2 Chronicles 12 Study Notes: Shishak Invades and Rehoboam Humbles Himself
Once secure, Rehoboam and the people abandon God’s law, and Shishak of Egypt invades. When Shemaiah announces God’s judgment, the leaders humble themselves, so God spares them from destruction but makes them Shishak’s servants. Shishak takes the temple treasures, and Rehoboam’s reign is judged evil.
General
True or False: Rehoboam’s humbling led the LORD to hold back from destroying him fully, and things went well in Judah (2 Chronicles 12:12).
Answer: True
This is true. Rehoboam’s humbling turned the LORD’s anger away, so that God stopped short of destroying him entirely, and things went well in Judah (12:12). The rest of Scripture teaches the same about God and the humble: He shows grace to those who are lowly (James 4:6), and those who bow under His mighty hand will be lifted up in His time (1 Peter 5:6). Jesus said the same in His story of the tax collector who went home right with God (Luke 18:14).
- 2 Chronicles 12:12 (BSB)“Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the anger of the LORD turned away from him, and He did not destroy him completely. Indeed, conditions were good in Judah.”Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the LORD’s anger turned away and conditions were good in Judah.
- James 4:6 (BSB)“But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.””James quotes the principle that God gives grace to the humble.
- 1 Peter 5:6 (BSB)“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you.”Peter promises that those who humble themselves under God’s hand will be exalted.
- Luke 18:14 (BSB)“I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.””Jesus teaches that the one who humbles himself will be exalted.
Theological
True or False: As a result of Rehoboam’s humbling, the LORD’s anger was turned aside, total destruction was withheld, and Judah fared well (2 Chronicles 12:12).
Answer: True
This is true. Rehoboam’s humbling turned away the LORD’s anger, so that God stopped short of destroying him entirely, and Judah fared well (12:12). The episode closes on Chronicles’ recurring pattern: humility before God is met with mercy. The New Testament states the same principle, that God resists the proud and shows grace to the lowly (James 4:6), that those who bow beneath His hand will be lifted up in due time (1 Peter 5:6), and, in Jesus’ parable, that whoever lowers himself will be raised up (Luke 18:14).
- 2 Chronicles 12:12 (BSB)“Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the anger of the LORD turned away from him, and He did not destroy him completely. Indeed, conditions were good in Judah.”Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the LORD’s anger turned away and conditions were good in Judah.
- James 4:6 (BSB)“But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.””James quotes the principle that God gives grace to the humble.
- 1 Peter 5:6 (BSB)“Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, so that in due time He may exalt you.”Peter promises that those who humble themselves under God’s hand will be exalted.
- Luke 18:14 (BSB)“I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.””Jesus teaches that the one who humbles himself will be exalted.
General
In the final summary of his reign, what reason does the text give for Rehoboam’s doing evil (2 Chronicles 12:14)?
Answer: He did not fix his heart on seeking the LORD
The closing verdict is that Rehoboam did evil, and the reason given is the state of his heart: he never resolved to seek God (12:14). He had listened to God’s word at times (11:4) and had humbled himself in a crisis (12:12), but his heart was never settled on seeking God. The contrast with the previous chapter is sharp: ordinary people from every tribe had made seeking the LORD their settled purpose and moved to Jerusalem to do it (11:16), but their king did not. David had urged Israel’s leaders to seek God with all their heart and being (1 Chronicles 22:19), and later King Jehoshaphat is praised for doing exactly that (19:3). A psalm describes a generation whose hearts were not steadfast toward God (Psalm 78:8).
- 2 Chronicles 12:14 (BSB)“And Rehoboam did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the LORD.”Rehoboam does evil because he did not set his heart to seek the LORD.
- 2 Chronicles 11:16 (BSB)“Those from every tribe of Israel who had set their hearts to seek the LORD their God followed the Levites to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their fathers.”In contrast, people from every tribe had set their hearts to seek the LORD.
- 1 Chronicles 22:19 (BSB)“Now set your heart and soul to seek the LORD your God. Begin building the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy articles of God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the LORD.””David charged the leaders to set their heart and soul to seek the LORD.
- 2 Chronicles 19:3 (BSB)“However, some good is found in you, for you have removed the Asherah poles from the land and have set your heart on seeking God.””Jehoshaphat is commended for setting his heart on seeking God.
