forsaking the law of the Lord

As we look at these verses in 2nd Chronicles we see a strong admonition for our times. Just as the nation of Israel under Rehoboam became established and strong, our country over the last 50+ years has taken the same course - we became 'established and strong' and we have moved to forsake the law of the Lord. Just as Israel became unfaithful to the Lord, we too have followed that path - as a nation and as the church. Israel was chastised through the king of Egypt - who will be our chastiser?
At least Rehoboam along with the other leaders, after listening to the prophet, finally acknowledged their unfaithfulness and humbled themselves. Who will be the prophet of our day that our leaders will listen to? Will we, as a stubborn, selfish, stiff-necked and rebellious people humble ourselves and acknowledge that the Lord is righteous?
Or are we beginning to see the signs that we shall be in bondage to an ungodly taskmaster due to our unfaithfulness and unwillingness to humble ourselves? As we proceed through this time where our government is becoming more powerful and gaining more control over our daily lives, where more and more people live in the world of 'entitlement' (which becomes enslavement) we may soon become slaves of the state and learn the difference between serving the Lord and serving a worldly kingdom which is an ungodly and oppressive taskmaster !



2 Chronicles 12
When the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and strong, he and all Israel with him forsook the law of the LORD. And it came about in King Rehoboam's fifth year, because they had been unfaithful to the LORD, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem Then Shemaiah the prophet came to Rehoboam and the princes of Judah who had gathered at Jerusalem because of Shishak, and he said to them, "Thus says the LORD, ' You have forsaken Me, so I also have forsaken you to Shishak.'" So the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and said, "The LORD is righteous."
When the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, " They have humbled themselves so I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some measure of deliverance, and My wrath shall not be poured out on Jerusalem by means of Shishak.
"But they will become his slaves so that they may learn the difference between My service and the service of the kingdoms of the countries."