b. Rehoboam fortifies Judah (11:5-17)

Rehoboam’s fortifications along the eastern, southern, and western flanks of his territory are both a sign of the Lord’s blessing and of the hostilities of his time (vv.5-12). Another sign of divine favor is the support of the religious establishment for Rehoboam (vv.13-17). Northern Levites, rejected by Jeroboam’s alternative cult, travel south. The chronicler asserts that the righteous people of the land side with Judah and reject the false religion of the North. The people seek the Lord, one of the conditions of forgiveness outlined in 2Ch 7:14. This movement parallels the broad-based support that David received from all Israel when he rose to power. David’s grandson, trying to establish himself over Judah, gains the backing of the righteous people of the land.