Immerse: Bible Reading Experience - NLT Daily Bible In A Year

Immerse: A Confrontation of Kings and Tribes - Day 340

In today's episode of Immerse: The Daily Bible Reading Experience, we explore Day 340, where the story of Rehoboam and Jeroboam unfolds. Rehoboam ascends to kingship amidst demands for lighter labor which he rebuffs, leading to a division of Israel. The narrative includes Rehoboam's reign in Judah, his defensive fortifications, the loyalty of the Levites, and the subsequent invasion by King Shishak of Egypt due to Israel's unfaithfulness. We also witness the transition of power to Abijah, and the conflict between his forces and Jeroboam's troops. This episode encapsulates themes of leadership, divine retribution, and the enduring struggle between the Northern and Southern Kingdoms.

00:00 Introduction to Rehoboam's Reign
00:37 Rehoboam's Harsh Decision
01:50 Israel's Rebellion
04:09 Rehoboam's Fortifications and Alliances
06:53 Rehoboam's Downfall and Egypt's Invasion
10:17 Abijah's Reign and Conflict with Jeroboam

Buy Immerse: Chronicles Now!
Volume 6 — Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther, Daniel

Chronicles

Immerse: Chronicles is the sixth and final installment in Immerse: The Bible Reading Experience. Chronicles contains the remaining First Testament Books: Chronicles–Ezra–Nehemiah, Esther, and Daniel. These works were all written after the Jewish people fell under the control of foreign empires and were scattered among the nations. They remind God’s chastened people of their identity and calling to faithfully represent God to the nations and that there is still hope for the struggling dynasty of David.


4 Questions to get your conversations started:
1. What stood out to you this week?
2. Was there anything confusing or troubling?
3. Did anything make you think differently about God?
4. How might this change the way we live?

QUICK START GUIDE
3 ways to get the most out of your experience
  1. Use Immerse: Beginnings instead of your regular chapter and verse Bible. This special reader’s edition restores the Bible to its natural simplicity and beauty by removing chapter and verse numbers and other historical additions. Letters look like letters, songs look like songs, and the original literary structures are visible in each book.
  2. Commit to making this a community experience. Immerse is designed for groups to encounter large portions of the Bible together
    for 8 weeks–more like a book club, less like a Bible study. By meeting every week in small groups and discussing what you read in open,
    honest conversations, you and your community can come together to be transformed through an authentic experience with the Scriptures.
  3. Aim to understand the big story. Read through “The Stories and the Story” (p. 483) to see how the books of the Bible work together to tell God’s story of his creation’s restoration. As you read through Immerse: Beginnings, rather than ask, “How do I fit God into my busy life?” begin asking, “How can I join in God’s great plan by living out my part in his story?”
And for more great Bible podcasts for Christians and small groups, check out https://lumivoz.com or search for Lumivoz in your podcast app of choice.

What is Immerse: Bible Reading Experience - NLT Daily Bible In A Year?

Take a breath, find your place, and read deeply. Discover the joy of reading God’s word with the Immerse New Living Translation (NLT) Bible.

This daily Bible podcast will take you through the Bible in a year following the Immerse Bible Reading Experience. So grab your family and small group and go through the Bible in a year together with Immerse. Each of the 6 volumes is available online or at your favorite Christian bookstore.

Emily: Welcome To Immerse: The
Daily Bible Reading Experience.

Day 300 and 40.

Reha Boham went to Shechem where all
Israel had gathered to make him king.

When Jar Boams, son of Neba heard of this,
he returned from Egypt for he had fled

to Egypt to escape from King Solomon.

The leaders of Israel summoned
him and Jar Boham and all.

Israel went to speak with Rehoboam.

Your father was a hard master.

They said, lighten the harsh
labor demands and heavy taxes

that your father imposed on us.

Then we will be your loyal subjects.

Rehoboam replied, come back
in three days for my answer.

So the people went away.

Then King Rehoboam discussed
the matter with the older men

who had counseled his father.

So Solomon, what is your advice?

He asked, how should
I answer these people?

The older counselors replied.

If you are good to these people
and do your best to please them and

give them a favorable answer, they
will always be your loyal subjects.

But Rehoboam rejected the advice of
the older men and instead asked the

opinion of the young men who had grown
up with him and were now his advisors.

What is your advice?

He asked them, how should I answer
these people who want me to lighten

the burdens imposed by my father?

The young men replied.

This is what you should tell those
complainers who want a lighter burden.

My little finger is thicker
than my father's waist.

Yes, my father laid heavy burdens on you,
but I'm going to make them even heavier.

