(Disclaimer: This transcript is auto-generated and may contain mistakes.)

Now let's look at some examples of this from 2 Chronicles. Look at chapter 12 verse 1, it came to pass when Rehoboam had established the kingdom and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the Lord and all Israel with him. So here's a guy who starts out following the laws of the Lord, but then as soon as things start going good in his life, and he's established and strengthened, then he forsakes the law of the Lord. And that's what we see so often. People turning to God when times are tough, and then as soon as things are going good, we forget the Bible, forget church, forget prayer, and then God has to punish us. So it says in verse number, and by the way look at the end of that, he forsook the law of the Lord and all Israel with him. Do you see how much leadership can affect? A king forsakes the law of the Lord, the whole nation does. You know when dad forsakes the law of the Lord, the rest of the family will often forsake the law of the Lord. Mom forsakes the law of the Lord, the children are often going to forsake the law of the Lord. You know the pastor forsakes the law of the Lord, a lot of times the church will forsake it too. You know everything rises and falls on leadership. It says in verse 2, it came to pass that in the fifth year of Rehoboam, Shishak, king of Egypt, came up against Jerusalem because they had transgressed against the Lord. So the punishment is that this king of Egypt is going to come and attack them. And it says with 1200 chariots and three score thousand horsemen, and the people were without number that came with them out of Egypt, the Lubims, the Succiums, and the Ethiopians. And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah and came to Jerusalem. Then came Shemaiah the prophet, so this is a preacher, then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam and to the princes of Judah that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said to them, Thus saith the Lord, Ye have forsaken me and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak. Now look, there's not really a lot of hope in that message, is there? Look at the message of Shemaiah the prophet. Is there hope there? Is he saying, hey it's not too late to change guys. Hey it's not too late to get right with God. No he just comes up and says, hey you know what? You've sinned, you've forsaken the law of the Lord, and because of that I'm giving you over into the hand of Shishak. Egypt is going to defeat you, Shishak is going to defeat you. Now they could have had a few different reactions to this. They could have just said, well who do you think you are? How dare you? Don't you know how important we are? We're the princes, we're the king. Who do you think you are coming in here and talking to that? You know that would show that they were a fool, right? Remember all that stuff in Proverbs about people who don't want to be rebuked or reproved? Okay or a second reaction they could have had is, well you know what, we're doomed anyway so who cares? Might as well just keep sinning. God's not offering us any hope here, God's just telling us we're pretty much sunk anyway. What's the use? And throw in the towel. And that's what a lot of Christians do. They start getting into a little bit of sin and then they say, well I blew it, now I'm just going to quit church, I'm just going to give up, I'm going to just keep on living in sin because it's too late for me, I've blown it. Or the third option is what they actually did. They could humble themselves and basically turn from their wicked ways. Look what it says in verse 6. Whereupon, meaning whereupon means upon hearing that, when they heard that preaching. Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves and they said the Lord is righteous. And when they're saying the Lord is righteous there, they're saying the Lord is justified in what He is doing. They're saying we deserve the punishment that God is bringing upon us is what they meant by that. Verse 7. And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah saying they have humbled themselves, therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak. So look, even when it seems hopeless, even when you seem doomed, and God is saying look you're going to be destroyed. If you humble yourself, often God will change everything and say, you know what, I love the fact that you're humbling yourself and that you're sorry and that you're willing to confess and forsake your sins, I will turn away my wrath. Look at Nineveh. I mean Jonah came in preaching, yet forty days and Nineveh shall be overthrown. He didn't come in even telling them what they had to do to get right with God. But yet they humbled themselves, they prayed, they fasted, they were sorry, they turned from their wicked ways and God showed mercy.