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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5 responses to “2 Chronicles 12”
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.“
The first step in following God is to humble myself. It won’t necessarily spare me of the consequences of my actions, but it is a step in the right direction . . . back to God!
Rehoboam saw David and Solomon. He saw personally what God had being doing through his Dad and Granddad. “As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father, and serve him wholeheartedly and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands the intention of every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you abandon him, he will reject you forever.” 1 Chronicles 28:9 CSB
But he had freedom of choice. It was a kind of ripple effect. The family went their own way so also did Rehoboam. When it was convenient he followed but mostly he did evil. Vs12 Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord’s anger turned from him, and he was not totally destroyed. Indeed, there was some good in Judah.
BUT GOD “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
What or where is our ripple effect? One thing leads to another, and on. How do we stop the ripples? What are the idols of our hearts that keep us from truly seeking God? Vs14 And he did evil, because he did not prepare his heart to seek the LORD:
Are our hearts prepared to seek the Lord
God thank You for helping me, showing me, and me getting it together to prepare my heart, so that I can seek You, I know I will find You and You will be my Lord forever more. God You are so amazing. I am so grateful, thankful and beyond blessed with Your presence. God I desire to continue to put You first. Thank You for Your Word and how it leads me. God as I go this day and these minutes, lead, guide and direct me to put You first in all I say and do. God thank You for loving me (hesed) and for me shema hearing You, to obedience. Let Your light so shine through me in these minutes of this day in Jesus name amen
WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As believers, who have received the forgiveness of our sins through the payment of Christ on the cross, our response to every ask of God is obedience. There will be missteps and mistakes when we give into the flesh, but when we stray we do not stay away from confession and repentance, but return to the Father in humility. There we will be met with God’s amazing grace.
After asking online commentary what 2 Chronicles 12 means for us today, I read this:
“We should never let our guard down, even after spiritual victories. There’s a need for constant vigilance.”
In chapter 9 we explored how, following the temple completion and dedication, Solomon may have felt emptied and exhausted. Even the most enthusiastic, energetic leader can run out of gas.
Which has me wondering: at such spiritually significant moments, how are we supposed to “constantly keep our guard up and remain spiritually vigilant?”
In theory, staying vigilant sounds noble and right and spiritual — but in real life, when we are tired, spent, poured-out and human, vigilance doesn’t feel heroic — it feels impossible.
And maybe that’s part of the lesson woven into these chapters:
We are not meant to white-knuckle vigilance. We are not asked to maintain spiritual alertness through effort alone.
The pattern in Scripture isn’t: “Be strong for God at all times.”
It’s RETURN TO ME.
Again and again. In strength and depletion. In discipline and collapse. In plenty — and in want.
And that’s where this chapter opens for Rehoboam – in a season of plenty. The kingdom is strong, the work is done, and the danger feels distant. He had everything a young king could want: security, momentum, and the illusion of control.
And what did he do with all that?
He drifted. Became spiritually complacent. Neglected to guard his heart.
He went from not “returning TO God” — to turning FROM God (v. 1). Next thing you know, his lack of spiritual vigilance led his entire country to be overtaken (v. 2).
Unfortunately for Rehoboam (and everybody under him), he had a weak, undefended spiritual flank long before his kingdom was attacked. He finally did return to God (v. 6), but such reactive repentance was only temporary.
Rehoboam reminds us that spiritual collapse rarely begins with active rebellion — but passive neglect. We don’t lose obedience all at once — we slowly stop caring for the very things that once anchored us.
Because it is SO easy to slide away from God when life seems secure. Abundance crowds out dependence, turning comfort into carelessness.
Sometimes the testing of prosperity is harder than the testing of adversity. We need grace in both our crises — and our success.
As Paul reminds us in Philippians 4, “the secret of facing life, whether well-fed or going hungry, whether having an abundance or being in need… is through Him who strengthens and empowers [us.]” It is in CHRIST that we are ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses us with inner strength and confident peace.
-Philippians 4:12, 13 AMP
Today’s story leaves me with this question:
Will I get so comfortable in my “plenty” that it takes a crisis to turn me back to God?
Or will I notice the drift before the army shows up at the gates?
“The leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, ‘The LORD is righteous'” (2 Chronicles 12:6). This act of humility brought God’s mercy upon them. It teaches us that no matter how far we stray, genuine repentance and humility can restore our relationship with God.