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Speaker 1: I'm John Stanghy, and today we're in Second Chronicles, chapter twelve,
Speaker 1: and we'll be reading from the message. By the time
Speaker 1: Reeboam had secured his kingdom and was strong again, he
Speaker 1: and all Israel with him, had virtually abandoned God and
Speaker 1: his ways. In Raaboam's fifth year because he and the
Speaker 1: people were unfaithful to God. She Shak, king of Egypt,
Speaker 1: invaded as far as Jerusalem. He came with twelve hundred
Speaker 1: chariots and sixty thousand cavalry and soldiers from all over
Speaker 1: The Egyptian army included Libyans, Sukites, and Ethiopians. They took
Speaker 1: the fortress cities of Judah and advanced as far as
Speaker 1: Jerusalem itself. Then the prophet Shemaiah, accompanied by the leaders
Speaker 1: of Judah who had retreated to Jerusalem before she Shak,
Speaker 1: came to Reeboehm and said God's word, you abandoned me.
Speaker 1: Now I abandon you. To she Shak. The leaders of
Speaker 1: Israel and the king were repentant and said God is right.
Speaker 1: When God saw that they were humbly repentant, the word
Speaker 1: of God came to Shemaiah. Because they are humble, I'll
Speaker 1: not destroy them. I'll give them a break. I won't
Speaker 1: use she Shak to express my wrath against Jerusalem. What
Speaker 1: I will do, though, is make them she Shack's subjects.
Speaker 1: They'll learn the difference between serving me and serving human kings.
Speaker 1: Then she Shak, king of Egypt, attacked Jerusalem. He plundered
Speaker 1: the treasury of the Temple of God and the treasury
Speaker 1: of the royal Palace. He took everything he could lay
Speaker 1: his hands on. He even took the gold shields that
Speaker 1: Solomon had made. King Raeboam replaced the gold shields with
Speaker 1: bronze shields and gave them to the guards who were
Speaker 1: posted at the entrance to the royal palace. Whenever the
Speaker 1: king went to God's temple, the guards went with him,
Speaker 1: carrying the shields, but they always returned them to the guardroom.
Speaker 1: Because Raeboam was repentant, God's anger was blunted, so he
Speaker 1: wasn't totally destroyed. The picture wasn't entirely bleak. There were
Speaker 1: some good things going on in Judah, king Raeboam regrouped
Speaker 1: and re established his rule in Jerusalem. He was forty
Speaker 1: one years old when he became king and continued as
Speaker 1: king for seventeen years. In Jerusalem, the city God chose
Speaker 1: out of all the tribes of Israel as the special
Speaker 1: presence of his name. His mother was Nama from Ammon.
Speaker 1: But the final verdict on Reel was that he was
Speaker 1: a bad king. God was not important to him. His
Speaker 1: heart neither cared for nor sought after God. The history
Speaker 1: of Raeboam from start to finish is written in the
Speaker 1: memoirs of Shemaiah the Prophet and Ido the Seer that
Speaker 1: contained the family trees. There was war between Reeboam and
Speaker 1: Jerobom the whole time. Raaboam died and was buried with
Speaker 1: his ancestors in the city of David. His son Abaijah
Speaker 1: ruled after him. Let's pray, Lord, we thank you for
Speaker 1: your word, and we thank you for the privilege to
Speaker 1: be able to look at it today. And Lord, as
Speaker 1: we're looking at this portion of scripture, we can see
Speaker 1: how quickly in a family tree hearts can become cold
Speaker 1: and distant toward you. Lord. We see this in Raeboam's life.
Speaker 1: We know the people he came from, and we know
Speaker 1: the context he was raised in, and we see here
Speaker 1: that you were not important to him, that his heart
Speaker 1: did not care for or seek after you. It seems
Speaker 1: that he came to you and repented after he experienced
Speaker 1: calamity and trouble, but he didn't live with a repentant
Speaker 1: heart or a repentant attitude before you. Otherwise, at least
Speaker 1: that's what it seems from this particular passage. Lord, this
Speaker 1: is a good reminder to us, to all who have
Speaker 1: called on your son Jesus Christ to grant salvation for
Speaker 1: us to live with repentant hearts before you. We know, Lord,
Speaker 1: that we struggle with sin. We know, Lord that we
Speaker 1: are adept at going our own way. And every day
Speaker 1: is a day that you call us to repent of
Speaker 1: our idolatries, of trying to earn your favor, of trying
Speaker 1: to rely on our own self righteousness, and you invite
Speaker 1: us to remember that your grace is your unmerited, undeserved favor.
Speaker 1: We don't deserve it, that the righteousness we have is
Speaker 1: righteousness that you have given as a gift through your
Speaker 1: son Jesus Christ, and you invite us to walk with
Speaker 1: you faithfully each and every day. So Lord, we pray
Speaker 1: that that would be the case in our lives, and
Speaker 1: we pray that we would put you first always. We
Speaker 1: thank you, Lord for your presence with us, and we
Speaker 1: commit this day to your care in Jesus' name. Amen.