Even though king Rehoboam was not an evil man, he ended up doing wicked deeds because he just let his life run its natural course. He was a go with the flow kind of guy. Whereas king David prayed about almost everything and Solomon prayed on special occasions (holidays, major events), king Rehoboam never consulted the LORD, he just did what he thought was best. It says in 2 Chronicles 12:14, “he did evil because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD.”

When we think about being prepared, we usually think about doing things ahead of time, getting ready for something. The Hebrew word translated prepared in 2 Chronicles 12:14 is kûwn (koon). Properly translated, the word kuwn means “to be erect (i.e. stand perpendicular). This root used concretely connotes being firmly established, being firmly anchored and being firm. Used abstractly, kuwn can refer to a concept as ‘established,’ or ‘fixed’ so as to be unchanging and unchangeable.” (3559).

King Rehoboam’s heart was not set on doing the will of God. In other words, Rehoboam was not committed to the LORD. He trusted his own judgment more that he did God’s. It was only when he got into trouble that Rehoboam listened to the LORD and did what He said.

In general, king Rehoboam’s life was uneventful compared to his grandfather David’s and father Solomon’s. There were no real disasters or major accomplishments. The most notable event was the Egyptian raid of Jerusalem in which the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house were taken (2 Chronicles 12:9). This robbery took place because the LORD was not protecting Rehoboam as he had previous kings (2 Chronicles 12:5).