2 Chr. 12:1-11, Lessons from Obscurity: Law of the Harvest

Let’s meet three obscure prophets.  The stories are in 2 Chronicles.  Each speaks to a king of Judah.  Each has a message that is based in “the law of the harvest.” 

III.                  Three prophets on the Law of the Harvest.

a.     Shemiah, 2 Chron. 11:2-4; 12:1-11.

Shemiah prophesied in the reign of Rehoboam, son of Solomon, at the time the kingdom was divided.  When the 10 tribes rebelled, Rehoboam gathered his army to go and force the tribes to submit.  Shemiah told Judah not to fight because the division was God’s doing.  Rehoboam obeyed the word.

But then Rehoboam turned against the LORD (12:1) so that the LORD sent the Egyptians to punish Israel (12:2-4).  Shishak took the cities of Judah that Solomon and Rehoboam had fortified, and then came to Jerusalem.  The message of Shishak was, “Thus says the LORD: ‘You have forsaken Me, and therefore I also have left you in the hand of Shishak.’”  The people humbled themselves (12:6) so that the LORD lessened the judgment through the Egyptians (12:7).  God’s words are interesting and important to hear: “Nevertheless they will be his servants, that they may distinguish My service from the service of the kingdoms of the nations.”

b.    Azariah, 2 Chron. 15:1-17.

Azariah the son of Oded prophesied in the reign of Asa.  Asa was a good king, and God gave him and his army a great victory against a million-man army from Ethiopia (14:9-15).  As they returned from the battle Azariah met them with these encouraging words from the LORD: “The LORD is with you while you are with Him.  If you seek Him, He will be found by you; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you.”  These “law of the harvest” words were in sync with God’s covenant with David.  God had told him that as long as his sons sought Him He would bless them.  If they turned from Him He would chasten them (2 Sam. 7:12-16).

c.     Zechariah, 2 Chron. 24:20-22.

Zechariah prophesied in the reign of Joash.  Joash was the king who, as an infant, had been saved from Queen Athaliah who tried to destroy all the Davidic line.  Joash was raised by a priest, Jehoiada, and Zechariah was the son of Jehoiada.  Joash ruled in righteousness as long as Jehoiada was alive.  But after he died, Joash turned against the LORD, who sent Zechariah to confront him and the people.  The response was that they killed Zechariah.  The message of the prophet was, “Thus says God: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the LORD, so that you cannot prosper?  Because you have forsaken the LORD, He also has forsaken you.’”

“The Law of the Harvest” is not just God’s standard of judgment for the Davidic kings.  It actually goes back to God’s covenant with Noah after the flood (Gen. 9:5-6).  “Retribution” is, of course, fundamental to the Law of Moses, in which God and Israel agreed: if Israel obeyed God, God would bless her; if Israel disobeyed, God’s curse would be upon her (Deut. 11:26-28).  But we need to know that this law is simply God’s righteous judgment.  Jesus proclaimed it (Matt. 10:32-33) and Paul applied it to the judgment of all men (Rom. 2:5-11).  God “will render to each one according to his deeds … For there is no partiality with God” (Rom. 2:6,11).

Let us learn from these kings.  Rehoboam turned from righteousness after God had established him in his kingdom.  Joash turned from the LORD after his loving mentor had died.  Asa responded in righteousness to God’s great deliverance.  There is no “backlog” of points, gained during good times, to carry us through times of sin.  If we abandon or forsake God, we cannot point to the past.  The present is the issue.