What's Wrong With Strong?
"1 Now it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom and had strengthened himself, that he forsook the law of the Lord, and all Israel along with him. "
Why is it that when we become strong...we leave God and tryi to do things on our own? What is it about feeling strong, and fortified, and clever, and stable that makes us forget God and forsake His law?
It's a dilemma. Wouldn't we be so much stronger and better off if we stuck with our God when we were at our high point? But, instead we simply start doing what we want and . . God starts to notice.
And then, if He loves us, He sends someone, or something to rock our world so that He can make a point.
He usually sends the Egyptians....Ha...just kidding. :)
But for King Rehoboam, that's what happens. King Rehoboam has already lost 10 out of the 12 tribes because he was foolish and listened to his 'young buddies' instead of his dads' older advisors. Then he spent three years as a developer, built 15 cities, took a lot of his sons and fortified them with rulers and provisions...and then he sat back and started to 'be strong'. So God sends in the Egyptians who ran right in to Jerusalem to take it over.
But the King and the leaders humbled themselves.
So God relented...God tells the prophet to tell the King that He has decided to not give Jerusalem to the Egyptians because they humbled themselves. But He allows the Egyptians to take all the treasures away from the house of the Lord AND all of the treasures...everything nice, new, bright and clean...from the palace. And God says something interesting at the end....He says,
" 8 Nevertheless they will be his servants, that they may distinguish My service from the service of the kingdoms of the nations.”
He wants us all to know that in the end....in the long run...it is much better to serve Him than any other god. We all struggle with serving other gods. If we are not always, intently, serving God...then we are serving some other god.
God, our 'Daddy-God' wants us to know that serving Him is well worth the trouble....cause He is the only God who loves us enough to try to teach us that the only choice we really have is Him.
Created over 1 year ago
