2 Chronicles 11 – 15

Verse 11:2 introduces a prophet that is rarely mentioned:

 But the Eternal spoke to Shemaiah, the True God’s servant and prophet.

Often God speaks to His people through prophets and many may have many levels of prophecies. It’s called the Babushka Doll Principle where there may be many different layers of meaning to different generations. With Shemaiah I don’t see this, he is blunt and to the point to the kings he serves.

Verse 11:23 shows some of dad’s wisdom wore off:

Rehoboam then wisely made some of his other sons governors of the territories and fortified cities in Judah and Benjamin. He ensured their contentment and loyalty, giving them food and selecting their wives.

Often sibling rivalry destroys kingdoms. Each son believes they hold the key to the throne. When you look at this over history it’s a very common problem. In this case Rehoboam gave them all roles in his kingdom so not to cause conflict from idle minds. It was very smart to do this and protect his son who would be king.

As with other stories of kings we see the ones who follow God prosper and the ones who ignore Him fail.

Verse 15:2 has God speaking through another prophet:

Azariah: ² Asa and all of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, listen to me! God responds to you as you respond to Him: If you are with the Eternal, then He is with you. If you look for Him, then He will let you find Him. But if you abandon Him, then He will abandon you. So learn from the mistakes of your ancestors. 

Again, you’d think I would remember these two prophets considering I have read this book a few times, but alas I don’t. Azariah, like Shemaiah, was a “minor” prophet who prophesized for a king and his people. Again not layered prophecies appear to be here.