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JULY 8
everyone in a flood.But they turned the lowly cottage of Philemon and Baucis into a temple,where
they were to serve as priest and priestess.Not wanting to repeat their ancestors’mistake,the people
of Lystra believed Barnabas to be Zeus and Paul to be Hermes.
“Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there…they stoned Paul…supposing him to be
dead”(v. 19). Paul did not die from the stoning as some claim, who link it to his third-heaven expe-
rience in 2 Corinthians 12.“Supposing”usually means “to suppose something that is not true.”The
main New Testament use of this word argues that the crowd’s supposition was incorrect and that
Paul was not dead. Another argument in favor of this position is that if Paul was resurrected, why
didn’t Luke mention it? Also,the dates of Paul’s third-heaven experience and the time of the stoning
do not reconcile.

Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Sol-
July 8 omon strong for three years, because they
walked in the way of David and Solomon for
three years.
18 Then Rehoboam took for himself as wife
2 Chronicles 11:1–12:16
Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of
Now when Rehoboam came to Jerusa- David, and of Abihail the daughter of Eliah the
11 lem, he assembled from the house of Ju- son of Jesse. And she bore him children:
19
dah and Benjamin one hundred and eighty Jeush, Shamariah, and Zaham. After her he
20
thousand chosen men who were warriors, to took Maachah the granddaughter of Absalom;
fight against Israel, that he might restore the and she bore him Abijah, Attai, Ziza, and
kingdom to Rehoboam. Shelomith. Now Rehoboam loved Maachah
21
2 But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the granddaughter of Absalom more than all
the man of God, saying, “Speak to Rehoboam his wives and his concubines; for he took eigh-
3
the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Is- teen wives and sixty concubines, and begot twenty-
4
rael in Judah and Benjamin, saying, ‘Thus eight sons and sixty daughters. And Rehoboam
22
says the LORD: “You shall not go up or fight appointed Abijah the son of Maachah as chief, to
against your brethren! Let every man return to be leader among his brothers; for he intended to
his house, for this thing is from Me.” ’ ” make him king. He dealt wisely, and dispersed
23
Therefore they obeyed the words of the LORD, some of his sons throughout all the territories
and turned back from attacking Jeroboam. of Judah and Benjamin, to every fortified city;
5 So Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built and he gave them provisions in abundance. He
6
cities for defense in Judah. And he built Bethle- also sought many wives for them.
7
hem, Etam, Tekoa, Beth Zur, Sochoh, Adullam, Now it came to pass, when Rehoboam
9
8 Gath, Mareshah, Ziph, Adoraim, Lachish, 12 had established the kingdom and had
10
Azekah, Zorah, Aijalon, and Hebron, which strengthened himself, that he forsook the law
are in Judah and Benjamin, fortified cities. of the LORD, and all Israel along with him. And
2
11 And he fortified the strongholds, and put cap- it happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam
tains in them, and stores of food, oil, and wine. that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Je-
12 Also in every city he put shields and spears, rusalem, because they had transgressed
and made them very strong, having Judah and against the LORD, with twelve hundred chariots,
3
Benjamin on his side. sixty thousand horsemen, and people without
13 And from all their territories the priests
and the Levites who were in all Israel took
their stand with him. For the Levites left their
14
common-lands and their possessions and 12:2–5 Shishak. He ruled over Egypt ca.
came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam 945–924 B.C.An Egyptian record of this inva-
and his sons had rejected them from serving sion written on stone has been found, record-
as priests to the LORD. Then he appointed for ing that Shishak’s army penetrated all the way
15
himself priests for the high places, for the north to the Sea of Galilee. He wanted to
demons, and the calf idols which he had restore Egypt’s once-great power, but was
made. And after the Levites left, those from all unable to conquer both Israel and Judah.
16
the tribes of Israel, such as set their heart to However, he was able to destroy cities in
seek the LORD God of Israel, came to Jerusa- Judah and gain some control of trade routes.
lem to sacrifice to the LORD God of their Judah came under Egyptian control.
17
fathers. So they strengthened the kingdom of
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