Sermon on 2 Chronicles 10–12: Rehoboam's failures as king and the call to wholehearted faithfulness
A sermon preached at Latimer Church on 2 Chronicles 10–12 by visiting speaker Ethan, a theology student from Bishopdale College in Nelson.
Summary
Ethan, a second-year theology student at Bishopdale College, preaches through 2 Chronicles 10–12, tracing the reign of Rehoboam and drawing out three principles for how God's king ought to lead God's people. He argues that Rehoboam repeatedly fails each of these principles — failing to care for his people, failing to obey God's word, and failing to wholeheartedly serve God — and in doing so mirrors Pharaoh more than a faithful Israelite king. Despite this, the passage's central encouragement is that genuine humility and repentance always meets with God's grace and forgiveness. The sermon concludes by pointing to Jesus as the perfect king who, unlike Rehoboam, fulfilled all three principles completely.
Key Takeaways
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Introduction and Prayer
Ethan: Good morning, everyone. It's lovely to be with you this morning. As Costa said, if I haven't met you before, my name is Ethan and I'm studying at Bishopdale in Nelson at the moment. I'm just in a break from my first semester of my second year, and it's really nice to be able to spend this break with you and to spend it in God's Word. So as we come to it now, let me pray, and let us come before God's Word in humility.
Gracious God, we thank you so much for your Word, that it is the power of salvation for us who believe. And we pray, Lord God, as we come to it, that you'd give us open eyes, open hearts, open minds, so that we might hear and receive in our hearts and understand your Word, so that we might be able not just to understand it, but to put it into practice. And so we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Setting the Scene: When the Second Time Disappoints
I wonder if in life you get those moments where you go to a place one time, and then you go to it a second time, and it's different. You expect something great, but then it flops. You go to the old takeaway place you went to growing up, and now it's awful. You go to the bach that you grew up on, maybe, and then once you come back you see that they've changed everything. Or maybe you finally find that restaurant which you love, but the menu's changed when you get there, and it's awful. Or maybe a bit closer to home here at Latimer — one morning service, you get a suave, sharp Englishman, like last Sunday morning. And then this Sunday morning, you get some young buck coming from Nelson.
There are many different moments in life where the first time seems to be good, but the second, it isn't. And for Israel so far, as they've moved from king to king, this has mostly been a positive change. Moving from Saul to David, Israel flourished, and David was a man after God's own heart. And then when David moved to Solomon as king, as we saw in the last few weeks, how much Israel flourished. We saw the building of the temple, the amount of land and wealth that was gathered — more land and wealth than Israel will ever see. Surely, this pattern will continue to follow.
But as we heard in our reading this morning, that's really not the case. Instead of moving forward, it seems that it goes the opposite direction and moves back. And so as we go through this passage, we'll see three key principles which God's king ought to follow in order to lead God's people faithfully. And whilst in some of these Rehoboam falls absolutely short, there are also parts which we can take from these principles.
So first of all, God's king needs to care for his people, which we see in chapter 10. Then, God's king needs to obey God's word, in chapter 11. And finally, God's king needs to wholeheartedly serve God.
Point One: God's King Must Care for His People (2 Chronicles 10)
Ethan: As we saw right at the beginning in verse 1 of chapter 10, all Israel has gathered together to make Rehoboam king of Israel. Jeroboam, who had previously rebelled and fled to Egypt from Solomon, also joins them. And they all say in verse 4: "Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labour and the heavy yoke he has put on us, and we will serve you."
The people's desire for their new king is a lighter load, which doesn't seem like too much to ask, does it? And one would think that a new king would want to listen to his people, which he seems to do. He listens and seeks advice from others. And as a first decision as king, you want to hear different opinions to be able to make a right decision. And so we get two different pieces of advice — one from the elders, the king's advisors, and then from some young lads.
The advice that the elders give we see in verse 7: "If you will be kind to these people and please them and give them a favourable answer, they will always be your servants." Sounds a bit like a win-win to me. The people get what they want — a lighter load — and the king gets what he wants — the people serve him. But, as we see, this advice is rejected. And instead, he listens to the advice of the younger men, in verses 10 and 11. And you know when the advice starts with, "if my little finger is thicker than my father's waist," it's clearly not going to be very sound advice, is it?
Surprise, surprise, the young is accepted and the old is rejected. He does not listen to the people, but in fact answers harshly, saying that he's going to make their workloads even harder. I'm not sure I'd fancy dealing with scorpions or whatever he's thinking of, but that sounds awful.
