Today you should read: 2 Chronicles 12
Rebellion and Repentance
2 Chronicles 12 is a story of Rebellion and Repentance.
1. Pride
But when Rehoboam was firmly established and strong… (v.1)
2. Rebellion
…he abandoned the Law of the Lord (v.1)
3. Sin
… and all Israel followed him in this sin. (v.1)
4. Consequence
Because they were unfaithful to the Lord, King Shishak of Egypt came up and attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam’s reign. He came with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 horses, and a countless army of foot soldiers, including Libyans, Sukkites, and Ethiopians. Shishak conquered Judah’s fortified towns and then advanced to attack Jerusalem. (v.2-4)
This is often a cycle in our lives. Pride takes ahold of our hearts – we get confident and satisfied in our walk with the Lord.
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling. Proverbs 16:18
Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. 1 Corinthians 10:12
Rebellion against God and His Word are quick to follow. Shortly we sin and we begin to live in the consequence of it. Consequence is a horrible task master.
God begins to work in our hearts, we realize what we’ve done, and we repent and return to God’s will for our lives.
1. Rebuke
The prophet Shemaiah then met with Rehoboam and Judah’s leaders, who had all fled to Jerusalem because of Shishak. Shemaiah told them, “This is what the Lord says: You have abandoned me, so I am abandoning you to Shishak.” (v.5)
2. Humility
Then the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves… (v.6a)
3. Repentance
…and said, “The Lord is right in doing this to us!” When the Lord saw their change of heart… (v.6b-7a)
4. Blessing
…He gave this message to Shemaiah: “Since the people have humbled themselves, I will not completely destroy them and will soon give them some relief. (v.7)
When we realize we’ve sinned, humble ourselves, and repent, God begins to bless us again. Remember God’s promise in 2 Chronicles 7:14?
If my people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
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Which cycle best represents your life right now?
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Will you humble yourself and repent of your rebellion and sin?
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Will you allow God to begin to bless you again?
By: Tim Parsons — Lead Pastor
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Awesome word today Tim!
“But when (fill in the blank) was firmly established and strong, he/she abandoned the Law of the Lord.”
Do you ever have those times in life when everything seems to be going great? (Work is good, bonuses are good, stock market is way up, kids are behaving well, UK is winning national championships 😂). I bet a lot of people in KY would describe 1996-98 as such a time. When everything seems to be going great it is easy to stray from the Lord and do things our own way. When we are in a pit and life is hard, human nature dictates we are more prone to be humble and seek the Lord. Consistently walking with the Lord in times of blessing & happiness and in times of need & sadness is the key to finding true joy in Christ. If our joy is gone in difficult times we are not really walking daily with Christ. I’m grateful for reminders like this story in the Old Testament. Blessings CPC Family. I can’t wait to see you all again in person.