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chain of natural causation, of which He holds the first, and man the last, link. This
grand truth, as fully expressed and applied in the sublime language of Psalm 147, is the
sheet-anchor of faith by which it rides out the storms of this world. Ever to look up
straight to God, to turn from events and secondary causations to Jehovah as the living
God and the reigning King, is that denial of things seen and affirmation of things
unseen, which constitute the victory of faith over the world.
On the death of his father, Rehoboam seems to have at once, and without opposition,
assumed the reins of government. His enthronement at Jerusalem implied the homage
of Judah and its neighbor-tribe Benjamin. According to ancient custom, the
representatives of the more distant tribes should have assembled at the residence of the
king, when in a great popular assembly the royal dignity would be solemnly conferred,
and public homage rendered to the new monarch (comp. 1 Samuel 11:15; 2 Samuel
2:4; 5:3; 1 Chronicles 29:22). But, instead of repairing to Jerusalem, the representatives
of the ten tribes gathered at Shechem, the ancient capital of Ephraim, where important
popular assemblies had previously been held (Joshua 8:30-35; 24:1-28), and the first
claimant of royalty in Israel, Abimelech, had set up his throne (Judges 9:1-23). Only
one meaning could attach to their choice of this place.^178
They had indeed come to make Rehoboam king, but only with full concessions to their
tribal claims. All that they now required was an energetic leader. Such an one was to
hand in the person of Jeroboam, who in the reign of King Solomon had headed the
popular movement. After the failure of his attempt, he had fled into Egypt, and been
welcomed by Shishak. The weak (21st Tanite) dynasty, with which King Solomon had
formed a matrimonial alliance, had been replaced by the vigorous and martial rule of
Shishak (probably about fifteen years before the death of Solomon). The rising
kingdom of Palestine - allied as it was with the preceding dynasty - was too close, and
probably too threatening a neighbor not to be attentively watched by Shishak. It was
obviously his policy to encourage Jeroboam, and to support any movement which
might divide the southern from the northern tribes, and thus give Egypt the supremacy
over both. In point of fact, five years later Shishak led an expedition against
Rehoboam, probably not so much for the purpose of humbling Judah as of
strengthening the new kingdom of Israel.
The sacred text leaves it doubtful whether, after hearing of the accession of Rehoboam,
Jeroboam continued in Egypt until sent for by the representatives of the ten tribes, or
returned to Ephraim of his own accord.^179 In any case, he was not in Shechem when
the assembly of the Israelitish deputies met there, but was expressly sent for to conduct
negotiations on their behalf.^180
It was a mark of weakness on the part of Rehoboam to have gone to Shechem at all;
and it must have encouraged the deputies in their demands. Moderate as these sound,
(^)