Look down at your Bibles at verse 15 with me and hear the chronicler's conclusion. "So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from God, to fulfil the word of the Lord, the Lord had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite."
God's king has not listened to God's people. And while we look at this passage, we might look down on this man, but I wonder — did you hear the one thing that Rehoboam did hear? He did not listen to the people, it would seem. And because of that, it seems like the kingdom splits.
I wonder, as you hear this change of heart, this hardening of heart, if you are reminded of a certain Pharaoh that we see in Egypt back in Exodus. If you are familiar with that story, the Israelites were oppressed and under slavery, and there were plagues — ten of them — and each time Pharaoh would seem to listen to Moses, listen to the plea to let God's people go, but then his heart was hardened and he would make the Israelites work harder and harder. That's the sort of leader that Pharaoh was.
And so it's interesting the contrast here in our passage, that Rehoboam seems to be acting more like Pharaoh than the anointed king of Israel that he's meant to be. He hears the cries of the Israelites to make the work lighter, but instead he ignores them and makes them work harder and harder.
Now, I remember when I was a kid I had some mosquito bites and I couldn't help the urge to scratch them. But the strong-willed young man that I was, I resisted. And then I got some very helpful advice from my eldest brother. He told me that if I scratch the bites hard enough, they'll completely go away. A loving brother he was — if you hear that and think that's right, don't go home and try it, it's not. But to young me, that was such a relief. Not only could I fulfil the urge that I wanted to scratch, but also it would solve the problem. So I began to scratch and scratch my arms, and as you all know, it didn't help. I had clearly been given some false advice from my brother, who was chuckling in the corner. I'd followed his advice, and then I had to deal with the problems that came from it.
And so it is here with Rehoboam. He follows this advice, and the consequences are far more than just more itchy arms or even blood coming out from the itchy bites. It divides the whole nation of Israel.
Rehoboam does not care. He doesn't even listen to his people. And if we look at this incident on its own, we can all cast the blame on Rehoboam. But actually, as we look at 1 Kings 11 in addition, we see that both Solomon's unfaithfulness and Jeroboam's rebellion also contribute to this. But here in our passage, it's God's king who refuses to listen to God's people that seems to lead the people to say in verse 16: "What share do we have in David? What part in Jesse's son? To your tents, Israel! Look to your own house, David!" So all the Israelites went home.
Here is such a sad part in scripture. God's people are divided, and they choose to ignore God's king that he's set in place, and they move back to doing as each saw fit. Only Judah and Benjamin stick with Rehoboam, and everyone else goes home.
And while we can be quick to judge Rehoboam's decision, how often do we also make the wrong decisions? How often do we also choose to follow some advice that really is not helpful? But in this chapter, did you notice the one place that Rehoboam didn't go to for advice? He did not look to God's Word, and he did not look to God for guidance.
And so often, we can fall into the same trap — where maybe we seek advice from others or get others' opinions, but really we don't look to God's Word for guidance. And that's why it's so helpful each Sunday morning when the Bible is read and preached, to have your Bible open, so that you can see this isn't just my words or the preacher's words, but actually it's God's Word here in front that's being taught.
Even as we look at this chapter, there's only one time that God's name is mentioned, and it is used to show that this rebellion is a fulfilment of a word that God has already spoken, as I talked about earlier in 1 Kings 11. And hopefully, if we do have good Christian friends or a good Bible study that we're a part of, we can get advice from them that is shaped by God's Word. But so also is our job to be spending time in God's Word so that we can then point others to it.
But this is ultimately how God's king ought to rule — to care for his people by pointing them to God's Word, by listening to it and being shaped by it.
Point Two: God's King Must Obey God's Word (2 Chronicles 11)
Ethan: And this leads on to our second point. God's king, and therefore God's people, must obey God's Word.
If you thought that Rehoboam was a bit of a muppet before, completely ignoring the pleas of the people, how much worse could he get? Well, thanks so much for asking. He gets home and he musters the army of Judah and Benjamin — 180,000 — and he decides to go against his people in war. The same people who were just his own, just the day before. That'll teach the nation to follow me, he thinks.
But rather than bloodshed, now for the first time in 2 Chronicles 11, Rehoboam is confronted by God's Word. Which, if you've been following along so far in this chapter, you might think he'll just harden his heart and reject it again. But listen to what is said in chapter 11, verse 4: "This is what the Lord says: Do not go up to fight against your fellow Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing." So they obeyed the words of the Lord and turned back from marching against Jeroboam.
