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11 Chronicles Chapter 12
Egypt Plunders Jerusalem
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2Chronicles 12:1 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.
This is the saddest part of studying
the kings of Israel. Forsaking the fountain of living waters for
what??? Self, idolatry, power? Who knows; but all Israel forsook the
Lord also. The priests and Levites forsook the northern kingdom and
came to serve under Rehoboam but after only 3 years, the king
forsakes God.
- 2Chronicles 12:2 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,
- 3 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.
- 4 And he took the
fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem.
Without the protecting hand of God no
country has any grarantee of surviving. When is the world going to
"get" that?
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2Chronicles 12:5 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.
Our faithful loving God sends a prophet
and tells them the cause of this invasion. He was saying in other
words that they brought this whole thing on themselves. They forsook
the fountain of living waters which was their protection and peace.
We see a lot of temporary, "We've been
found out repentance". This kind usually doesn't last long. It
only lasts until they get out of trouble.
- 2Chronicles 12:7 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.
- 8 Nevertheless they
shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the
service of the kingdoms of the countries.
- 9 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.
God wouldn't let Egypt destroy them but
allowed them to take away treasures and gold which is probably why
Egypt wanted to invade in the first place. With God's hand of
protection removed, they could take what they wanted but God saved
the nation itself at this time.
- 2Chronicles 12:10
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.
- 11 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.
- 12 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.
- 13 So king Rehoboam
strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned: for Rehoboam was
one and forty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned
seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen
out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his
mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess.
- 14 And he did evil,
because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD.
- 15 Now the acts of
Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of
Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning
genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam
continually.
- 16 And Rehoboam
slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David: and
Abijah his son reigned in his stead.
He only reigned 17 years compared to
Solomon's reign of 40 years. He was only 58. He seems to be wishy
washy and didn't really take the Lord seriously at all times. He
just served the Lord in the beginning until his kingdom was
established.
We have to be strong and determined,
serving the Lord in good times or bad. Not forsaking Him in our life
times. Some depart when they have it good, others depart when things
go bad. It's better to be determined and serve God because we love
Him, not because of circumstances.
11
Chronicles Chapter 13
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