Read | 2 Chronicles 12:1–12
When Rehoboam had established his sovereignty and royal power, he abandoned the law of the LORD—he and all Israel with him. Because they were unfaithful to the LORD, in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, King Shishak of Egypt went to war against Jerusalem with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 cavalrymen, and countless people who came with him from Egypt—Libyans, Sukkiim, and Cushites. He captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.
Then the prophet Shemaiah went to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah who were gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak. He said to them, “This is what the LORD says: You have abandoned me; therefore, I have abandoned you to Shishak.”
So the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The LORD is righteous.”
When the LORD saw that they had humbled themselves, the LORD’s message came to Shemaiah: “They have humbled themselves; I will not destroy them but will grant them a little deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak. However, they will become his servants so that they may recognize the difference between serving me and serving the kingdoms of other lands.”
So King Shishak of Egypt went to war against Jerusalem. He seized the treasuries of the LORD’s temple and the treasuries of the royal palace. He took everything. He took the gold shields that Solomon had made. King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and committed them into the care of the captains of the guards who protected the entrance to the king’s palace. Whenever the king entered the LORD’s temple, the guards would carry the shields and take them back to the armory. When Rehoboam humbled himself, the LORD’s anger turned away from him, and he did not destroy him completely. Besides that, conditions were good in Judah.
Click here to listen to the Scripture in ESV.
Each week, we’re reminded that experiencing God happens best through Scripture alongside others—join us for worship today at one of our five campuses and grow together in faith. Today’s sermon is titled, "Rehoboam."
Focus
In preparation for today’s sermon, read this blog from the Story of Scripture team at Dallas Theological Seminary.
Fall of Israel and Judah
"But the LORD, the God of their ancestors, sent word against them by the hand of his messengers, sending them time and time again, for he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place. But they kept ridiculing God’s messengers, despising his words, and scoffing at his prophets, until the LORD’s wrath was so stirred up against his people that there was no remedy." - 2 Chronicles 36:15–16
Read and reflect on this Scripture for a few minutes, reading it several times. This phrase, “for he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place,” shows an interesting response from the Lord.
The disobedience and unfaithfulness of Israel (and her kings) reached a boiling point for the Lord. Instead of responding like many of us (as many parents would)—in anger or exasperation—the text says that the Lord “had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place.”
Does this strike you oddly? What could be interpreted as judgment were acts of compassion—warnings through the prophets he sent. As Israel’s unfaithfulness increased, and as she began to bear the real consequences of that, instead of withdrawing, God pursued her.
We last left Solomon—and Israel, the nation he led—learning the hard lesson of success: success becomes dangerous the moment it replaces dependence on God and his presence, with confidence in what we have built.
When that happens, the outcome is predictable—if not inevitable—for individuals and nations. It may not be immediate, but as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow observed in his poem “Retribution,” “Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small…”
We don’t usually think of consequences as mercy or grace. But they can be—especially when they expose our misplaced trust. When what once felt strong begins to feel weak. We’re not talking about God abandoning his people. That’s not what he did when he allowed the nation (both northern and southern kingdoms) to fall under foreign powers.
What can feel like absence—God’s presence seemingly withdrawn—may actually be the means he uses to remind us that he will not allow us to live indefinitely apart from him. It’s called the discipline of grace.
Who wants it? No one.
Who needs it? We all do.
Pray
Ask the Lord to speak to you through the relationships and connections you have with your church family.
Going Deeper
If you are also following the BibleProject’s One Story That Leads to Jesus reading plan, complete today’s reading.