When confronted by God's Word, they obey. They don't go to war, but in fact they return to their own homes and they build up their defences.
And now this brief passage here is very helpful and gives us a very insightful question — a question that's so helpful for the post-exile Israelites that come back to the land, and also one that we, even here today, can ask ourselves. What do you do when you're confronted by God's Word?
When God's Word says, "No one is righteous, not even one," do you accept that? And do you repent in response? When God's Word says, "Love is patient and love is kind," do we enact that in our relationships with our family and friends, or even in the person sitting next to you at church here this morning? And when you read, "Be quick to listen and slow to speak," how do you react?
And don't hear me say that these are easy things to do. Many people in this church have seen me grow up and know that that's not the case for me either. I'm not perfect, and no one is. But if we want to be changed by God, we need to listen to God's Word and to obey it. This is such a helpful question that we need to take each time that we read scripture for ourselves: how does this passage confront or challenge me, or my thinking, or my actions?
But let's jump back into chapter 11. The priests, when they see Jeroboam abandon God and choose to worship idols, are confronted by this, and instead of serving the gods there, they choose to reject that and move to follow God. And some people in the land also follow them in this way.
Look at verse 16 here with me: "Those from every tribe of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the Lord, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to the Lord, the God of their ancestors."
See, that's a lovely picture, actually — that the Israelites sought to serve God and came to Judah because they seek and desire God rather than anything else.
Point Three: God's King Must Wholeheartedly Serve God (2 Chronicles 12)
Ethan: And this leads then to the third thing that God's king, and therefore God's people, ought to follow.
So first of all, we've seen that God's king must care for his people, and he does that by listening to them and acting for their best interests rather than his own. Second of all, God's king must chiefly be obedient to God's Word, having God's Word instruct him rather than anything else. And thirdly now, God's king must wholeheartedly serve God.
Now, just when you thought this muppet King Rehoboam might move back in the right direction, what does 2 Chronicles 12, verse 1 say? "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."
Not just had the king abandoned the law and God, but he's taken the people with him. And so often we see that's the case in Israel's history — the king goes astray and so does the people.
And so, because the king has hardened his heart again like Pharaoh and led the people astray, God brings the current Pharaoh of Egypt in judgment — Shishak. God uses Shishak of Egypt to bring judgment on his people of Judah. And they end up taking over all of Judah up to Jerusalem.
And again, Shemaiah brings God's Word to Rehoboam, along with the leaders of Judah, and says these humbling words in 2 Chronicles 12, verse 5: "This is what the Lord says: You have abandoned me, therefore I now abandon you to Shishak."
An unfaithful people and an unfaithful king receive the just punishment that's due. Just to think on that verse though — even this verse alone is an act of God's grace. God didn't need to reveal that this was going to happen. He could have just rightly and justly handed him over to Shishak. But the inclusion of this word kind of mentions this desire or hope that God's word might confront him and he might turn and return to God.
The Recurring Theme of Abandonment
Ethan: But I wonder, even as we've been going through this passage so far, if you've noticed the recurring theme of abandonment. Rehoboam abandons all care for the people — he does not listen to them. He abandons the wisdom of the elders, and Israel therefore abandons him as king. And then Rehoboam seeks to go to war, but after God confronts him, he abandons that conquest. And now Rehoboam again abandons God, and finally God in response therefore abandons him over to the mercy of Egypt.
But the great encouragement that this passage brings is that no matter how far you've gone, or however much you have abandoned or disobeyed God, if you humble yourself and repent to God, he will forgive. This is what Costa taught us last week in chapter 7, verse 14, where it says: "If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
And that promise has seen its fulfilment in our passage here. If you look over to chapter 12, verse 6, Rehoboam and the leaders respond: "The Lord is just." God's judgment is right. They understand their unfaithfulness, and they understand that they have not wholeheartedly served God. In fact, they have abandoned him.
Rehoboam, again like Pharaoh, seems to harden his heart and abandons God's law, and all the people follow. But the difference between Rehoboam and Pharaoh is that in the face of God's Word, he humbles himself. The people also with him have genuine repentance. They know they're wrong and that God's judgment is right.
It Is Never Too Late to Repent
Ethan: But the encouragement is — it is never too late to humble yourself and repent to God. Let me say that again. It is never too late to humble yourself and to repent to God.
