Chapter 11

And in each city, he put shields and spears and made them very strong. (2 Chronicles 11:12)

Rehoboam's goal was to fortify his empire, and he was successful in doing so to some degree. However, in the grand scheme of things, he ignored the spiritual matters that were essential to the consolidation of his dominion.

And the priests and the Levites who were in all Israel came over to Rehoboam from wherever they lived. (2 Chronicles 11:13)
This was done as a response to the idolatry that was supported by the state under Jeroboam, the first king of the kingdom of the north (1 Kings 12:26-33). These godly servants of the LORD refused to live in a nation where obeying God's instructions regarding worship was punishable under the law.

And he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the [idols of demon] he-goats, and calves he had made. (2 Chronicles 11:15)

From the earliest days, Jewish rabbis believed that certain strong demon entities had their dwellings in the deserts. There is no word for "demon" in Hebrew; however, there is a word used to identify devils (satyr), which is translated as "goat-demon." This word is a primitive Semitic word that was used to identify a spirit in the desert. This word, which means "hairy demons," is found in Leviticus 17:7 and 2 Chronicles 11:15. The word is also used in Isaiah 34:14, where the "goat-demons" greet one another in the ruins of Edom.