Bible Reading: II Chronicles 12
Key Verse: Verse 2 – “And it came to pass, that in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the LORD,”
Key Words: Shishak, king of Egypt
Herbert Lockyer in his book, All the Kings and Queens of the Bible, says that “Shishak was a bold adventurer and a powerful king of Egypt who in the reign of Rehoboam invaded Judah with a mighty host and plundered the temple treasures.”
Shishak was not of the royal line and thus is not spoken of as having the title of Pharaoh.
Historians tell us that Shishak was brought to defeat because he forgot that “kings exist for the sake of the kingdom, not the kingdom for the sake of the king.” Abuse of power will lead to destruction. Shishak forgot that he was not on the same “level” as God.
When visiting Niagara Falls, a man inquired of a bystander, “What’s that house down there?”
“The powerhouse: from it wires go to all the houses giving them the needed electricity.”
“Where does all that power come from?”
“Well, Lake Erie is 169 feet below Lake Ontario. The fall of the water provides the power. If they were on the same level, there would be no power.”
Nearly all men stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.
Nothing will divide the church so much as the love of power. ~ Chrysostom
Power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
~ Lord Acton in a letter
to Bishop Mandell Creighton in 1887
What to do:
✞ Remember, none of us have the authority to do as we please. We only have the authority to do as God pleases.
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