Read 2 Chronicles 12
Shishak Attacks Jerusalem
12 After Rehoboam’s position as king was established and he had become strong, he and all Israel with him abandoned the law of the Lord. 2 Because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam. 3 With twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen and the innumerable troops of Libyans, Sukkites and Cushites that came with him from Egypt, 4 he captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.
5 Then the prophet Shemaiah came to Rehoboam and to the leaders of Judah who had assembled in Jerusalem for fear of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the Lord says, ‘You have abandoned me; therefore, I now abandon you to Shishak.’”
6 The leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is just.”
7 When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, this word of the Lordcame to Shemaiah: “Since they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will soon give them deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak. 8 They will, however, become subject to him, so that they may learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of other lands.”
9 When Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem, he carried off the treasures of the temple of the Lord and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including the gold shields Solomon had made. 10 So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned these to the commanders of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace.11 Whenever the king went to the Lord’s temple, the guards went with him, bearing the shields, and afterward they returned them to the guardroom.
12 Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord’s anger turned from him, and he was not totally destroyed. Indeed, there was some good in Judah.
13 King Rehoboam established himself firmly in Jerusalem and continued as king. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. 14 He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord.
15 As for the 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 that deal with genealogies? There was continual warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. 16 Rehoboam rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. And Abijah his son succeeded him as king.
Go Deeper
This short chapter serves as a reminder of God’s righteousness and compassion. Israel, under Rehoboam’s leadership, abandoned the law of the Lord. The people strayed from obedience to God, which is evidence of them having strayed from their relationship with Him. When we are in right relationship with God, we obey His commands. Our relationship with Him is demonstrated by our faithfulness to Him. Like a healthy marriage, faithfulness to one’s spouse is evidence of a close, trusting relationship. When a spouse strays outside of that faithfulness, it is evidence of a broken relationship and an unhealthy marriage. In a similar way, God’s people can be identified by the way we are faithful to keep God’s commands.
As followers of Jesus, we don’t live obediently to earn our salvation. Our salvation is the free gift of God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8-9). We live in obedience to God as a way to demonstrate our faith (James 2:22). We are being sanctified to look more and more like Jesus each day. While none of us is perfect, and we have all fallen short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23), followers of Jesus are marked by relationship with Him and obedience to His commands. Psalm 103:17-18 says, “But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children–with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.” Our obedience allows for a real relationship with Jesus, and is the mark of followers of Jesus.
This chapter also reminds us of God’s compassion toward His people. In verse 7, it tells us that the people humbled themselves before God, so He relented from His punishment. God knows our weakness, how quickly we stray from faithfulness to Him, and our inability to perfectly keep His commands. In the Lord’s kindness, He forgives His people. True to His character, God eventually makes a way for eternal forgiveness through Jesus Christ.
God is the same holy and compassionate God that He has always been. God’s holiness demands our righteousness. God’s compassion has made a way for our forgiveness. May we be marked as people who are walking in step with the Lord’s commands so that the world around us may see Him more clearly and encounter our God.
Questions
- How is obedience to God different from salvation?
- Where do you most often struggle to obey God? How can your community help you walk more closely with Him?
- What is an area of your life that you need a reminder of God’s grace and compassion towards you?
Keep Digging
Read this article from GotQuestions.org to learn more about what it means that we are sinful even if we have been saved, and how to grow in obedience to God.
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3 thoughts on “2 Chronicles 12”
As I’m reading through The Awe of God paired with the BRP, my eyes have been opened in profound ways. Like Rehoboam, we lack a holy fear of God. We want the benefits and blessings without full obedience to God. Unfaithfulness to the Father marks our lives far too often, as we abandon his ways for own selfish ones. The results will be similar to Rehoboams, destruction, defeat and death. V14 says “But he was an evil king, for he did not seek the Lord with all his heart.” How tragic to leave a legacy like this! Ours can look entirely different as we firmly commit to trusting and following Jesus completely. Let’s abandon ourselves to the Way, the Truth and the Life, with no turning back!
What caught my eye today is the shields. Solomon left great wealth to his son Rehoboam, both in the temple and in the palace but because Rehoboam forsook God all the wealth that had been built by Grandfather David, and Dad, Solomon was gone in 5 years. We lose the goodness of what God has in place for us when we do not follow Him with our whole heart. We can humble ourselves and come back to do the right things but it is never as good as it would have been if we had been faithful. A grandfather was telling his grandson, “There are 2 wolves fighting inside you. One wants you to do what is right and the other what is wrong.” Grandson ask, “Who wins?” Grandfather says, “The one you feed.” That is us, who are we feeding at all times? “You will call to me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you search for me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:12-13 CSB
God help me to seek You with my whole heart, at all times. When the moments happen that I know not what to do, help me hear You. Thank You for loving me so much. Thank You for me showing and doing what I need to be doing in this world. I want to be bold to stand for You in Jesus name amen
WOOHOO!!!!
Sin has consequences.
Let us/me not forsake God’s plan.
Let us/me not value anything more than God.
Let us/me let go of anything that interferes with our relationship with God.
Let us/me represent the Lord, God Almighty by living by His standards and not man’s.
When we serve God, we should demonstrate sound doctrine, dedication to God and strong spiritual character.
God, I seek You in all areas of my life. Hear my cry and humble my thoughts that I may only serve You and not my selfish desires. In Jesus’ name, amen..