Saturday, September 20, 2025
Scripture Readings
- Primary Reading: 2 Chronicles 8-13
- Secondary Reading: Psalms 109
Key Verse
2 Chronicles 10:16 — “And when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? and we have none inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: and now, David, see to thine own house. So all Israel went to their tents.”
Devotional Thought
The narrative of 2 Chronicles 8-12 traces the rise and fall of a kingdom, beginning with Solomon at the height of his power. We see him building Tadmor in the wilderness and store cities in Hamath, fortifying Bethhoron, and organizing the priests and Levites for temple service. The Queen of Sheba arrives with hard questions and leaves breathless, confessing that “the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me.” Yet even in this golden age, a quiet compromise appears: Solomon moves Pharaoh’s daughter out of the city of David, saying, “My wife shall not dwell in the house of David… because the places are holy.” He senses the incongruity but does not fully separate himself from it. Wealth pours in—six hundred and sixty-six talents of gold in a single year—and silver becomes as common as stones in Jerusalem.
Then the scene shifts. Solomon dies, and his son Rehoboam faces a crossroads at Shechem. The people plead for relief from the heavy yoke Solomon imposed. Rehoboam consults the old men, who counsel kindness; then he turns to the young men, who advise arrogance: “My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins.” He answers the people roughly, and the kingdom fractures. Ten tribes cry, “What portion have we in David?” and depart. Rehoboam is left with Judah and Benjamin, and even that remnant is soon tested. When he had established the kingdom and strengthened himself, “he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him.” In the fifth year of his reign, Shishak king of Egypt comes up against Jerusalem.
Psalm 109 sounds a different note—a cry of raw anguish from one surrounded by lying tongues and hatred, who nevertheless declares, “But I give myself unto prayer.” It is a hard psalm, full of imprecation, yet it teaches us that even our darkest feelings can be brought honestly before God. As autumn approaches and the year begins to wane, these chapters remind us that abundance and security are fragile things. Wisdom heard from afar must become obedience lived at home. Rehoboam’s story warns us that a good start does not guarantee a faithful finish; the strength of three years of walking in the way of David gave way to forsaking the law of the LORD. The question is not whether we have heard wise counsel, but whether we will keep it when the pressure comes.
Reflection
- Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men and listened instead to the young men who shared his own pride—where in your life are you tempted to surround yourself only with voices that flatter you rather than speak truth?
- Solomon recognized that the places where the ark had come were holy, yet he did not fully separate his household from what was not—where might God be calling you to a deeper, more consistent obedience rather than a partial one?
Prayer
O God of my praise, hold not thy peace, for we have known seasons of abundance and seasons of testing. Like Rehoboam, we are prone to forsake thy law once we feel established, and like Solomon, we sometimes settle for half-measures of obedience. Teach us to give ourselves unto prayer when the mouths of the wicked are opened against us. Help us to heed the counsel of the old men, to walk in the way of David and Solomon, and to remember that every good gift comes from thy hand. Do thou for us, O GOD the Lord, for thy name’s sake, and save us according to thy mercy. Amen.
Psalm Verse
Psalms 109:1 — “Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise;”