LORD, and the treasures of the king's house; he even took away all and he took away all the shields of gold which Solomon 27 had made.* And king Rehoboam made in their stead brazen

shields, to keep up the appearance of dignity, and committed [them] unto the hands of the chief of the guard, which kept the 28 door of the king's house. And it was [so,] when the king went in to the house of the LORD, for he still went there on some great occasions, that the guard bare them, and brought them back into the guard chamber.

29

Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam, and all that he did, [are] they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings 30 of Judah? And there was war between Rehoboam and Jerobo31 am all [their] days. And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David. And his mother's name [was] Naamah an Ammonitess; his mother's name is mentioned again, to intimate that he behaved like the son of an Ammonite rather than an Israelite, And Abijam his son reigned in his stead,

1.

REFLECTIONS.

OW horrid is it for those who have known God to be easy in their sins! Jeroboam, when his child was sick, despised his gods and his priests; nothing would satisfy him then but applying to a good prophet. So, when men forsake their duty, and run into sin, they are in want of true satisfaction and comfort, and despise the lusts and pleasures which they have served, and the company they have kept, and fierce themselves through with many

sorrows.

2. God's own people are liable to the infirmities of age, as well as others. The good prophet was incurably blind, It is the case of many good men; they loose a valuable sense, and are deprived of many of the comforts of life but they patiently submit, and so bave manifestations of God, and the light of his countenance, which is better than all earthly enjoyments.

3. How vain is all dissimulation when God is concerned. What folly was it in Jeroboam to send his wife in disguise, as if the prophet that could know the event of the child's distemper, could not know whose wife she was. Thus do sinners impose upon themselves they say, How doth God know? and think to hide themselves from him; but they will be discovered and disappointed. He sees them in their true colours; judges them by what they really are, and not by what they seem to be; he will say to such, Go out, thou false hypocrite, why feignest thou to be another? Heavy tidings indeed, when the mask is pulled off, and secret wickedness exposed to all the world! These shall have their portion where the greatest misery is,

It is surprising that the king of Egypt did not quite destroy Jerusalem, and make them captive but the hand of the Lord was in it, because they humbled themselves before God: see 2 Chron xii. 4-8. They became tributary to Shishak, and suffered many hardships, to skow them their sin and folly.

4. God remembers all the favours which he hath bestowed upon us, though we may forget them. He reminds Jeroboam of this; all are registered in the book of his remembrance. Let us not forget his benefits, but improve them; for he will call them over another day to our shame, to show the justice of our sentence, and increase our condemnation.

5. It is peculiarly honourable in itself, and pleasing to God, to be good in a wicked family and age, as Abijah was. This is a lesson to all young persons, there was some good thing in him; amidst the temptations of a wicked court he kept his integrity. God takes notice of every good thing, every good intention, or hopeful beginning; and this should be a motive to all young people, amidst the abounding wickedness of the rising generation, to fear God, and keep themselves uncorrupted. It will be greatly to their honour; and while they do thus, they will have a peculiar blessing from God, and favour with men.

6. Early, and what we call immature death, is often a mercy to the person removed. So Abijah was taken away before all the evil came on his family and on Israel. We cannot see into futurity, and therefore think their deaths unseasonable; but most probably it is otherwise. This is a strong motive for patience and submission to the will of God, who always removes his servants at the best and fittest time.

us.

7. We see the wisdom of humbling ourselves under the mighty hand of God. 2 Chron. xii. 7. And the Lord said, They have humbled themselves therefore I will not destroy them. A proper pattern for The design of afflictions is to bring us to consideration and repentance. May we acknowledge, with these people, that the Lord is righteous, and that we have sinned, and deserve all and much more than we suffer. God will then appear for us, and be gracious to us. When afflictions have done their work, they will be removed, or their property altered, and will appear to be merciful dispensations. Let us humble ourselves under his mighty hand, and in due time we shall be exalted. Once more,

8. It is just and kind in God to give men over to the consequences of vice and folly, that they may know the difference between them and religion. 2 Chron. xii. 8. They complained of the strictness of religion, and the rigour of the Mosaic law; let them try if they like the attack, the plundering, and usurpation of the king of Egypt, - better. So God suffers men to feel the consequences of intemperance, impiety, and irreligion, by their bodies being weakened, their substance wasted, the loss of their reputation, and their consciences being wounded; that they may see what a foolish choice they have made, in preferring the service of the devil to that of God. For if that was a thousand times harder than it is, yet it is worth while to attend to it, for the way of transgressors is harder. Let those, whose iniquities correct them, know and see, that it is an evil and a bitter thing to sin against God; and say, as in Hosea ii. 7. I will go and return unto my God, for then was it better with me than now.

CHAP. XV.

•.• A larger account of these matters will be found in 2 Chren. xiii-xvi. which should be read before this chapter.

An account of Abijam's wicked reign; Asa succeedeth him ; and, he dying, is succeeded by Jehoshaphat; also of Baasha's wicked reign.

