Tyndale Open Study Notes2 Chronicles 11

Shemaiah's prophecy stopped an immediate civil war among Israel's tribes. However, Rehoboam's reign is described as one of constant conflict with Jeroboam (2 Chronicles 12:15). Civil war marked the first fifty years of the divided kingdom, lasting until Omri's time.

Rehoboam fortified several towns to defend Judah from the east, south, and west. This protected the valleys leading into the Judean hill country and important crossroads. Rehoboam's first task was to strengthen a small but defensible position. The defensive lines were strategically sensible against an Egyptian attack and likely started before Pharaoh Shishak's invasion in 926 or 925 BC.

The Lord blessed Rehoboam through his building projects, the movement of loyal priests from the north to the south, the migration of faithful people from the north to Jerusalem, and his large family.

Lachish was the key southwestern corner of Rehoboam’s defenses. It protected the road to the coastal highway in the west, a main route Egypt could use for a southern attack.

Jeroboam's rebellion in the north (see 1 Kings 12:26–33) caused those who truly wanted to worship the Lord to move south. Rehoboam followed the Lord faithfully for three years, but he became unfaithful in the fourth year of his reign (2 Chronicles 12:1). God then quickly punished Rehoboam by sending Shishak to invade from Egypt (2 Chronicles 12:2–5).

Some scholars think Jeroboam set up goat and calf idols as platforms for the Lord. They note that the Canaanites believed their gods stood on animals (compare Exodus 32:5, where the gold calf was used in “a feast to the LORD”). However, Jeroboam never specifically credited the Lord with rescuing Israel (1 Kings 12:28), so others believe he might have meant other gods stood on the animals. Still others think Jeroboam might have copied the Egyptians, who showed pagan deities in animal form (compare Exodus 32:4).

Rehoboam likely had the same number of wives and children throughout his reign, not just by his fifth year. He loved his second wife more than his first, so he broke the rule of primogeniture (inheritance belonging to the firstborn son, Deuteronomy 21:15–17) by making Abijah the next king, possibly in a co-regency. This action ensured a smooth succession.

Rehoboam gave control to the royal princes, extending the royal family's rule into distant areas. This ensured a smooth power transition and reduced the chance of a revolt or coup. Rehoboam might have done this to avoid the troubles God promised David's house (2 Samuel 12:10–11).