- Psalm 78:8 (BSB)“Then they will not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose heart was not loyal, whose spirit was not faithful to God.”The psalm describes a generation whose heart was not loyal to God.
Theological
To what does 2 Chronicles 12:14 trace the evil of Rehoboam’s reign?
Answer: He did not fix his heart on seeking the LORD
The final assessment locates Rehoboam’s evil in the heart: he never resolved to seek God (12:14). Episodes of obedience (11:4) and of humbling under pressure (12:12) did not amount to a settled orientation toward God. The verdict recalls the people from every tribe whose hearts were fixed on seeking God (11:16), people who did what their king did not. David had charged Israel’s leaders to seek God with all their heart and being (1 Chronicles 22:19), and Jehoshaphat is later commended for having resolved to seek God (19:3). The psalmist laments a generation whose hearts were not steadfast (Psalm 78:8). Conduct flows from the direction of the heart.
- 2 Chronicles 12:14 (BSB)“And Rehoboam did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the LORD.”Rehoboam does evil because he did not set his heart to seek the LORD.
- 2 Chronicles 11:16 (BSB)“Those from every tribe of Israel who had set their hearts to seek the LORD their God followed the Levites to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their fathers.”In contrast, people from every tribe had set their hearts to seek the LORD.
- 1 Chronicles 22:19 (BSB)“Now set your heart and soul to seek the LORD your God. Begin building the sanctuary of the LORD God, so that you may bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy articles of God into the temple that will be built for the Name of the LORD.””David charged the leaders to set their heart and soul to seek the LORD.
- 2 Chronicles 19:3 (BSB)“However, some good is found in you, for you have removed the Asherah poles from the land and have set your heart on seeking God.””Jehoshaphat is commended for setting his heart on seeking God.
- Psalm 78:8 (BSB)“Then they will not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, whose heart was not loyal, whose spirit was not faithful to God.”The psalm describes a generation whose heart was not loyal to God.
General
What message from the LORD did Shemaiah bring to the king and Judah’s leaders assembled in Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 12:5)?
Answer: Because they had abandoned Him, He had abandoned them to Shishak
With Shishak’s army at Jerusalem, the prophet Shemaiah came to the king and Judah’s leaders. His message from the LORD matched the punishment to the sin: they had left the LORD, so the LORD had left them in Shishak’s hand (12:5). Chronicles repeats this warning more than once. Azariah later told King Asa that if the people forsake the LORD, He will forsake them (15:2), and Zechariah the son of Jehoiada said the same to Judah in Joash’s day (24:20). The LORD had told Moses that when Israel forsook Him, He would leave them and turn His face away, and troubles would come on them (Deuteronomy 31:16-17).
- 2 Chronicles 12:5 (BSB)“Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the LORD says: ‘You have forsaken Me; therefore, I have forsaken you into the hand of Shishak.’””Shemaiah announces that because they forsook the LORD, He has forsaken them to Shishak.
- 2 Chronicles 15:2 (BSB)“So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.”Azariah gives Asa the same warning: forsake the LORD and He will forsake you.
- 2 Chronicles 24:20 (BSB)“Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has forsaken you.’””Zechariah son of Jehoiada repeats the principle to Judah in Joash’s day.
- Deuteronomy 31:16-17 (BSB)“And the LORD said to Moses, “You will soon rest with your fathers, and these people will rise up and prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake Me and break the covenant I have made with them. On that day My anger will burn against them, and I will abandon them and hide My face from them, so that they will be consumed, and many troubles and afflictions will befall them. On that day they will say, ‘Have not these disasters come upon us because our God is no longer with us?’”The LORD told Moses that forsaking Him would bring His abandonment and many troubles.
Theological
How does the LORD’s word through Shemaiah describe the cause of Shishak’s success (2 Chronicles 12:5)?
Answer: Because they had abandoned Him, He had abandoned them to Shishak
Shemaiah confronts Rehoboam and Judah’s leaders assembled in Jerusalem with a measure-for-measure verdict: they had forsaken the LORD, therefore He had forsaken them into Shishak’s hand (12:5). The invasion is God’s judicial response to their covenant breach. The same principle recurs in the book through Azariah to Asa (15:2) and through Jehoiada’s son Zechariah in Joash’s day (24:20), and the LORD had foretold it to Moses, saying that when Israel broke the covenant, He would abandon them and conceal His face (Deuteronomy 31:16-17).
