Giving God Your Best

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. 2 Chronicles 12:1

When Solomon died, he left behind a kingdom that was filled with splendor, power and the presence of God. The throne was passed on to his son Rehoboam. Unlike his father Solomon, Rehoboam was a very foolish and wicked man. As a result, 10 of the 12 tribes rebelled against him, dividing Israel into two halves and forming the Northern Kingdom. The temple and the priests were all there but Rehoboam squandered the opportunities that he had been given and walked away from God. He refused to serve the Lord like David and Solomon had done.

First of all, he had a major character problem: Rehoboam operated in pride. When his throne was firmly established, he forsook the law of the Lord. He basically said to God, “Well thanks for taking me thus far, I can handle it on my own from now on.” The essence of pride is the declaration of independence from God.

Next, there was the commitment issue. Rehoboam was double-minded in his dedication to the Lord. In verse 1, he walks away from the Lord. In verse 6, he repents. In verse 12, he humbles himself. In verse 14, the Bible says that “he did evil.” Here was a man who is up and down, in and out, hot and cold, and on and off. He was confused in his commitment to God. God is looking for stability in your life. He is looking for someone who is totally devoted to Him.

Finally, Rehoboam was a man of compromise. When “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” (2 Chr.12:9). Instead of facing the people of Judah and telling them that the golden shields were gone, King Rehoboam tried to deceive them by preparing inferior substitutes. He commissioned metal workers to fashion new shields of bronze (12:10). Instead of amassing his army to go and recover what the enemy had taken, King Rehoboam chose the pathway of hypocrisy and compromise. He compromised to save face before the eyes of his people.

What about you today? Are you operating in your own human effort, or are you relying on the power of God? Pride makes us act and live like we don’t need God or His help. Are you living a committed life to God? Are you totally dedicated to Him? Does He have the real gold
your true devotion? Or are you offering God “bronze” in your worship and kingdom service? Does God really have your very best?

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