II Chronicles 12:1,7: “And it came to pass when Rehoboam had established the kingdom and had strengthened himself he forsook the law of the Lord and  Israel with him…(7) And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves the Word of the Lord came to Shemalah saying they have humbled themselves, therefore I will not destroy them but I will grant them some deliverance.”

 

After Solomon died he had already set the stage for the split in the kingdom to take place. Solomon in his attempts to establish Israel as the greatest nation in the world, taxed the people heavily to build the temple and the city.  There was already a lot of grumbling over the fact that the kingdom was ruled by the house of  David and not the house of Saul.  Once Rehoboam ascended to the throne, he knew he had trouble.  He somehow had to prevent a civil war.   His older advisors who served under Solomon and knew of Solomon’s sins, advised Rehoboam to relax the stronghold over the people.  His younger advisors advised that he should only strengthen the hold over the people. He took the advised of the younger advisers.  Bad move, because the kingdom immediately rebelled and spilt and established Jeroboam as their king.  Rehobaom established an army of 180,000 men and marched against the rebelling northern ten tribes. Shemalah  the prophet, met him halfway and warned him not to march against their brethren.  Rehoboam obeyed and returned and built up his defense and fortified the city in case Jeroboam attacked.

 

Once the pressure was off Rehoboam and the people of Israel they all went back to their sins.  God caused Egypt under King Shishak to move against Rehoboam.  Once again Rehobam and the people turned back to God and God withdraw his punishment partially.  Judah became a sort of vassal state to Egypt after paying off Egypt with all the gold in the treasury and temple.

 

We find in II Chronicles 12:1 that Rehoboam had established the kingdom. The word established is kun which carries the idea of being prepared and ready.  He was then strengthened. This particular word for strength is chazak in its root form and has the idea of making yourself hard, or obstinate.   I tend to think there is a lot of Rehoboam in me.  It seems whenever things start to go easy for me and I start feeling secure, I find that I am not trusting God as much as I did when things were desperate.  Then I get a letter from the IRS and it appears God has raised an Egypt to come and lay siege on me.  When that happens all of a sudden I start to get rid of all the idols in my life, I start behaving myself and I turn back to God and humble myself before Him.  The word humble is kana’ which means to be subdue but also has the idea of bundling a package.  The picture is one of packaging up all your cares and placing them at the foot of Jesus.  I once more begin to trust in Him rather than in my own defenses or in the arm of the flesh.

 

It seems I am constantly living in that proverbial hot water or I am continually being dangled over the fire. Times I cry out to God why things always have to be so hard.  It is then that I am reminded how,  many years ago, while in deep prayer I sensed God gave me a choice.  I could chose a path that would be simple and easy and I would have a life that people would consider to be blessed. I would have a great ministry, large platform dozens of books published and be rich as a prosperity teaching pastor.  But I would not have a deep, rich abiding relationship with God.  Or I could chose a difficult path and I could have a life where I would find God in a very real and deep way, one which would lead to His heart.   I remember choosing that difficult path and praying that God would always keep me on the tightrope.

 

So long as I am walking that tight rope, I am constantly challenged to seek the heart of God.  Yet when that tight rope expands, to a board and begins to sprout hand rails and a safety net,  I find, like Rehoboam that I start to become kun (firm, established) and then chazak (hard obstinate) and I start to depend upon the arm of the flesh.  It is when I am on that tight rope that I can remain kana’ humble before God.   I look to God for my defense and not the arm of the flesh.

 

Just one other thing. God did not promise to completely deliver Rehoboam. But He said that since Rehoboam had humbled himself God would grant him some deliverance.  The word some is kim’at which is a little or diminished deliverance.  Yeah, yeah, I get it. I know what He is talking about.  God grants me deliverance, not complete deliverance lest I go back to trusting in the arm of the flesh. So He gives me just enough deliverance so I am not destroyed and yet I am still dependant upon Him.  Like I told my insurance company who offered to pay only $125.00 on a $315.00 towing bill, “It may be kim’at but I’ll take it.”  She didn’t ask what kim’at meant and I was not about to tell her.