Shemaiah was a man of God and a prophet who served during the reign of King Rehoboam in Judah. He is best known for warning Rehoboam against going to war with the northern tribes after the kingdom split, and for explaining that Shishak's invasion from Egypt was God's judgment on Judah's unfaithfulness.
Événements clés
Warned Rehoboam Against Civil War
After the ten northern tribes broke away from Rehoboam, Shemaiah spoke God's word to the king and all Judah and Benjamin, forbidding them to go to war against their brothers in Israel. The people obeyed the Lord's word and returned home.
24This is what the LORD says: Do not march up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Every one of you go home, for this thing is from me." So they obeyed the word of the LORD and turned back, as the LORD had commanded.
Shemaiah's deeds and prophetic words are cited as one of the sources for Rehoboam's history, highlighting his significance as a historical and prophetic authority.
15The events of Rehoboam's reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the records of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer, along with the genealogies? There was continual warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam.
Delivered God's Message to Rehoboam Regarding the Civil War
In the parallel account in Chronicles, Shemaiah conveyed God's word to Rehoboam and all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, telling them not to fight against their brothers, for the division of the kingdom was from the Lord.
1When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he mustered the house of Judah and Benjamin—a hundred and eighty thousand picked troops—to fight against Israel and win the kingdom back for himself.
4Thus says the LORD: You shall not march out and fight against your brothers. Every one of you, go home, for this thing is from me." So they listened to the words of the LORD and turned back from marching against Jeroboam.
When Pharaoh Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem, Shemaiah came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah and said that the Lord had abandoned them because they had abandoned him. The leaders humbled themselves, and the Lord relented from his judgment.
5Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and to the officials of Judah who had gathered in Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, "This is what the LORD says: You have abandoned me, so I in turn have abandoned you to the hand of Shishak."
7When the LORD saw that they had humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah: "They have humbled themselves; I will not destroy them. I will grant them a measure of deliverance, and my wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak.