#559 Jewelry

When the rule of Rehoboam was established and he was strong, he abandoned the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him. 2 In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem 3 with 1,200 chariots and 60,000 horsemen. And the people were without number who came with him from Egypt—Libyans, Sukkiim, and Ethiopians. 4 And he took the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem. 5 Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and to the princes of Judah, who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, “Thus says the Lord, ‘You abandoned me, so I have abandoned you to the hand of Shishak.’” 6 Then the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is righteous.” 7 When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah: “They have humbled themselves. I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance, and my wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. 8 Nevertheless, they shall be servants to him, that they may know my service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”

9 So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. He took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king's house. He took away everything. He also took away the shields of gold that Solomon had made, 10 and King Rehoboam made in their place shields of bronze and committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard, who kept the door of the king's house. 11 And as often as the king went into the house of the Lord, the guard came and carried them and brought them back to the guardroom. 12 And when he humbled himself the wrath of the Lord turned from him, so as not to make a complete destruction. Moreover, conditions were good in Judah.

13 So King Rehoboam grew strong in Jerusalem and reigned. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city that the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel to put his name there. His mother's name was Naamah the Ammonite. 14 And he did evil, for he did not set his heart to seek the Lord.

15 Now the acts of Rehoboam, from first to last, are they not written in the chronicles of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer? There were continual wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. 16 And Rehoboam slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David, and Abijah his son reigned in his place. 2 Chronicles 12 ESV

Once Rehoboam established his borders, provided for his house and felt secure, he no longer needed the Lord who brought them there. The prosperity gospel is funny this way, for what idols of men's affections are not put upon that podium? Health, for men should be strong and virile. Wealth, for what gentiles could ever respect a meager existence or exalt the God Who would put His people in that place? The goal of his religion is to believe unto and until the acquisition of his heart's desires. Once he has what he wants, he is like those quick to forsake the wife of their youth and lead the rest of the kingdom into unfaithfulness. Have you left Egypt behind, or are you calling Pharaoh back to reign over you once more? He is at the door by your own invitation, for those that won't acknowledge God will be ruled by the tyranny of their idols. Those that hold their health above everything, will be terrified by death when he comes. Those that hold riches above all else, will parade their philanthropy, but despise the freedom of others, calling back to Egypt once again. 

Shemaiah steps onto the stage of this drama once again, but where did he come from? Are these men only materializing at these moments, is this the availability of God's word, only when Pharaoh has come to claim those who are acting as his children? So now we will hear what God has to say, you left Me, so I am returning you. But where was God then all this time? Look, there is a temple which is a light on the candelabra, there is the Pentateuch, there is the Passover, the Judges, the prophets and the priests. The light was there, but men love darkness, there was peace and so they found pride to replace wisdom as their guide. Their hearts were far from God, and so the prophets of God become useless, despised, even murdered at times. 

This time they humble themselves, "the Lord is righteous," they say, and as a sinner that's all you need to know. God is Holy, I am not. This is the separation, the necessity of an approach that is designed by the only One Who is Righteous, for among men there are none, no, not even one. Pharaoh stands outside the door and this is what God owes to them, this is what they have chosen, even worse than this, but God is gracious and shows them mercy. He sees their humility, which is also the light of wisdom, and he spares them the full weight of Pharaoh's wrath. You will get to serve Shishak in part, so that you may get a taste of what it is like to be a servant in the other countries. He takes the gold shields, the show of the court, the shiny, heavy and useless pride of kings. In all of this it is still good there, and Rehoboam is still allowed to rule Judah, but his heart is not like David's. Peace and prosperity are a dangerous concoction, we think we know just what to do with it, and right away we find ourselves drunk and belligerent. All along there were these many candles we could have lit, reading the law of kings, the history of our parents, the foolishness of idolatry, but I don't want to read these things for you anymore. I don't want to know them so that I may argue or have a deep thought. I read the words of God, study the word of God, seek out the true men of God, worship with others who belong to God and pray to God so that I might be changed. These are the means that He has provided and so much light has come to us in this day, but where is boasting in any of it? The prophets don't just appear out of thin air, the Word of God hasn't just arrived. If God wasn't real, then we would make him relevant. We trust more in the gold that can be taken away, more in our lives which are vapors, our feelings which change like the wind, our highs which are manufactured, and the idols that reflect our own hearts and motives back to us. God, You are Righteous.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Do Not Grow Weary

3 Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. 4 In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?


“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”

7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. 9 Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? 10 For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.

12 Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, 13 and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed. 14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. 15 See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled; 16 that no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. 17 For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears.
A Kingdom That Cannot Be Shaken

18 For you have not come to what may be touched, a blazing fire and darkness and gloom and a tempest 19 and the sound of a trumpet and a voice whose words made the hearers beg that no further messages be spoken to them. 20 For they could not endure the order that was given, “If even a beast touches the mountain, it shall be stoned.” 21 Indeed, so terrifying was the sight that Moses said, “I tremble with fear.” 22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23 and to the assembly[a] of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.

25 See that you do not refuse him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject him who warns from heaven. 26 At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” 27 This phrase, “Yet once more,” indicates the removal of things that are shaken—that is, things that have been made—in order that the things that cannot be shaken may remain. 28 Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe, 29 for our God is a consuming fire. Hebrews 12