My father beat you with whips, but
I will beat you with scorpions.

Three days later, jar Boham and all
the people returned to hear Reho Boams

decision just as the king had ordered.

But Reho Boem spoke harshly to them
for, he rejected the advice of the

older counselors and followed the
counsel of his younger advisors.

He told the people, my father
laid heavy burdens on you, but I'm

going to make them even heavier.

My father beat you with whips, but
I will beat you with scorpions.

So the king paid no
attention to the people.

This turn of events was the will of God.

For it fulfilled the Lord's message
to Jar Boem, son of Neba through

the prophet, a hijah from Shiloh.

When all Israel realized that the king
had refused to listen to them, they

responded down with the dynasty of David.

We have no interest in the son of Jesse.

Back to your homes.

O Israel.

Look out for your own house.

O David.

So all the people of Israel returned
home, but Rehoboam continued

to rule over the Israelites who
lived in the towns of Judah.

King Rehoboam sent Aden Iram,
who was in charge of forced labor

to restore order, but the people
of Israel stoned him to death.

When this news reached King
Rehoboam, he quickly jumped into

his chariot and fled to Jerusalem.

And to this day, the Northern
tribes of Israel have refused to

be ruled by a descendant of David.

When Rehoboam arrived at Jerusalem,
he mobilized the man of Judah and

Benjamin 180,000 select troops
to fight against Israel and to

restore the kingdom to himself.

But the Lord said to Shama the man of God.

Say to Reho Boem, son of Solomon, king of
Judah, and to all the Israelites in Judah

and Benjamin, this is what the Lord says.

Do not fight against your relatives.

Go back home for what
has happened is my doing.

So they obeyed the message of the Lord
and did not fight against Jar Boham.

Raho Boem remained in Jerusalem
and fortified various towns

for the defense of Judah.

He built up Bethlehem, Edam, Tekoa,
Beth Zer Soko, AAM Gath, Maha Z, AUM,

Laish Ika, Zora, Alon, and Heian.

These became the fortified
towns of Judah and Benjamin.

Rehoboam strengthened their
defenses and stationed commanders

in them, and he stored supplies
of food, olive oil, and wine.

He also put shields and spears in
these towns as a further safety

measure, so only Judah and Benjamin
remained under his control.

But all the priests and Levites
living among the northern tribes

of Israel sided with Rehoboam.

The Levites even abandoned their
pasture lands and property.

And moved to Judah and Jerusalem because
Jarre Boem and his sons would not allow

them to serve the Lord as priests.

Jarre Boem appointed his own priests to
serve at the pagan shrines where they

worshiped the goat and calf idols he
had made from all the tribes of Israel.

Those who sincerely wanted to worship
the Lord, the God of Israel, followed

the Levites to Jerusalem where they
could offer sacrifices to the Lord.

The God of their ancestors.

This strengthened the kingdom of Judah,
and for three years they supported

Rehoboam son of Solomon for during
those years, they faithfully followed

in the footsteps of David and Solomon.

The Rehoboam married his
cousin, mehala, the daughter of

David's son, Reath and of Aha.

The daughter of Elia's.

Son of Jesse Mela had three sons.

J.

She and Zam later, Rehoboam
married another cousin Meka.

The granddaughter of Absalom Meka gave
birth to Ab Baja Aai Zza and Shammo.

Rehoboam loved Meka more than any of
his other wives and concubines in all.

He had 18 wives and 60
concubines, and they gave birth

to 28 sons and 60 daughters.

Rehoboam appointed Mecca's son, Aja,
as leader among the princes, making it

clear that he would be the next king.

Rehoboam also wisely, gave
responsibilities to his other

sons and stationed some of them
in the fortified towns throughout

the land of Judah and Benjamin.

He provided them with generous provisions
and he found many wives for them, but

when Rehoboam was firmly established and
strong, He abandoned the law of the Lord

and all Israel followed him in this sin
because they were unfaithful to the Lord.

King Shiha of Egypt came and
attacked Jerusalem in the fifth

year of King Reha BOM's Reign.

He came with 1,200 chariots,
60,000 horses, and a countless

army of foot soldiers including
Libyans, sockeyes, and Ethiopians.

Sha Shaq conquered Judah's fortified towns
and then advanced to attack Jerusalem.

The prophet Shama then met with Rehoboam
and Judah's leaders who had all fled

to Jerusalem because of Sha Shaq.

Shama told them, this
is what the Lord says.

You have abandoned me, so I
am abandoning you to Shih.

Then the leaders of Israel and the
king humbled themselves and said, The

Lord is right in doing this to us.

