Useful Bible Studies > 1 Kings Commentary > chapter 14
God is very kind; all that he does is right and good. It is much better to serve him than to serve anyone or anything that opposes him.
King Rehoboam and Judah’s people needed to learn that lesson (2 Chronicles 12:8). They had chosen to serve the false gods of evil religions (14:22-24). Now they would see how cruelly a foreign king, King Shishak of Egypt, would use his authority over them.
Shishak behaved like a robber. He entered a rich city, Jerusalem, and he took away all its gold. He even took away the gold from the holy temple, the house of God. He took the beautiful objects that Solomon had made out of gold for his palace. He took away the splendid gold shields that the soldiers used for their processions (10:16-17). So, he did not respect God’s sacred things. He did not respect the authority of Judah’s king. He did not even respect the power of its army.
Afterwards, of course, Jerusalem was a much poorer place. However, Rehoboam still wanted his soldiers to carry shiny shields for his processions to the temple. So, his workmen made some out of bronze, a much cheaper metal.
In that way, Rehoboam continued to go regularly to the temple, as Solomon his father had done (9:25). He still prayed to God, although he did not truly desire to serve God (2 Chronicles 12:14). That wrong attitude caused him to act in an evil manner.
Next part: The life and death of Rehoboam (1 Kings 14:29-31)
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