1

No

OW in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam the son of Nebat, reigned Abijam over Judah. Three years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Maachah, the 3 daughter of Abishalom. And he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father. 4 Nevertheless for David's sake did the LORD his God give him a lamp in Jerusalem, to set up his son after him, and to establish 5 Jerusalem: Because David did [that which was] right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any [thing] that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter 6 of Uriah the Hittite. And there was war between Rehoboam 7 and Jeroboam all the days of his life. Now the rest of the acts of Abijam, and all that he did, [are] they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? And there was war be8 tween Abijam and Jeroboam. And Abijam slept with his fathers; and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead.

9

And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, reigned 10 Asa over Judah. And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name [was] Maachah, the daughter 31 of Abishalom. And Asa did [that which was] right in the eyes 12 of the LORD, as [did] David his father. And he took away the

sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fa13 thers had made. And also Maachah his mother, even her he removed from [being] queen, because she had made an idol in a grove; and Asa destroyed her idol, and burned [it] by the 14 brook Kidron. But the high places were not removed: nevertheless Asa's heart was perfect with the LORD all his days. -15 And he brought in the things which his father had dedicated, and the things which himself had dedicated, into the house of the LORD, silver, and gold, and vessels.

16

And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all 17 their days. And Baasha king of Irael went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any to go out or come 18 in to Asa king of Judah. Then Asa took all the silver and the gold [that were] left in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants: and king Asa sent them to Benhadad, the son of Tabrimon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, that 19 dwelt at Damascus, saying, [There is] a league between me and thee, [and] between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent unto thee a present of silver and gold; come and break thy

league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me. 20 So Benhadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of the hosts which he had against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abelbethmaacah, and all Cinneroth, with all 21 the land of Naphtali. And it came to pass, when Baasha heard [thereof,] that he left off building of Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah. 22 Then king Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah; none [was] exempted; and they took away the stones of Ramah ; and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had builded; and king Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.

23

The rest of all the acts of Asa, and all his might, and all that he did, and the cities which he built, [are] they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? Nevertheless 24 in the time of his old age he was diseased in his feet. And Asa slept with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the city of David his father and Jehoshaphat his son reigned in his stead.

25

And Nadab the son of Jeroboam began to reign over Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned over Israel 26 two years. And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin; though he had no doubt heard of the threatening sent by Ahijah, yet he worshipped the golden calves.

27

And Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him; and Baasha smote him at Gibbethon, which [belonged] to the Philistines; for Nadab and all Israel laid siege 28 to Gibbethon, Even in the third year of Asa king of Judah did 29 Baasha slay him, and reigned in his stead. And it came to pass, when he reigned, [that] he smote all the house of Jeroboam; he left not to Jeroboam any that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according unto the saying of the LORD, which he spake by 30 his servant Ahijah the Shilonite: Because of the sins of Jeraboam which he sinned, and which he made Israel sin, by his provocation wherewith he provoked the Lord God of Israel to 31 anger. Now the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, [are] they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings 32 of Israel? And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days.

33

In the third year of Asa king of Judah, began Baasha the son of Ahijah to reign over all Israel in Tirzah, twenty and four years. 34 And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin; he was as bad as his predecessors; he did not cut off the family of Jeroboam because they were idolaters, but with a view to secure his own succession.

It was threatened to Israel, that it should be as a reed shaken in the water; and here we see it fulfilled; they had no less than seven kings during Asa's reign.

CHAP. XVI.

For the transgressions of a land many are the princes thereof? This is illustrated in the chapter before us; where we have an account of the wickedness and destruction of Baasha; the short reign of Zimri ; 'the reign of Omri; and the beginning of the infamous reign of Ahab.

1

2

HEN the word of the LORD came to Jehu* the son of

thee out of the dust, and made thee prince over my people Israel; raised thee by my providence from a mean state, and succeeded thy attempts against the kingdom; and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam; continued the practice of those idolatries for which Jeroboam and his family were ruined; and hast made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to anger with their sins; 3 Behold, I will take away the posterity of Baasha, and the posterity of his house; and will make thy house like the house of 4 Jeroboam the son of Nebat. Him that dieth of Baasha in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth of his in the field shall the fowls of the air eat; he shall perish like Jeroboam, die a violent death, and want an honourable burial. 5. Now the rest of the acts of Baasha, and what he did, and his might, [are] they not written in the book of the chronicles of the 6 kings of Israel? So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was bu7 ried in Tirzah and Elah his son reigned in his stead. And also by the hand of the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani, came the word of the LORD against Baasha, and against his house, even for all the evil that he did in the sight of the LORD, in provoking him to anger with idols the work of his hands,† in being like the house of Jeroboam; and because he killed him, that is, Jeroboam's son; doing it to satisfy his own ambition, he was no better than a murderer.

8

In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah, began Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah two years. 9 And his servant Zimri, captain of half [his] chariots, conspired against him, as he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza, steward of [his] house in Tirzah. He was a debauched young fellow, indulging his pleasures while the army was 10 in the field, which gave Zimri an opportunity to destroy him. And 1 Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him, in the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead.

11

And it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, [that] he slew all the house of Baasha: he left him not one that pisseth against a wall, neither of his kinsfolks, 12 nor of his friends, who were likely to avenge his death. Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake against Baasha by Jehu the prophet,

• This prophet was the son of him who was employed to reprove Asa for his miscarriage. + This is mentioned again, to show how faithfully and courageously the prophet executed his commission, and delivered this dreadful message.

VOL. III.

LI