CHAPTER THE SIXTH.

KINGS OF JUDAH.

SECTION I.

REHOBOAM :-His Apostasy-Invasion of Shishak, King of Egypt-ABIJAH-Successful Invasion of Israel-ASA-His ReformationsVictory over the Ethiopians-League with the Syrians-His Death, and Character-JEHOSHAPHAT-Measures to secure the Peace and Prosperity of his Kingdom-Unites with Ahab, King of Israel. against the Syrians-Forms other Alliances with Israel Triumphs over the united Forces of his Enemies-Happy Close of his Reign.

We now return to the history of the kingdom of Judah. When REHOBOAM, who still remained at Shechem, heard that the ten tribes had determined to throw off their allegiance to him, he became alarmed, and sent Adoram, the collector, to appease the people, and to promise them that their taxes should be abated. This proposed pacification came, however, too late; for their passions were now so excited that they immediately fell upon the collector and stoned him to death. Upon receiving intelligence of this sad event, Rehoboam immediately entered his chariot and hastened to Jerusalem, in order to secure the adherence of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to the house of David.

Fired with resentment at the insult given to himself, in the person of his collector, Adoram, Rehoboam resolved to punish the disaffected Israelites with the utmost severity. With this view he collected, immediately after his return to Jerusalem, from the two tribes that remained firm in their allegiance to him, one hundred and eighty thousand choice troops, which he designed to lead against the ten re

volting tribes, and reduce them at once to obedience. But in the midst of these warlike preparations the prophet Shemaiah appeared before him, and, under Divine inspiration, directed him to desist from attempting to prosecute his design, as it was the will of God, according to the prediction of the prophet Ahijah, that the division of the kingdom should take place. On receiving this prophetic declaration, Rehoboam at once disbanded his army; after which, for his own defense, he built and garrisoned several strongholds in different parts of the country, and placed large magazines in all the cities that were in the immediate vicinity of his capital.

As a matter of state policy Rehoboam, during the first three years of his reign, sustained the true worship of God at Jerusalem; but as soon as the subjects of Jero boam ceased to repair thither to worship, he threw off the mask, and both he and his people became more idolatrous than even their wicked neighbors of Israel. They not only "built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill," but, to add to their gross impiety, they introduced every detestable act of wickedness for which the ancient Canaanites had been so justly expelled from the country.

To punish Rehoboam for this apostasy the Almighty, in the fifth year of that prince's reign, allowed Shishak, king of Egypt, to invade the land; and after having taken several fortified towns, he entered Jerusalem, and carried off the treasures of the Temple and the palace, together with the golden shields of Solomon. As this severe punishment produced the desired repentance, the remaining twelve years of Rehoboam's reign were prosperous; and at his death, which occurred 958 A. C., and in the eighteenth year of his reign, he left a peaceful sceptre to his son and successor ABIJAH

ABIJAH was the son of Rehoboam by Maachah, the grand daughter of Absalom. Though young, he was an active and martial prince; and he resolved, therefore, to bring back, by force of arms, the ten tribes to obedience. For this purpose he raised an army of four hundred thousand men and marched against Jeroboam, who met him with a force of double that number. As soon as the two armies were drawn up in order of battle, Abijah ascended Mount Zemaraim, and thence addressing the Israelitish army, he pointed out the injustice of their revolt from his father Rehoboam; his own right to the entire kingdom, as God had given it to David, and his posterity; and the expectation he had of the Divine assistance in the approaching contest, since the religion of the Israelites had become false and idolatrous, while the men of Judah preserved the pure worship of the living God, having his Temple and his ordinance in their midst.

Before Abijah had finished his address, Jeroboam, confident of victory, ordered a detachment of his army to pass to the rear in order to cut off their retreat. This movement greatly alarmed the troops of Abijah; but he, with consummate address, raised their courage, and then exhorted them to depend exclusively on the aid of the Almighty, who, he was assured, would render abortive any efforts against the righteous cause in which they were engaged. In the action that immediately followed Abijah gained a complete victory-five hundred thousand of the enemy being left dead upon the field of battle. This victory was followed by the capture of several of the border towns of Israel, among which was Bethel, the seat of one of the golden calves. We are not informed, however, that Abijah destroyed the idol; and it seems that the town itself was ultimately recovered by Israel.

Had the life of Abijah been prolonged, it is probable

that, in the course of a few years, he would have succeeded in reducing the whole kingdom of Israel to subjection to his authority; but the Almighty had different purposes in view with regard to that people, and, therefore, he now removed the agent with which he had so severely chastised them. Abijah died 955 A. C., in the third year of his reign, and was succeeded by his son Asa.

ASA was a prince of great piety and virtue, and “did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord, as did David, his father." As he enjoyed the happiness of a settled peace for the first ten years of his reign, he wisely employed his time in removing the gross vices which, in former reigns, had been introduced into his kingdom. Ho broke down the idols and demolished their altars in all the cities of Judah, and employed all the means in his power to restore the true worship of God. He also fortified several cities on the frontiers of his kingdom, and trained so many of his subjects in the art of war, that he soon had an army consisting of five hundred and eighty thousand, all of whom were men of true courage, and prepared to hazard their lives in defense of their country.

While the kingdom of Judah was thus in the full enjoyment of peace and prosperity, Asa, in 941 A. C., was suddenly surprised by an invasion of his country by the Cushites, or Ethiopians, under Zerah, their king. The army of this enemy contained a million of men, besides three hundred armed chariots. To meet this vast host the pious Asa went forth with a comparatively small force, confident that the Almighty could, with equal facility, enable him to prevail with few or with many. As he approached the valley of Zephathah, in the southern part of his kingdom, and beheld the formidable power of Zerah, he, in the presence of his whole army, bowed himself before the Lord, and with the utmost devotion, offered the

following fervent prayer: "Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O Lord, our God; for we rest in thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God: let no man prevail against thee."

Having thus placed his cause in the hands of the Almighty, Asa boldly assailed the enemy; and as God, at the same time, infused a general fear into the minds of the Ethiopians, they immediately gave way-advantage of which being taken by the army of Asa, vast numbers of the enemy were killed on the spot, and the rest fled with the utmost precipitation. Asa and his victorious army closely pursued the fugitives, killed many in their flight, took the spoils of their camp, carried away their cattle, smote the cities that were in league with them, and then returned in triumph to Jerusalem.

As Asa, on his return with his victorious army, approached Jerusalem, he was met by the prophet Ahaziah, who reminded him that his recent triumph over his enemies must be attributed entirely to the interposition of the Almighty; and that, in order to secure a continuance of the same favor, he must persevere in the righteous reformation which he had so happily commenced. Encouraged by this assurance of Divine favor, he, during the succeeding five years, followed up his reformations with a still more vigorous and less sparing hand. Even Maachah, his own grand mother, and the guardian of his youth, was banished from court on account of her idolatries. Judah, by these vast reformations, now contrasted so favorably with Israel, that multitudes of the well-disposed subjects of the latter kingdom removed into the former.

Alarmed at the defection of so many of his subjects, Baasha, king of Israel, adopted the measures which have already been mentioned, to check the communication be