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(The views expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
2 Chronicles 12:1–12, “And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him. And it came to pass, that in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the LORD, With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians. And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem. Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak. Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The LORD is righteous. And when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries. So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house; he took all: he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made. Instead of which king Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king’s house. And when the king entered into the house of the LORD, the guard came and fetched them, and brought them again into the guard chamber. And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the LORD turned from him, that he would not destroy him altogether: and also in Judah things went well.”
When Rehoboam felt that he was secure as king of Judah, he chose to reject the Lord and follow strange gods. He had all the legitimate Priests and Levites but did not take advantage of their wisdom and knowledge. The Lord, however, remembered the contract that He had made with Israel and began to apply the penalty clauses of that contract. The Lord didn’t do this because He is vindictive or arbitrary but because He, in grace, wanted to bring Judah to their knees so that they would return to Him. The Egyptian armies invaded Judah and even came to Jerusalem. Shemaiah, a prophet visitedRehoboam and urged him to repent and he repented before the Lord. The Lord, therefore saved Jerusalem from the Egyptians. However, Pharaoh came into the city and took away the golden shields that Solomon had made for the Temple. Rehoboam replaced these shields with brass shields and continued the ceremonial services in the Temple. Judah was saved when they submitted to the Lord, confessed their sins and repented.
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