But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God:
Rehoboam has just lost ten tribes, and his answer is an army of 180,000 men. Before a single sword is drawn, God speaks. He does not speak to the king on his throne, but to a man named Shemaiah. The whole future of the nation hangs on whether Rehoboam obeys that word.
Prophecy as God's resource when leaders fail
A prophet appears at this exact moment for a reason. When the leaders of God's people failed, God opened a new way to reach them.
H. L. RossierOnce the priesthood was ruined, it no longer served as the public link between the people and God. The king, the Lord's anointed, took the priest's place in that role. From then on, all the blessing of Israel — and its judgment too — depended on the conduct of the king. Strictly speaking, when the king failed in his responsibility, it affected the people's relationship with God. But then something new happened. It lasted through the whole time of the kingdom and even afterwards: the prophet came on the scene. His coming proved that nothing could destroy the grace and mercy of God, even when everything was in ruins.
The title "man of God"
Scripture calls Shemaiah a "man of God." The phrase turns up at a particular kind of moment.
Truth & TestimonyThe expression "man of God" occurs about 76 times in the Old Testament, and only two times in the New. Except where Moses is spoken of, it refers to those who witnessed to God's people in a day of departure.
What it cost him to speak
Shemaiah had to carry this message into a camp already armed for war.
Arno C. GaebeleinShemaiah (heard of Jehovah), a man of God, brought the message from the Lord not to fight against Israel. They obeyed, and the war was avoided. As failure had come in, prophecy at once reappears. Shemaiah must have been a very courageous man. He stood in front of a gathered army of 180,000 men, an angry king and an angry people, and delivered a message that no one wanted to hear. And one cannot but admire the gracious submission of king and people.
Why God refused the war
The ten tribes were guilty. That did not give Rehoboam the right to punish them.
William KellyRehoboam wants to fight. It was in vain. God had given away ten parts of the kingdom. He would not allow a man who was himself guilty to fight even against the guilty. God had not given them a king of the house of David in order that they might fight against Israel. "You shall not go up or fight against your brothers, the people of Israel. Every man return to his home, for this thing is from me." So they listened to the word of the Lord and went home again, according to the word of the Lord.
"This thing is from me"
God claims the division as His own act. That draws a line between repairing damage and resisting God.
Hamilton SmithHe has to learn, and all Israel with him, that despite the division the ten tribes are still their "brothers." They are not to go up or fight against them. Moreover Shemaiah, the man of God, tells Rehoboam why they must stop. It is because God says, "This thing is done of Me." God had rebuked Solomon for his worldliness and disobedience to the Word of God, and told him, "I will surely tear the kingdom from you." Now that the blow has fallen, God can say to Rehoboam, "This thing is done of Me." Trying to undo the evil of Solomon may be right. Ignoring the governmental acts of God is certainly wrong.
The kindness of the prohibition
Being stopped looks like loss. Here it was a rescue, and a later king shows the cost of ignoring the same word.
Leslie M. GrantIt was mercy on God's part to send this message. Otherwise there might have been a terrible slaughter, with nothing settled at all. Later than this, Amaziah, a king of Judah, launched a battle against Joash king of Israel, and suffered a heavy defeat. At least Rehoboam had sense enough to listen to Shemaiah and to obey the Word of the Lord.
Summary
- Word after ruin. The king's failure broke the nation, but God did not fall silent. The prophet's arrival proved that His grace and mercy outlast total ruin.
- Word to a man. Apart from Moses, "man of God" marks those who spoke for God when His people had turned away. The word reaches the crisis through such a man, not through the throne.
- Word against the sword. God would not let one guilty side punish another. He sent the 180,000 home and forbade brother to fight brother.
- Word owning the loss. "This thing is from me" makes the division God's own act. Undoing Solomon's evil may be right. Overriding God's dealings never is.
- Word obeyed. Shemaiah faced an angry king and army, and they submitted. That obedience prevented a slaughter. A later king ignored the same word and lost his battle.