrifices to the Lord, the God of 33 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:34,000 Speaker 1: their ancestors. This strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for 34 00:02:34,080 --> 00:02:37,919 Speaker 1: three years they supported Raeboam, son of Solomon. For during 35 00:02:37,960 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 1: those years, they faithfully followed in the footsteps of David 36 00:02:42,040 --> 00:02:47,640 Speaker 1: and Solomon. Raeboam married his cousin Mahalath, the daughter of 37 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:51,959 Speaker 1: David's son Jeremath, and of Abihail, the daughter of Eliab's 38 00:02:51,960 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 1: son of Jesse. Mahalath had three sons, Jayush, Shamaria, and Zahm. 39 00:03:00,520 --> 00:03:05,960 Speaker 1: Raabeam married another cousin, Maka, the granddaughter of Absalom. Mikaw 40 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:13,080 Speaker 1: gave birth to Abaija, Atai, Ziza and Schelomyth. Reyaboam loved 41 00:03:13,120 --> 00:03:16,680 Speaker 1: Macaw more than any of his other wives and concubines. 42 00:03:17,400 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 1: In all, he had eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and 43 00:03:21,720 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: they gave birth to twenty eight sons and sixty daughters. 44 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 1: Rayaboam appointed Makaw's son, Abaijah as leader among the princes, 45 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:34,280 Speaker 1: making it clear that he would be the next king. 46 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:39,720 Speaker 1: Raaboam also wisely gave responsibilities to his other sons and 47 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:43,160 Speaker 1: stationed some of them in the fortified towns throughout the 48 00:03:43,240 --> 00:03:48,160 Speaker 1: land of Judah and Benjamin. He provided them with generous provisions, 49 00:03:48,200 --> 00:03:55,880 Speaker 1: and he found many wives for them. Let's pray, Lord, 50 00:03:55,920 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 1: we thank you for your word, and we thank you 51 00:03:57,640 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 1: for the privilege of being able to look at it 52 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:02,160 Speaker 1: together today. And Lord, as we look at this portion 53 00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:04,640 Speaker 1: of Scripture, we can see that in and among the 54 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 1: kingdoms of Israel and Judah, that there were people who 55 00:04:08,400 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 1: had hearts that were bent on worshiping idols, and there 56 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 1: were people who had hearts that were drawn to worship You. 57 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 1: And Lord, that illustrates the difficulty that we, as human 58 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 1: beings face on a daily basis. We're always wrestling with 59 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:28,440 Speaker 1: false gods, We're always wrestling with inadequate objects of worship, 60 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:32,279 Speaker 1: and we forget you far too quickly. But Lord, we 61 00:04:32,320 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 1: know that through faith in your son Jesus Christ, we've 62 00:04:35,360 --> 00:04:37,440 Speaker 1: been given the mind of Christ, and we've been given 63 00:04:37,480 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 1: the eyes of Christ and the heart of Christ, and 64 00:04:40,240 --> 00:04:43,240 Speaker 1: that our lives can be spent worshiping You, giving you 65 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:46,400 Speaker 1: honor in every aspect of what we do. And so, Lord, 66 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:49,280 Speaker 1: today's a new day, and we're grateful for it. We're 67 00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:51,640 Speaker 1: grateful for every opportunity that you give to us in 68 00:04:51,680 --> 00:04:54,200 Speaker 1: this world to live another day for your glory. And 69 00:04:54,240 --> 00:04:56,560 Speaker 1: we pray that every day you entrust to us would 70 00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:59,120 Speaker 1: be a day that we pour ourselves out in worship 71 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:01,479 Speaker 1: toward You, that we would honor you in the things 72 00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:04,320 Speaker 1: that we dwell on in our minds, that our lips 73 00:05:04,560 --> 00:05:08,039 Speaker 1: would speak words that bring you honor and glory, and 74 00:05:08,120 --> 00:05:10,279 Speaker 1: that the actions that we take throughout the course of 75 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:14,479 Speaker 1: the day would also honor your name. We're grateful, Lord that, 76 00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:18,719 Speaker 1: by your grace you empower us to actually do these things. 77 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:21,480 Speaker 1: And so we commit this day to your care, and 78 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 1: we thank you for your presence with us in it. 79 00:05:23,960 --> 00:05:27,840 Speaker 1: We pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.