INCONSISTENT. 2nd Chronicles 12 Rehoboam was established as the king, but his abandonment of God meant he had to face the loss of what he had done on the southern border. The consequences of his disobedience are quickly recounted by the chronicler so the exiles would be aware that judgment follows sin. When God’s people abandon God, they are on their own without the divine power and protection of God available to them. In recounting this brief period in Israel’s history, Ezra illustrates the folly of trusting in human capabilities and relying on man instead of placing confidence in God.
It is important for each person, as they mature, to realize that I have only one life to use for the highest purpose. They need to ensure their goals align with what pleases God. Successful living isn't just about fulfilling personal ambitions, but about living in a way that benefits others through what I have achieved and by glorifying and honoring God. Self-satisfaction and the pursuit of pleasure will never truly be achieved. Satisfaction with work done well, resulting in good outcomes for God's glory, man's blessing, and a personal sense of accomplishment, comes when we keep everything in the right order. Sin has unavoidable consequences. Learning and practicing complete reliance on God is necessary, even though it is rarely fully achieved. When we realize divine justice is being served, confession of sin, sincere humility, and true repentance allow us to regain fellowship with God. God listens to our words and knows our thoughts. Genuine acknowledgment of our guilt, confession, and turning to the Lord open the way for His mercy. After a poor start caused by bad advice and a poor decision, Rehoboam made a few wise choices for about three years. But once he was established in his reign and had impressed himself with his importance, and seemingly thought he "had it all together," he "forsook the law of the Lord." He responded to divine direction during difficult times but abandoned the word of God when he felt in control and self-sufficient. Not only was he unfaithful to the Lord, but also, in his role as leader, others followed his example away from God. Inconsistency and haste often accompany self-sufficiency and personal pride in one's achievements. It is a basic failure of human nature to seek credit for what appears to be success. Ignoring the supreme authority of God in all aspects of life is foolish. People often turn to God quickly when circumstances worsen or when difficulties arise beyond our control. A sick child or a negative report from a doctor prompts people to seek God's help. If everything is going smoothly, we often take God for granted and attribute our successes to our own cleverness. During a storm, on a battlefield, or in a potential accident, people have no hesitation in calling "O God, help me now." But when the weather is calm, the land is peaceful, and the journey is smooth, we need to stay alert and guard our faith, lest we think, "We are doing just fine on our own, thank you very much! I don't need You now!"
The cities along Judah's southern border didn't stop the Egyptians from invading. Rehoboam's best plans didn't keep the enemies away from Jerusalem. The impressive view of the temple didn't prevent the invaders from stealing the treasures inside or the king's lavish wealth. The main problem with Rehoboam was that he had not set his heart on seeking the Lord. His inconsistency was clear when he tried to maintain the outward appearance of success, but that was only superficial. He had been practicing evil and had lost all discernment of what was right, what truly mattered, and what was meaningful. If our hearts are not right with God, nothing else is truly right. Things may seem okay and there may even be some positive achievements. But it is not over until it is over. Outward appearances cannot always conceal inward intentions. “As a man thinks, so is he.” All that we consider as gain can be lost very quickly if we become inconsistent. To humble oneself and admit the truth is always a good step. But sin is sin, and the harm caused by sin may never be repaired, no matter how sorry we are or how sincere our words might be. Rehoboam and the princes of Judah humbled themselves. They credited God for doing what was right when they said, "The Lord is righteous." But the damage had already been done. "All Israel" had been affected. The treasures were gone. The "world" had taken control, and nothing would be the same again. "Some deliverance" allowed them to survive as a recognizable people, only because of God's grace. He was not entirely destroyed, and some good still remained in Judah. Poor Rehoboam and those around him humbled themselves and acknowledged that the Lord was righteous, but when God is excluded, spiritual loss can never be fully recovered. For some reason, Rehoboam thought the missing gold shields could be replaced with bronze, and it would be fine because they looked similar. This inconsistent man cared more about outward appearances than reality. When God is left out of our lives, nothing we do can match what has been lost. God observes the heart of man, and when someone does not "set his heart to seek the Lord," evil becomes an unavoidable result. If reality doesn't come from within our heart and soul, religious appearances are only superficial and pleasing only to the natural man. For people to only care about how they appear to others misses the main point of a vital living faith. When we compare ourselves to others, we are measuring ourselves by the wrong standard. There will always be those who are more successful, more intelligent, or more capable than we are. But when we realize who we are in front of our Lord's eyes, we can live "quiet and peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty" without seeking fanfare or popularity. When we do what we do "to the Lord," we may not excel like others or be as successful, but we will be aware of doing God's will from the heart and leaving the results to Him. It is gracious of God, even in fierce times, to see "there was some good in Judah." When anything becomes more important than the core focus of life—the will of our Lord—then nearly everything else in life becomes superficial.
A person may grow up in privileged circumstances with a strong Christian heritage, but if they do not "seek the Lord" with their heart, life can be wasted, and only our failures will be remembered. It may have been his mother’s influence that kept his focus on other things and how he and his work looked on the outside. He was not a consistent person. Sometimes it seemed he might stick with what was right, but then, almost on a whim, Rehoboam changed again. He went one way, then another, then back again because he lacked enough convictions to be truly consistent. The same attitude can be had by anyone who does not know the Lord personally and lives without a real commitment to Him. Another serious matter for us to consider is that my children might observe my inconsistencies and be influenced in the same way in their lives. Solomon didn't leave his son a very good example when it came to his personal life. The exiles returning to Jerusalem and reading these Chronicles had heard through Jeremiah the prophet, "I will come to you and fulfill My good word to you ... for I know the thoughts I think toward you ... thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you hope and a future. Then shall ye call upon Me, and ye shall pray to Me, and I will hearken to you. And ye shall seek Me, and find Me when ye shall search for Me with all your heart." When we or they make that search, we will find our Lord God near us, ready to act in grace—willing to forgive and restore us. It was too bad Rehoboam never really did that. Servants of men. It didn’t have to be; it wasn’t God’s intent that those He chose would be bent under the yoke. But when self-sufficiency and self-satisfaction take control, it won’t be long before independence has its day. The pride of position takes over and can often convince a person that they can do just about anything another person can. He compares himself to others and believes he is much better, not realizing that his arrogance and independence are actually just binding fetters.
God is determined to humble the proud and lift up the humble. It doesn’t take the Ruler of the Universe long to stop independence. Serving God is a blessed bondage that brings freedom to the soul. To be a servant of men means always going where they tell me. The servant of men is under the control of others, just like me, which limits my service to what pleases men, not what God intended me to be. My will is subject to their changing times and what they consider important. The conduct of my life and work only reflects human behavior. Being a servant of men means broken fellowship with God. The dissension and broken fellowship can’t be recovered with a simple nod. Alienation from God and His people accompanies being a servant of men. He is responsible for doing what men want, how they want it, and where and when they want it.
Life becomes superficial when the service of man is forced upon us. The freedom from bond-service to Jesus Christ is what one should choose. Reflecting on serving God compared to serving others, one considers with deep remorse all that life might have been. The humility of first love, a sense of dependence, brings peace. The servant who loves his Master knows the joy of living by faith. There is a warmth and harmony visible in the servant’s face, and he doesn’t have to pretend to be what he is not when inwardly he appreciates God’s grace.