When the Lord saw their change of
heart, he gave this message to Shamaya.

Since the people have humbled themselves,
I will not completely destroy them

and will soon give them some relief.

I will not use Shi Shq to pour out
my anger on Jerusalem, but they will

become his subjects so they will
know the difference between serving

me and serving earthly rulers.

So King Shack of Egypt came
up and attacked Jerusalem.

He ransacked the treasuries of the
Lord's temple and the royal palace.

He stole everything, including all
the gold shields Solomon had made.

King Rehoboam later replaced them with
Bronze Shields as substitutes, and

he entrusted them to the care of the
commanders of the Guard who protected

the entrance to the royal palace.

Whenever the king went to
the temple of the Lord.

The guards would also take the shields
and then return them to the guard

room because Rehoboam humbled himself.

The Lord's anger was turned away, and
he did not destroy him completely.

There were still some good
things in the land of Judah.

King Rehoboam firmly established himself
in Jerusalem and continued to rule.

He was 41 years old when he became King,
and he reigned 17 years in Jerusalem.

The city the Lord had chosen from
among all the tribes of Israel

as the place to honor His name.

Rehoboam mother was Nema, a woman from am.

Amen.

But he was an evil king for he did
not seek the Lord with all his heart.

The rest of the events of Rehoboam
reign from beginning to end are

recorded in the record of Shema, the
prophet, and the record of Ido the seer.

Which are part of the genealogical record.

Rehoboam and Jeroboam were
continually at war with each other.

When Rehoboam died, he was
buried in the city of David.

Then his son Aja, became the next king.

Aja began to rule over Judah in the
18th year of Jar Boams reign in Israel.

He reigned in Jerusalem three years.

His mother was Meka, the
daughter of Uriel from gia.

Then war broke out
between Aja and Jeroboam.

Judah led by King Aja fielded 400,000
select warriors while Jeroboam Mustered

800,000 select troops from Israel.

When the army of Judah arrived in
the hill country of Raim, Abai just

stood on Mount Zeum and shouted to j
Boham and all Israel, listen to me.

Don't you realize that the Lord,
the God of Israel, made a lasting

covenant with David giving him and his
descendants the throne of Israel forever.

Yet J Boham, son of Neba, a mere
servant of David's son, Solomon,

rebelled against his master.

Then a whole gang of scoundrels joined
him, defying Solomon's son Rehoboam

when he was young and inexperienced
and could not stand up to them.

Do you really think you can stand
against the kingdom of the Lord that

is led by the descendants of David?

You may have a vast army and
you have those gold calves that

Jar Bowen made as your gods.

But you have chased away the priests of
the Lord, the descendants of Aaron and

the Levites, and you have appointed your
own priests, just like the pagan nations.

You let anyone become a priest these
days, whoever comes to be dedicated with

a young bull, and seven rams can become a
priest of these so-called gods of yours.

But as for us, the Lord is our
God and we have not abandoned him.

Only the descendants of errands serve
the Lord as priests, and the Levites

alone may help them in their work.

They present burnt offerings and
fragrant incense to the Lord.

Every morning and evening they place
the bread of the presents on the holy

table and they light the gold lamp stand.

Every evening we are following
the instructions of the Lord our

God, but you have abandoned him.

So you see, God is with us.

He is our leader.

His priests blow their trumpets and
lead us into battle against you.

Oh, people of Israel.

Do not fight against the Lord.

The God of your ancestors
for you will not succeed.

Meanwhile, jar Boham had secretly
sent part of his army around behind

the men of Judah to ambush them.

When Judah realized that they were being
attacked from the front and the rear,

they cried out to the Lord for help.

Then the priests blew the trumpets
and the men of Judah began to shout

at the sound of their battle cry.

God defeated Jar Boem and all
Israel and routed them before

ab Baja and the army of Judah.

The Israelite army fled from Judah and
God handed them over to Judah in defeat.

AB Baja and his army inflicted
heavy losses on them.

500,000 of Israel's select
troops were killed that day.

So Judah defeated Israel on that
occasion because they trusted in

the Lord the God of their ancestors.

Ab Baja and his army pursued Jar BOM's
troops and captured some of his towns,

including Bethel, Ana and Ephron,
along with their surrounding villages.

So j Boham of Israel never
regained his power during Ab

Bajas lifetime, and finally, the
Lord struck him down and he died.

Meanwhile, ab Baja of Judah
grew more and more powerful.

He married 14 wives and had
22 sons and 16 daughters.

The rest of the events of Abba's
reign, including his words

and deeds, Are recorded in the
commentary of Ido the prophet.