I have been thinking about the accounts given in Scripture of King Rehoboam of Judah and King Jeroboam of Israel.  In addition to the Scriptural account, the relief of the conquest of Shishak of Egypt has intrigued me because Shishak invaded both Judah and Israel, conquering cities in both countries, yet with very different results. 

Shishak destroyed many cities in Judah, but he stopped short of destroying Jerusalem.  Scripture reveals the Lord blessed the city at this time by convincing Shishak to simply take a ransom for the city and setting up control over Judah in the future.

On the other hand, Shishak destroyed many cities in Israel, but there is no record of any confrontation with King Jeroboam in Tirzah.  No record is given of any ransom being demanded or future control exerted over Israel. 

The question that comes to mind is why did Shishak make a difference between these nations?  I believe a reasonable answer is that Jeroboam had established a friendship with Shishak when Jeroboam fled to Egypt, escaping the executioners of King Solomon.  Due to the independent nature of many of the cities in Israel, the lack of submission to the new religion and to Rehoboam may have threatened the unity of the new nation.  Shishak could have been doing a favor to Rehoboam by destroying those that would oppose Rehoboam’s plan to unify Israel and to weaken Judah. 

You might ask “why in the world would this even come into your mind”?  It is just that I see a correlation between the past and the present.  Churches that maintain the truth of God’s Word and reach out with the Gospel of Jesus Christ are a threat to the unity of the unbelieving.  The plan used then is the same as is being used now – to destroy the testimony of God through His Churches.  Many groups that claim to be the Lord’s churches are no more than ‘Golden Calves’ set up by men to be worshipped by the masses.  This worship distracts from the knowledge of the truth, and even distracts from the desire for the knowledge of the truth of God.

Please stay faithful in prayer, reading God’s Word – the Bible, and church attendance. 

Please do your own study in I Kings 12, 2 Chronicles 11,12, and the secular history of Shishak of Egypt.