- 2 Chronicles 12:5 (BSB)“Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the leaders of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the LORD says: ‘You have forsaken Me; therefore, I have forsaken you into the hand of Shishak.’””Shemaiah announces that because they forsook the LORD, He has forsaken them to Shishak.
- 2 Chronicles 15:2 (BSB)“So he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.”Azariah gives Asa the same warning: forsake the LORD and He will forsake you.
- 2 Chronicles 24:20 (BSB)“Then the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah son of Jehoiada the priest, who stood up before the people and said to them, “This is what God says: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the LORD, He has forsaken you.’””Zechariah son of Jehoiada repeats the principle to Judah in Joash’s day.
- Deuteronomy 31:16-17 (BSB)“And the LORD said to Moses, “You will soon rest with your fathers, and these people will rise up and prostitute themselves with the foreign gods of the land they are entering. They will forsake Me and break the covenant I have made with them. On that day My anger will burn against them, and I will abandon them and hide My face from them, so that they will be consumed, and many troubles and afflictions will befall them. On that day they will say, ‘Have not these disasters come upon us because our God is no longer with us?’”The LORD told Moses that forsaking Him would bring His abandonment and many troubles.
General
At what point did Rehoboam and the people with him walk away from God’s law (2 Chronicles 12:1)?
Answer: Once his rule over the kingdom was firmly secure and strong
Rehoboam turned away from the LORD not in a time of trouble but once his kingdom was secure and strong. Then he and the whole nation with him walked away from God’s law, the commands given through Moses (12:1). Moses had warned about exactly this: when Israel had plenty and their wealth grew, their hearts could become proud and forget the LORD (Deuteronomy 8:11-14). His song pictured Israel growing fat and then turning its back on its Maker (Deuteronomy 32:15). Later in the book King Uzziah follows the same path, growing powerful and then proud (26:16).
- 2 Chronicles 12:1 (BSB)“After Rehoboam had established his sovereignty and royal power, he and all Israel with him forsook the Law of the LORD.”Once Rehoboam is established and strong, he and the people forsake the Law of the LORD.
- Deuteronomy 8:11-14 (BSB)“Be careful not to forget the LORD your God by failing to keep His commandments and ordinances and statutes, which I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses in which to dwell, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud, and you will forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”Moses warns that abundance can make the heart proud and forgetful of the LORD.
- Deuteronomy 32:15 (BSB)“But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked—becoming fat, bloated, and gorged. He abandoned the God who made him and scorned the Rock of his salvation.”The Song of Moses depicts Israel growing fat and abandoning the God who made him.
- 2 Chronicles 26:16 (BSB)“But when Uzziah became powerful, his arrogance led to his own destruction. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, for he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.”Uzziah likewise turns unfaithful once he has become powerful.
Theological
What circumstance does 2 Chronicles 12:1 attach to Rehoboam’s abandonment of God’s law?
Answer: Once his rule over the kingdom was firmly secure and strong
The apostasy comes at the height of security: when Rehoboam’s rule was firmly in place and his power assured, king and nation together abandoned God’s law (12:1). Prosperity, not hardship, proves the occasion of the fall, as Moses had warned when he cautioned that abundance would tempt Israel’s heart to pride and forgetfulness of the LORD (Deuteronomy 8:11-14), and as the Song of Moses portrays Jeshurun growing fat and turning from his Maker (Deuteronomy 32:15). Uzziah later repeats the pattern of strength followed by pride (26:16). Left to itself, the human heart turns God’s gifts into grounds for self-reliance.
- 2 Chronicles 12:1 (BSB)“After Rehoboam had established his sovereignty and royal power, he and all Israel with him forsook the Law of the LORD.”Once Rehoboam is established and strong, he and the people forsake the Law of the LORD.
- Deuteronomy 8:11-14 (BSB)“Be careful not to forget the LORD your God by failing to keep His commandments and ordinances and statutes, which I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses in which to dwell, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud, and you will forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.”Moses warns that abundance can make the heart proud and forgetful of the LORD.
- Deuteronomy 32:15 (BSB)“But Jeshurun grew fat and kicked—becoming fat, bloated, and gorged. He abandoned the God who made him and scorned the Rock of his salvation.”The Song of Moses depicts Israel growing fat and abandoning the God who made him.
