Once upon a time, the kingdom of Rehoboam was strong and firmly established. Rehoboam, however, turned his back on the law of Jehovah, leading all of Israel to follow in his misguided footsteps. In the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign, Shishak, the powerful King of Egypt, advanced against Jerusalem. Ignoring the laws of Jehovah had driven them into the hands of their enemies.

Shishak led an immense army, including twelve hundred chariots and threescore thousand horsemen. He was also accompanied by countless warriors from Egypt, the Lubim, the Sukkiim, and the Ethiopians. They seized Judah’s fortified cities and marched relentlessly towards Jerusalem.

Amidst this chaos, Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah, who were united in fear of Shishak’s invasion. Shemaiah echoed Jehovah’s sentiments, declaring, “You have forsaken me, so I have left you in the hands of Shishak.”

Confronted with this stark message, King Rehoboam and the princes of Israel humbled themselves. They acknowledged, “Jehovah is righteous.” Seeing their humble repentance, Jehovah sent another message through Shemaiah, “They have humbled themselves; I will grant them limited deliverance. My wrath will not be entirely poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.”

Shishak, in the end, still invaded Jerusalem, looting the treasures of the house of Jehovah and the king’s house. He took everything, including the golden shields that Solomon had made. In their place, King Rehoboam had to resort to making shields of brass, which he handed over to the captains of the guard, who kept the door of the king’s house.

To show remorse and seek atonement, King Rehoboam humbled himself yet again, and Jehovah’s wrath subsided such that he was not intent on complete destruction. Recognizing this act of divine mercy, Rehoboam fortified himself in Jerusalem and reigned for seventeen years. Despite his transgressions, good things were still found in Judah under his rule.

Unfortunately, the acts of Rehoboam were not all virtuous. He continued to stray from the path of righteousness by failing to seek Jehovah wholeheartedly. His reign was punctuated by continual wars with Jeroboam, and these were chronicled in the histories of both Shemaiah the prophet and Iddo the seer.

Finally, after a reign plagued by tribulations, Rehoboam was laid to rest with his ancestors in the city of David, and his son Abijah ascended the throne in his stead. The enduring legacy of King Rehoboam served as a sobering reminder of the dire consequences of turning away from Jehovah’s laws.