Divine Punishment (2 Chronicles 12)

What really protects a nation, military might or the hand of God? Have our nations stopped obeying God? What will happen to us? Let’s look at 2 Chronicles 12.

How quickly did Judah disobey God and what was the consequence? Did they realize their sin?

Soon after Rehoboam had control of his kingdom, he and everyone in Judah stopped obeying the Lord. So in the fifth year of Rehoboam's rule, the Lord punished them for their unfaithfulness and allowed King Shishak of Egypt to invade Judah. Shishak attacked with his army of 1,200 chariots and 60,000 cavalry troops, as well as countless Egyptian soldiers from Libya, Sukkoth, and Ethiopia. He captured every one of the fortified cities in Judah and then marched to Jerusalem. Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah had gone to Jerusalem to escape Shishak's invasion. And while they were there, Shemaiah the prophet told them, “The Lord says that because you have disobeyed him, he has now abandoned you. The Lord will not help you against Shishak!” Rehoboam and the leaders were sorry for what they had done and admitted, “The Lord is right. We have deserted him.” (2 Chr 12:1-6 CEV)

Was God merciful, not destroying them utterly? Did He teach them what it was like under Egyptian rule?

When the Lord saw that they had humbled themselves, the Lord’s message came to Shemaiah: “They have humbled themselves; I will not destroy them but will grant them a little deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak. However, they will become his servants so that they may recognize the difference between serving Me and serving the kingdoms of other lands.” So King Shishak of Egypt went to war against Jerusalem. He seized the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and the treasuries of the royal palace. He took everything. He took the gold shields that Solomon had made. King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place and committed them into the care of the captains of the royal escorts who guarded the entrance to the king’s palace. Whenever the king entered the Lord’s temple, the royal escorts would carry the shields and take them back to the royal escorts’ armory. When Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord’s anger turned away from him, and He did not destroy him completely. Besides that, conditions were good in Judah. (2 Chr 12:7-12 HCSB)

Did Rehoboam die with the legacy of a man who practiced evil?

King Rehoboam consolidated his reign in Jerusalem. Rehoboam was 41 years old when he began to reign, and he reigned for seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city that that Lord had chosen from all the tribes of Israel in which to establish his name. Rehoboam’s mother was Naamah from Ammon. He practiced evil by not setting his heart to seek the Lord. Now Rehoboam’s accomplishments, from first to last, are written in the records of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer, enrolled by genealogy, are they not? Later, Rehoboam died, as had his ancestors, and his son Abijah became king to replace him. (2 Chr 12:13-16 ISV)

What is our real battle against, people made of flesh and blood or evil spirits?

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Eph 6:12 KJV)

What really protects a nation, military might or the hand of God? Have our nations stopped obeying God? What will happen to us? You decide!