- 2 Chronicles 26:16 (BSB)“But when Uzziah became powerful, his arrogance led to his own destruction. He was unfaithful to the LORD his God, for he entered the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.”Uzziah likewise turns unfaithful once he has become powerful.
General
What happened to Solomon’s gold shields (2 Chronicles 12:9-10)?
Answer: Shishak carried them off, and Rehoboam replaced them with bronze
Shishak came against Jerusalem and stripped the LORD’s house and the king’s palace of their treasures. He carried off all of it, Solomon’s gold shields among them (12:9), the hammered-gold shields described in the account of his reign (9:15-16). Rehoboam had bronze replacements made and gave them to the guards at the palace entrance, who carried them whenever the king went to the LORD’s house (12:10-11). Gold gave way to bronze within a few years of Solomon’s death, a visible picture of what Judah lost when it broke faith with the LORD (12:2). As Proverbs says, sin brings shame on a nation (Proverbs 14:34).
- 2 Chronicles 12:9-10 (BSB)“So King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem and seized the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the royal palace. He took everything, including the gold shields that Solomon had made. Then King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place and committed them to the care of the captains of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace.”Shishak takes the treasures and Solomon’s gold shields, and Rehoboam makes bronze shields instead.
- 2 Chronicles 9:15-16 (BSB)“King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield. He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.”Solomon had made hundreds of shields of hammered gold.
- 2 Chronicles 12:2 (BSB)“In the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign, because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem”The invasion came because they had been unfaithful to the LORD.
- Proverbs 14:34 (BSB)“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.”Proverbs teaches that sin is a disgrace to any people.
Theological
What became of Solomon’s gold shields during Shishak’s attack, and how did Rehoboam respond (2 Chronicles 12:9-11)?
Answer: Shishak carried them off, and Rehoboam replaced them with bronze
Shishak plundered the treasuries of the temple and the palace, carrying off all of it, Solomon’s gold shields included (12:9), the hammered-gold shields of Solomon’s splendor (9:15-16). Rehoboam substituted bronze shields, entrusted to the guard at the palace entrance and carried out each time the king went to the temple (12:10-11). The exchange of gold for bronze within a few years of Solomon’s reign makes the cost of the unfaithfulness named in 12:2 visible, illustrating that sin brings shame on a nation (Proverbs 14:34).
- 2 Chronicles 12:9-10 (BSB)“So King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem and seized the treasures of the house of the LORD and of the royal palace. He took everything, including the gold shields that Solomon had made. Then King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place and committed them to the care of the captains of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace.”Shishak takes the treasures and Solomon’s gold shields, and Rehoboam makes bronze shields instead.
- 2 Chronicles 9:15-16 (BSB)“King Solomon made two hundred large shields of hammered gold; six hundred shekels of hammered gold went into each shield. He also made three hundred small shields of hammered gold; three hundred shekels of gold went into each shield. And the king put them in the House of the Forest of Lebanon.”Solomon had made hundreds of shields of hammered gold.
- 2 Chronicles 12:2 (BSB)“In the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign, because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem”The invasion came because they had been unfaithful to the LORD.
- Proverbs 14:34 (BSB)“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.”Proverbs teaches that sin is a disgrace to any people.
General
After the king and leaders humbled themselves, what did the LORD declare through Shemaiah would happen (2 Chronicles 12:7-8)?
Answer: He would spare them from ruin, yet they would become Shishak’s servants
Once the LORD saw them humble themselves, He sent Shemaiah back with mercy: He would not wipe them out, rescue would come before long, and His anger would not fall on the city by Shishak’s hand (12:7). But mercy did not remove every consequence. They would become Shishak’s servants, and God gave the reason: so that they would come to know by experience how different it is to serve the LORD than to serve foreign rulers (12:8). They had forsaken the LORD’s law (12:1), so He let them learn what a foreign master was like. Moses had warned that people who refused to serve the LORD gladly would end up serving their enemies (Deuteronomy 28:47-48). Still, God did not treat them as their sins deserved (Psalm 103:10). He was disciplining His people for their good (Hebrews 12:10-11).
- 2 Chronicles 12:7-8 (BSB)“When the LORD saw that they had humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves; I will not destroy them, but will soon grant them deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak. Nevertheless, they will become his servants, so that they may learn the difference between serving Me and serving the kings of other lands.””The LORD promises not to destroy them, but they will serve Shishak to learn the difference between serving Him and serving other kings.
