Levites Migration to Judah as Israel Secedes

When Jeroboam walked away from Rehoboam, he led the 10 tribes of Israel to break away from Judah. The 10 tribes became the nation of Israel. Only Benjamin remained with Judah. Rehoboam had wanted to fight against the 10 tribes to bring them back into the united Israel but God, through Shemaiah, told Rehoboam not to attack Judah because it was God's will for the break away nation. Rehoboam obeyed God in that instance and did not fight.

Rehoboam then fortified the cities in Judah and Benjamin. He also built new cities, among them was Bethlehem. An interesting result of the splitting of Israel and Judah was that the Levites, who had settled all over the united Israel previously, now migrated to Judah. God had assigned the Levites to be in the service to God instead of land, that was why they previously scattered across the whole Israel. But since the focus of worship was the Temple at Jerusalem in Judah, they had to move to the nation of Judah, when Israel became a separate nation.

As the Levites left the nation of Israel now under Jeroboam, Israel lost the spiritual glue (the Levites) to encourage them towards the LORD. Consequently, Israel fell to gross idolatry with great speed. Jeroboam had wasted no time in appointing false priests and made idols to replace the position of the Levites.

Rehoboam took many wives and concubines but the one he loved most was Maacah, who was the grand-daughter of his uncle Absalom. His son with Maacah was Abijah, whom he intended to succeed him as king.


2 Chronicles 11

 1 Now when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled from the house of Judah and Benjamin one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.
2 But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 3 “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, 4 ‘Thus says the LORD: “You shall not go up or fight against your brethren! Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.”’” Therefore they obeyed the words of the LORD, and turned back from attacking Jeroboam.

Rehoboam Fortifies the Cities
 
5 So Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defense in Judah. 6 And he built Bethlehem, Etam, Tekoa, 7 Beth Zur, Sochoh, Adullam, 8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, 9 Adoraim, Lachish, Azekah, 10 Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and Benjamin, fortified cities. 11 And he fortified the strongholds, and put captains in them, and stores of food, oil, and wine. 12 Also in every city he put shields and spears, and made them very strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.

Priests and Levites Move to Judah
 
13 And from all their territories the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel took their stand with him. 14 For the Levites left their common-lands and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from serving as priests to the LORD. 15 Then he appointed for himself priests for the high places, for the demons, and the calf idols which he had made. 16 And after the Levites left,[a] those from all the tribes of Israel, such as set their heart to seek the LORD God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD God of their fathers. 17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong for three years, because they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.

The Family of Rehoboam
 
18 Then Rehoboam took for himself as wife Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David, and of Abihail the daughter of Eliah the son of Jesse. 19 And she bore him children: Jeush, Shamariah, and Zaham. 20 After her he took Maachah the granddaughter[b] of Absalom; and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and Shelomith. 21 Now Rehoboam loved Maachah the granddaughter of Absalom more than all his wives and his concubines; for he took eighteen wives and sixty concubines, and begot twenty-eight sons and sixty daughters. 22 And Rehoboam appointed Abijah the son of Maachah as chief, to be leader among his brothers; for he intended to make him king. 23 He dealt wisely, and dispersed some of his sons throughout all the territories of Judah and Benjamin, to every fortified city; and he gave them provisions in abundance. He also sought many wives for them.