As an eight-year-old trying to grow up, I mostly knew where the “line” was; but that didn’t mean I didn’t try to test the limits of the line and cross it from time to time.  Most times, as the compliant, oldest child I didn’t approach the line. In fact, if I thought I did, I would send myself to my room as self-punishment before my parents could deliver their punishment.  On rare occasions, I would try to hide crossing the line; but that never worked either.  Parents know by instinct. 

Mom’s intuition one day caught me in the act of doing exactly what she told me not to do!  On her way outside to do yardwork, mom said, “And don’t go looking for your birthday presents; that will take all the fun out of being surprised.”  For some reason, her words translated in my mind as a challenge. My birthday presents were hidden in an upper closet atop their regular closet in their bedroom. To mom that was a great place to hide things out of the reach of her super short kid.  Ah, but no.  When I saw she was knee deep in removing weeds in her garden; I made a plan to reach that high shelf and get a peek.  I drug a chair from the kitchen table and place it at just the right spot.  I climbed up but it was not high enough.  So, I placed the large Oklahoma City phonebook on top of the chair but it was still not high enough. Books from mom’s bedstand were placed until a staircase to the prize was created.

Finally, I was ready to open the doors.  Then suddenly mom’s strong adamant voice came for the window where she stood watching.  With “line crossing compassion” she shouted; “What do you think you are doing?  Get down from there right now!” Sudden fear gripped my whole being and I almost fell as I scrabbled down my tower of books!  Caught in the act—Not a good place to be!

My mom turned away and said no more feeling confident she had done what needed to be done.  She was right.  I think mom saw that the fear and surprise of being caught was punishment enough.  I also think I saw her smile and chuckle as she went back to yardwork, mumbling, “that child, getting on my last nerve”, Lord, help us”. I quickly dismantled my tower and put every book back where I found it.  Then joined her in pulling weeds as penance.  Her love for me did not change. 

Could it be parents and grandparents know where the line is because they had crossed it and knew the consequences of doing so when they were kids? It’s hard to image our parents and especially our grandparents being kids who misbehaved and did stupid stuff like the generations before them—but alas, as Paul writes to the Roman believers; “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  Romans 3:23 However, we also learn that redemption for our sins “to be removed and remembered no more” is made possible by Jesus Christ as a “GIFT!” (Romans 3:24) This gift is not earned and is so undeserved; but is God’s great gift of His love, mercy, and grace demonstrated by His Son.  “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

Jesus’ willing, humble and obedient sacrifice on the cross redeemed humanity from the debt of sin all because of His great love for each one of us! “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.”

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.” Lamentations 3:23-24

King Rehoboam showed wisdom after Israel and Judah split. He sought to honor God as his father and grandfather had done. But after becoming well established, this pages tell us that Rehoboam stopped depending on God. So God used the ambitious king of Egypt to cause Rehoboam to look to Him again. But the consequences of Rehoboam’s decisions still followed him and affected the whole nation.

No matter what circumstance or temptation causes us to drift away from God, He still loves us and wants us back. Don’t forget this truth! God forgives us and calls us back to himself. Sometimes God uses a difficult situation to call us back, as in the case of Rehoboam.

2 Chronicles 12

Shishak Attacks Jerusalem

After Rehoboam’s position as king was established and he had become strong, he and all Israel with him abandoned the law of the Lord. ² Because they had been unfaithful to the Lord, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem in the fifth year of King Rehoboam. ³ With twelve hundred chariots and sixty thousand horsemen and the innumerable troops of Libyans, Sukkites and Cushites that came with him from Egypt, ⁴ he captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem.

⁵ Then the prophet Shemaiah came to Rehoboam and to the leaders of Judah who had assembled in Jerusalem for fear of Shishak, and he said to them, “This is what the Lord says, ‘You have abandoned me; therefore, I now abandon you to Shishak.’”

⁶ The leaders of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, “The Lord is just.”

⁷ When the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, this word of the Lord came to Shemaiah: “Since they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will soon give them deliverance. My wrath will not be poured out on Jerusalem through Shishak. ⁸ They will, however, become subject to him, so that they may learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of other lands.”

⁹ When Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem, he carried off the treasures of the temple of the Lord and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including the gold shields Solomon had made. ¹⁰ So King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and assigned these to the commanders of the guard on duty at the entrance to the royal palace. ¹¹ Whenever the king went to the Lord’s temple, the guards went with him, bearing the shields, and afterward they returned them to the guardroom.

¹² Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord’s anger turned from him, and he was not totally destroyed. Indeed, there was some good in Judah.

¹³ King Rehoboam established himself firmly in Jerusalem and continued as king. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite. ¹⁴ He did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord.

¹⁵ As for the events of Rehoboam’s reign, from beginning to end, are they not written in the records of Shemaiah the prophet and of Iddo the seer that deal with genealogies? There was continual warfare between Rehoboam and Jeroboam. ¹⁶ Rehoboam rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. And Abijah his son succeeded him as king.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

TRUTH:  When we repent, we may still bear the consequences of our sin, but God forgives and restores us.  When we humble ourselves before him and ask for His forgiveness with a sincere heart He removes our sin from our hearts. We don’t deserve it and cannot earn it nor can we remove our sins—Only God through Jesus His Son does for us what we cannot do for ourselves.  Jesus is the only Way to complete pardon from God immediately followed by full access to His throne.

Warren Wiersbe comments;

“Were it not for the overruling hand of a sovereign God, the Israelite nation could never have accomplished what God had called them to do: bear witness of the one true and living God, write the Scriptures, and bring the Savior into the world. The nation had divided into two, and leaders and common people in both nations had departed from the Lord to serve idols. Although the priests still carried on the temple ministry in Judah, during the 345 years from Rehoboam to Zedekiah, only eight of Judah’s nineteen kings were classified as “good.” As for Israel’s twenty kings, most were self-seeking men, classified as “evil.” Some were better than others, but none was compared with David.”—Wiersbe Study Bible

There is no one like our God!  Believe, repent, and be saved for Life eternal! 

Lord,

Cleanse our hearts, renew our minds, refresh our souls, and restore the joy of you in us and us in you.  Lead and guide all we think, say, and do all day long, in and through all circumstances, until we lay our heads down to sleep tonight.

In Jesus Name, Amen