- Deuteronomy 28:47-48 (BSB)“Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart in all your abundance, you will serve your enemies the LORD will send against you in famine, thirst, nakedness, and destitution. He will place an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you.”Moses warned that those who would not serve the LORD gladly would serve their enemies.
- Psalm 103:10 (BSB)“He has not dealt with us according to our sins or repaid us according to our iniquities.”The psalm praises God for not dealing with His people according to their sins.
- Hebrews 12:10-11 (BSB)“Our fathers disciplined us for a short time as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who have been trained by it.”God’s discipline is for His children’s good, yielding righteousness and peace.
Theological
How does the LORD answer the leaders’ humbling in 2 Chronicles 12:7-8?
Answer: He would spare them from ruin, yet they would become Shishak’s servants
The LORD’s response to their humbling is merciful but measured. He withholds destruction, promises deliverance soon, and declares that Shishak will not be the means of unleashing His wrath on the city (12:7). Yet the judgment is not wholly lifted: they will become Shishak’s servants, for a stated purpose: experience would teach them how unlike the LORD’s service foreign rule is (12:8). The discipline fits the sin: having forsaken the LORD’s law (12:1), they must now serve a foreign master, just as Moses warned that those who withheld glad service from the LORD would serve their enemies (Deuteronomy 28:47-48). God’s mercy keeps Him from dealing with His people according to their sins (Psalm 103:10), while His fatherly discipline aims at their holiness (Hebrews 12:10-11).
- 2 Chronicles 12:7-8 (BSB)“When the LORD saw that they had humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, “They have humbled themselves; I will not destroy them, but will soon grant them deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak. Nevertheless, they will become his servants, so that they may learn the difference between serving Me and serving the kings of other lands.””The LORD promises not to destroy them, but they will serve Shishak to learn the difference between serving Him and serving other kings.
- Deuteronomy 28:47-48 (BSB)“Because you did not serve the LORD your God with joy and gladness of heart in all your abundance, you will serve your enemies the LORD will send against you in famine, thirst, nakedness, and destitution. He will place an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you.”Moses warned that those who would not serve the LORD gladly would serve their enemies.
- Psalm 103:10 (BSB)“He has not dealt with us according to our sins or repaid us according to our iniquities.”The psalm praises God for not dealing with His people according to their sins.
- Hebrews 12:10-11 (BSB)“Our fathers disciplined us for a short time as they thought best, but God disciplines us for our good, so that we may share in His holiness. No discipline seems enjoyable at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it yields a harvest of righteousness and peace to those who have been trained by it.”God’s discipline is for His children’s good, yielding righteousness and peace.
General
True or False: The text gives Judah’s unfaithfulness to the LORD as the reason Egypt’s king Shishak came up against Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 12:2).
Answer: True
This is true. In Rehoboam’s fifth year Shishak, the king of Egypt, came against Jerusalem with a huge army, and the text says plainly that this happened because of their unfaithfulness toward the LORD (12:2). Shishak took Judah’s fortified towns and reached Jerusalem (12:4). God had warned His people that if they rebelled against Him, He would let their enemies defeat them and rule over them (Leviticus 26:17), and He told Solomon that forsaking His commands would bring disaster (7:19-20). Shishak was a foreign king leading his own army, yet the LORD was using his campaign to discipline Judah.
- 2 Chronicles 12:2 (BSB)“In the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign, because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem”Shishak attacks in Rehoboam’s fifth year because they had been unfaithful to the LORD.
- 2 Chronicles 12:4 (BSB)“He captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.”Shishak captures the fortified cities of Judah and reaches Jerusalem.
- Leviticus 26:17 (BSB)“And I will set My face against you, so that you will be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one pursues you.”The LORD warned that unfaithful Israel would be defeated and ruled by their enemies.
- 2 Chronicles 7:19-20 (BSB)“But if you turn away and forsake the statutes and commandments I have set before you, and if you go off to serve and worship other gods, then I will uproot Israel from the soil I have given them, and I will banish from My presence this temple I have sanctified for My Name. I will make it an object of scorn and ridicule among all the peoples.”God warned Solomon that forsaking His commands would bring uprooting and disgrace.
