2 Chronicles 12:9–10: “So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house; he took everything. He also carried away the gold shields which Solomon had made. Then King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place, and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard, who guarded the doorway of the king’s house.”

September 29th, 2023 by Pastor Ed in devotional

Great blessings were poured out on King Solomon and beautiful things given to him. But, sadly, he made many bad choices, including marrying Pharaoh’s daughter. And Solomon’s son Rehoboam learned his father’s sins well, and because of them the blessings were gone and the beautiful things lost to another pharaoh. Here we see gold shields replaced by inferior copies made of brass, a metal often used in Scripture to describe judgment. The king’s lack of faithfulness reduced his spiritual condition to such a degree that it became a poor copy of what had once been the true faithfulness of Judah’s most famous king—David. How painful it is to watch the children of men and women of God turn from the faith of their parents.

There is a vast difference between serving the Lord and serving the things of this world. Why settle for second best? Scripture urges us to possess those things that we cannot lose and cautions those who would sacrifice the eternal for the temporary:

For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will save it. For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and is himself destroyed or lost? (Luke 9:24–26).

Or as Jim Elliot said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.” There is a promise in Revelation that calls out to all who desire to be wise in the things of God. “To him who overcomes”—the things of the world—”I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God” (Rev. 2:7).

“LORD, we desire to be wise in Your eyes and walk with You today. Help us to choose that which will last for eternity.”

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2 Chronicles 12 KJV

¹ And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him. ² And it came to pass, that in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the LORD, ³ With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians. ⁴ And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem. ⁵ Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak. ⁶ Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The LORD is righteous. ⁷ And when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; thereforeI will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.  ⁸ Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries. ⁹ So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house; he took all: he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made. ¹⁰ Instead of which king Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king’s house. ¹¹ And when the king entered into the house of the LORD, the guard came and fetched them, and brought them again into the guard chamber. ¹² And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the LORD turned from him, that he would not destroy him altogether: and also in Judah things went well. ¹³ So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned: for Rehoboam was one and forty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother’s name was Naamah an Ammonitess. ¹⁴ And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD. ¹⁵ Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.  ¹⁶ And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David: and Abijah his son reigned in his stead.