In Second Chronicles, chapter twelve, verse five, God’s blessings follow obedience, as in chapter eleven, verse seven, while punishment follows disobedience, as in chapter twelve, verses one through six, respectively. When King Rehoboam became unfaithful, God ceased to protect him from his enemies. 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. We cannot expect God to protect us from harm, the dangers of life, or Satan’s attack if we are unfaithful to Him and His will. God’s power comes to us only through a living faith in Christ.
Today, it is common but very lamentable that men 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 became coldhearted. Therefore, 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, and the property will change. The more God’s service is in measure with other services, the more reasonable and easy it will appear.
Are the laws of temperance thought hard? The effects of intemperance will be much more. The service of God is perfect liberty, and the service of our lusts is complete slavery. Rehoboam was never rightly fixed in his religion. He never 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.
Rehoboam did not pray, as Solomon, for wisdom and grace. He did not consult the word of God and seek to that as his oracle, nor pursue its directions. He made nothing of his religion because he did not set his heart to it nor ever come up to a steady resolution in it. Rehoboam did evil, because he never was determined for good.