Theological
True or False: Chronicles explicitly attributes Shishak’s invasion to Judah’s unfaithfulness toward the LORD (2 Chronicles 12:2).
Answer: True
This is true. Chronicles ties the invasion in Rehoboam’s fifth year directly to covenant unfaithfulness: Shishak came because Judah had broken faith with the LORD (12:2), and he captured Judah’s strongholds and reached Jerusalem (12:4). This is the covenant curse of defeat before enemies (Leviticus 26:17) and the warning God gave Solomon at the temple’s dedication (7:19-20). A pagan king leads the campaign, yet the LORD governs it as an instrument of judgment on His people.
- 2 Chronicles 12:2 (BSB)“In the fifth year of Rehoboam’s reign, because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem”Shishak attacks in Rehoboam’s fifth year because they had been unfaithful to the LORD.
- 2 Chronicles 12:4 (BSB)“He captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.”Shishak captures the fortified cities of Judah and reaches Jerusalem.
- Leviticus 26:17 (BSB)“And I will set My face against you, so that you will be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee when no one pursues you.”The LORD warned that unfaithful Israel would be defeated and ruled by their enemies.
- 2 Chronicles 7:19-20 (BSB)“But if you turn away and forsake the statutes and commandments I have set before you, and if you go off to serve and worship other gods, then I will uproot Israel from the soil I have given them, and I will banish from My presence this temple I have sanctified for My Name. I will make it an object of scorn and ridicule among all the peoples.”God warned Solomon that forsaking His commands would bring uprooting and disgrace.
General
How did the king and Israel’s leaders respond to Shemaiah’s message (2 Chronicles 12:6)?
Answer: They humbled themselves and declared the LORD to be just
The king and Judah’s leaders humbled themselves before God and confessed that He is righteous (12:6). In other words, they did not argue with God’s judgment or blame anyone else; they admitted that He was right to send this trouble. This is the response God had asked for at the temple’s dedication, when He promised to hear His people if they would humble themselves, pray, seek Him, and turn away from their evil (7:14). Daniel (Daniel 9:14) and the people of Nehemiah’s day (Nehemiah 9:33) confessed in the same way that God was just in bringing disaster on them.
- 2 Chronicles 12:6 (BSB)“So the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The LORD is righteous.””The leaders and the king humble themselves and confess that the LORD is righteous.
- 2 Chronicles 7:14 (BSB)“and 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, forgive their sin, and heal their land.”God had promised to hear and forgive His people when they humbled themselves and turned.
- Daniel 9:14 (BSB)“Therefore the LORD has kept the calamity in store and brought it upon us. For the LORD our God is righteous in all He does; yet we have not obeyed His voice.”Daniel confesses that the LORD is righteous in bringing calamity on disobedient Israel.
- Nehemiah 9:33 (BSB)“You are just in all that has befallen us, because You have acted faithfully, while we have acted wickedly.”The returned exiles confess that God has been just in all that befell them.
Theological
What was the response of the king and the leaders to the LORD’s word through Shemaiah (2 Chronicles 12:6)?
Answer: They humbled themselves and declared the LORD to be just
Confronted with the word, king and leaders humbled themselves, confessing the LORD’s righteousness (12:6). Their confession justifies God in His judgment rather than protesting it, which is the mark of true repentance. It is the response the LORD named in His answer to Solomon’s prayer, the humbling, praying, seeking, and turning that He promised to hear (7:14). The same confession of God’s justice in calamity recurs in Daniel’s prayer (Daniel 9:14) and the Levites’ prayer in Nehemiah (Nehemiah 9:33).
- 2 Chronicles 12:6 (BSB)“So the leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The LORD is righteous.””The leaders and the king humble themselves and confess that the LORD is righteous.
- 2 Chronicles 7:14 (BSB)“and 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, forgive their sin, and heal their land.”God had promised to hear and forgive His people when they humbled themselves and turned.
- Daniel 9:14 (BSB)“Therefore the LORD has kept the calamity in store and brought it upon us. For the LORD our God is righteous in all He does; yet we have not obeyed His voice.”Daniel confesses that the LORD is righteous in bringing calamity on disobedient Israel.
- Nehemiah 9:33 (BSB)“You are just in all that has befallen us, because You have acted faithfully, while we have acted wickedly.”The returned exiles confess that God has been just in all that befell them.