A few weeks ago I was told this quite helpful and striking illustration. There was a girl who was the perfect daughter in the world's eyes. She was top of the class, top of the sports team, top of the academics, everything. She was kind and compassionate to everyone she met, considerate to others, even the teachers. And so, after school, she got a full scholarship to the best university in the world — the University of Canterbury. Nah, we'll say Harvard. And so she flew there on a full scholarship, and as she arrived, she got stuck in and was doing well. She was getting A+, A+, A+, and she was scoring goals on the sports team and doing all these things with clubs.
But then the grades started to slip. And soon enough, she left the sports teams, the clubs, and eventually left college as well. She had gotten into various bad habits and had gone astray. She'd wasted all the money that she had from her scholarship, which she had lost. And so, in a last desperate cry, she sends a letter home to her parents. This letter was only about five lines long, and it said: "Dear Mum and Dad, I am not worthy even to write you this letter. I've scabbed off almost every friend I had. I managed to get a flight home off my last friend, but I am unworthy to see you. But if you will have me, I will come by the house — and if you will welcome me, just put one blue balloon on the letterbox and I will know that I am welcome home."
So the day arrives. She's walking down the street and she sees the house she grew up in. And as she sees the house, she sees these blue dots above it. They have filled the roof with hundreds and hundreds of balloons. As she comes to the door, her parents open it as fast as they can as they see her, and they welcome her with open arms. Even though she had spent all she had and had abandoned them and abandoned her studies, nothing could separate the daughter from her parents.
And friends, that is just a picture of what God's mercy and grace is like. If we think we've gone too far or done such horrible things that God cannot love us, actually, that is false. God showed us his love in sending his Son, his one and only Son, into the world, to die for us in order that we can have a relationship with God.
And we see this example in this passage here in chapter 12, verse 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. They will, however, become subject to him so that they will learn the difference between serving me and serving the kings of other lands.'"
And as we continue to read, we see this fulfilled as Shishak finally attacks Jerusalem and plunders its wealth. And the conclusion of this chapter and the summary we get is in verse 12: "Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord's anger turned from him, and he was not totally destroyed."
God shows his immense grace to an unfaithful, undeserving king who, at most stages of his life, had abandoned God. Over and over we see this, and even though he is a king who did not wholeheartedly serve God, and even though he's a big part in splitting up the kingdom, we can still learn from this example. We must also wholeheartedly serve God, for either you serve God or you serve someone or something else.
Conclusion: The Greater King
Ethan: And this is what these three chapters teach us. God's king must care for God's people, must obey God's Word, and must wholeheartedly serve God. And while Rehoboam was a muppet king, as I've said over and over, we do not look to this king as the one that we follow. We serve a greater king in Jesus, who at the point of the cross, rather than caring for his own needs, obeyed God's Word and wholeheartedly served us — to the point of even crying out in Gethsemane for any other way. But he was faithful to God and his Word and went through. He humbled himself to the point of death, even death on a cross, so that we might have life by believing in him.
And maybe you're here this morning and you, like Rehoboam, have abandoned God. You may have been taught some things growing up, possibly through Sunday school, and you've walked away for some reason. Or maybe you've never really heard this news before, but unknowingly have chosen to abandon God and do what you desire.
Well, friends, God's Word is such an encouragement this morning. For although we have all sinned in our thoughts, our hearts, desires, and in the actions that we do, and we have rejected God, God is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins if we humbly repent. No matter how far you've gone, or even if you've actually abandoned God, God's grace is greater.
And the warning that this passage also gives is that for those who continually choose to abandon God, he will come to do the same. Just as God abandoned Judah to Egypt for their unfaithfulness, so God will one day abandon those who continue to abandon him.
But as we are confronted with God's Word here this morning, I wonder — will you respond by humbly repenting and asking for God's help, or reject and abandon it? Even Rehoboam, who, as I said, is an absolute muppet, abandoned God continuously — but he repented and turned back to God.
So although this first lot of kings throughout the whole of 2 Chronicles, in the span of eternity, were a bit of a flop — like many of our favourite takeaways or our favourite holiday spot — the final and everlasting king was not. But even though he came second, he was the real deal. He was the perfect king who showed us his perfect love that can take away this abandonment and punishment which we deserve. And so we need to, in response, trust in him and ask God to help us in doing this. We need to wholeheartedly serve God.