What can we learn about God's justice from Shishak's invasion in 2 Chronicles 12:9? Setting the scene “King Shishak of Egypt came up against Jerusalem and carried off the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the royal palace. He took everything, including the gold shields that Solomon had made.” (2 Chronicles 12:9) Background in 12:1–8: Judah “forsook the law of the LORD,” so the LORD declared, “You have abandoned Me; therefore I now abandon you to Shishak” (v. 5). When the leaders humbled themselves, God replied, “I will grant them some deliverance … nevertheless they will become his servants so that they may learn the difference between serving Me and serving the kings of other lands” (vv. 7–8). Verse 9 records the partial judgment that followed. What God’s justice looks like in this event • Consequences are tangible. Disobedience cost Judah its richest treasures; sin always exacts a real price (Galatians 6:7). • Justice is measured, not reckless. God permitted plunder yet stopped short of total destruction (v. 7). This mirrors Psalm 103:10—He “has not dealt with us according to our sins.” • Discipline aims to teach. Serving Shishak would make Judah “learn the difference” (v. 8). Hebrews 12:6: “The Lord disciplines the one He loves.” • Humility moves God’s hand. Their self–abasement tempered the verdict (v. 6). “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). • Covenant mercy endures. Though the gold shields vanished, David’s throne remained intact (cf. 2 Samuel 7:13–16); justice never nullifies God’s promises. A closer look at the lost gold shields • Symbol of glory exchanged for shame. Rehoboam later replaced them with bronze (v. 10), a visual downgrade mirroring the nation’s spiritual decline. • Reminder of what sin forfeits. God’s people can never cling to sin and keep former splendor (Revelation 2:4–5). Lessons for us today • Sin carries unavoidable loss—even for God’s people. Better to forsake sin than to forfeit treasure (Proverbs 28:13). • God’s justice is corrective, not merely punitive. He disciplines to draw us back to wholehearted service. • Humility mitigates judgment. Quick repentance turns divine wrath into fatherly correction (1 John 1:9). • Earthly deprivation may guard eternal inheritance. Temporary servitude to Shishak protected Judah from a greater catastrophe, underscoring Romans 8:28 at work even in chastening. Covenant faithfulness and future hope The Davidic line survived Shishak; centuries later, its promised King—Jesus—would bear the full weight of justice so we could receive mercy (Isaiah 53:5, 2 Corinthians 5:21). Shishak’s invasion thus foreshadows a greater exchange: our sin for Christ’s righteousness, proving that God’s justice and mercy forever walk hand in hand. |
    |