"The narrator introduces a new format and style at this point that enables him to state the essence of a king's reign with an economy of words. The introduction and conclusion of the account of each reign conform to a fixed pattern with only slight variations. The following information is regularly given in the introduction to the reigns of the kings of Judah: (1) date of beginning of reign, (2) age at beginning of reign (not noted consistently at first), (3) length and place of reign, (4) name of the queen mother, and (5) a theological evaluation. The pattern for the Israelite kings is the same except that their ages and the names of their mothers are not given. The reign of each king, both Judahite and Israelite, is normally concluded in this manner: (1) summary of reign and referral to the royal annals for additional information, (2) notice of death and place of burial, and (3) name of successor."149
Rehoboam succeeded Solomon and reigned over Judah for 17 years (931-913 B.C.).
Jerusalem was the only capital the Southern Kingdom ever had. In contrast to Israel's capitals, Jerusalem was God's chosen center for national life politically and religiously (v. 21).
Rehoboam permitted the re-establishment of pagan worship as it had existed in Israel before Joshua conquered the land (vv. 23-24).150Perhaps the king's Ammonite mother was responsible for some of this.
"Essentially, the religion of Canaan was based on the assumption that the forces of nature are expressions of divine presence and activity and that the only way one could survive and prosper was to identify the gods responsible for each phenomenon and by proper ritual encourage them to bring to bear their respective powers. This is the mythological approach to reality. Ritual involves human enactments, particularly by cultic personnel such as priests, of the activity of the gods as described in the myths."151
Asherah (v. 23) was the mother goddess of the Canaanite pantheon. However the word Asherah (pl. Asherim) also described a cult object: a tree, a grove of trees, or a pole.152
Pharaoh Shishak (Shoshenq I, 945-924 B.C.) was the king who had given Jeroboam refuge (11:40). He was a very powerful and effective ruler.153The campaign that brought him into Judah netted him 156 cities in Judah, Israel, Edom, and Philistia.154His invasion diminished much of the glory of the temple and of Yahweh (vv. 26-28). Shishak's offensive was the first serious attack against Judah by any foreign power since Saul's days.
The writer footnoted "The Chronicles of the Kings of Judah"when he wrote of 14 of those 19 kings (v. 29). Again, this document is not our 1 and 2 Chronicles. The war that kept flaring up between Rehoboam and Jeroboam (v. 30) was a consequence of their turning away from Yahweh. Rebellion against God brought war, but submission would have resulted in peace.
