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2 Chronicles Chapter 12 (ESV)
1 When the rule of Rehoboam was established and he was strong, he abandoned the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him. 2 In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem …
5 Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and to the princes of Judah, who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, “Thus says the Lord, ‘You abandoned me, so I have abandoned you to the hand of Shishak.’” 6 Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is righteous.” 7 When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah: “They have humbled themselves. I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance, and my wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak….
14 And he did evil, for he did not set his heart to seek the Lord.
15 Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the chronicles of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer? There were continual wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. 16 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David, and Abijah his son reigned in his place.
REFLECTION:
- The “Israel” mentioned in this passage refers to Judah. In the first three years of Rehoboam’s rule, he still obeyed God and hence brought prosperity to Judah. Unfortunately, when his rule was established and he was strong, he abandoned the law of the Lord, and God allow the Egyptians to conquer them. Christians could face difficulties but may fall easily during comfortable times. We seek God in difficult times but we are proud of ourselves in comfortable times. When life is smooth, we should be careful to keep our faith. When the leaders of Israel humbled themselves, repented their sins, and acknowledged God’s punishment was righteous, God lessened the punishment for them. It is never too late to repent. God will have mercy even if you repent after receiving His punishment. Reflect whether you are struggling because you have sins not confessed. If only you could confess your sins in humility, the door of God’s mercy will be opened for you!
- Rehoboam’s life was tragic for “he did not set his heart to seek the Lord” and this became the final judgment for him. When people ignore God’s will, they will fall into the dangerous and sad situation similar to Rehoboam. God requires us to be faithful and unwavering to Him. We should fully trust God in our life or else we will easily fall into Satan’s trap and separate from God. Reflect what will be God’s remark for you when you finished your life on earth.
PRAYER:
Come before God in humility. Ask Him to enlighten you and help you examine yourself of unconfessed sins. If there is, remember that God’s kindness leads us to repentance (Rom. 2:4). We can leave sin behind and approach Him because He has already shown us His grace through Jesus Christ. Ask God to give you perseverance in faith so that you can give account to Him without fear when you finish your life on earth.
HYMN:
“Broken Vessels” – www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiyYoe678yI
