2 And it came about in King Rehoboam's fifth year , because they had been unfaithful to the Lord , that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem 3 with 1,200 e chariots and 60,000 e horsemen . And the people who came with him from Egypt were without number : the Lubim , the Sukkiim and the Ethiopians . 4 He captured the fortified cities of Judah and came as far as Jerusalem . 5 Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because e of Shishak , and he said to them, "Thus says the Lord , ' You have forsaken Me, so I also have forsaken you to Shishak .' " 6 So 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 , saying , " They have humbled themselves so I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some measure of deliverance , and My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by means of Shishak . 8 "But they will become his slaves so that they may learn the difference between My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries ." 9 So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem , and took the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king's palace . He took everything ; he even took the golden shields which Solomon had made .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 2 Chronicles 12:2-9
Chapter Contents
Rehoboam, forsaking the Lord, is punished.
When Rehoboam was so strong that he supposed he had nothing to fear from Jeroboam, he cast off his outward profession of godliness. It is very common, but very lamentable, that men, who in distress or danger, or near death, seem much engaged in seeking and serving God, throw aside all their religion when they have received a merciful deliverance. God quickly brought troubles upon Judah, to awaken the people to repentance, before their hearts were hardened. Thus it becomes us, when we are under the rebukes of Providence, to justify God, and to judge ourselves. If we have humbled hearts under humbling providences, the affliction has done its work; it shall be removed, or the property of it be altered. The more God's service is compared with other services, the more reasonable and easy it will appear. Are the laws of temperance thought hard? The effects of intemperance will be found much harder. The service of God is perfect liberty; the service of our lusts is complete slavery. Rehoboam was never rightly fixed in his religion. He never quite cast off God; yet he engaged not his heart to seek the Lord. See what his fault was; he did not serve the Lord, because he did not seek the Lord. He did not pray, as Solomon, for wisdom and grace; he did not consult the word of God, did not seek to that as his oracle, nor follow its directions. He made nothing of his religion, because he did not set his heart to it, nor ever came up to a steady resolution in it. He did evil, because he never was determined for good.