4.24 2 Chronicles 10-12

Kiana González Cedeño

4.24.2020

2 Chronicles 10-12

In today’s reading, we see what happens after Solomon dies in the previous chapter. In chapter 10, there is a great lesson that we learn through King Rehoboam. As he is learning how to take over as the new ruler, he refers to his advisers about how to deal with his father’s “harsh yoke.” On the one hand, the elders tell him, to be kind and to please the servants. On the other hand, his younger counterparts tell him to be harsher. As we read in the chapter, we see that King Rehoboam listens to his younger counterparts, ignoring the advice of the elders of the community, which leads to a rebellion of Israel. Here, King Rehoboam is simply looking for what my mom likes to call, convenient advice: the advice that you want to hear. Do you have this tendency? Are you seeking the wisdom of the elders in your church/community, or do you just look for the advice that tells you what you want to hear? 

As we move on through our reading, there is a lineage of Rehoboam’s Kingdom, and then move one to another great lesson in Chapter 12. Due to the disobedience of Rehoboam’s Kingdom, Shishak invades his kingdom and great calamity (as usual) falls on the Israelites. However, in verse 6, we see God’s incredible mercy and justice. While He does abandon His people (v. 5), God sees how the leaders of Israel humble themselves and say

“The Lord is Righteous,” then “[w]hen 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 grant them a little deliverance….” (v.7).

2 Chronicles 12:7

How amazing is that! It really is that simple. Whether you listen to the wrong advice and get yourself in a crazy dilemma or you think you abandon God’s law for a moment, all it takes is returning to our knees and calling on the name of our amazing God. Furthermore, because of the incredible sacrifice of Jesus on the cross, God never abandons us. He is with us, always! Isn’t that just the coolest?