WORD STUDY – HUMBLED

I Chronicles 12:7: “And when the Lord saw that they humbled themselves the Word of the Lord came to Shemalah saying they have humbled themselves, therefore I will not destroy them but I will grant them some deliverance.”

Humble: Hebrew – kana: to subdue, to bundle together in a package.

After Solomon died the kingdom was set for Civil War.  Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, took some bad advice and attempted to strengthen his hold over the people by cracking down on them. Bad move, because the kingdom immediately rebelled and spilt and established Jeroboam as their king in the Northern sector.  Rehobaom gathered an army of 180,000 men and marched against the rebelling northern ten tribes. Shemalah  the prophet, met him halfway and warned him not to march against their brethren.  Rehoboam obeyed and returned and built up his defense and fortified the city in case Jeroboam attacked.

Once the pressure was off Rehoboam and the people of Israel, they all forgot about their relationship with God and went back to their sins.  God then caused Egypt, under King Shishak, to move against Rehoboam.  Once again Rehobam and the people started working on their relationship with God and God withdraw his punishment – partially.  Judah became a sort of vassal state to Egypt after paying off Egypt with all the gold in the treasury and temple.

I Chronicles 12:1 tells us that Rehoboam had established the kingdom. The word “established” is “kun” which carries the idea of being prepared and ready.  He was then strengthened.  This particular word for strength “chazak” has the idea of making yourself hard, or obstinate.   I tend to think there is a lot of Rehoboam in me.  It seems whenever things start to go easy for me and I start feeling secure, I find that I am not trusting God as much as I did when things were desperate.   It is at that time that God has to raise up an Egypt to lay siege on me.  When that happens I start to work on my relationship with God a little harder, I get rid of all the idols in my life, start praying, studying Scripture and humble myself before Him.  The word that is rendered as “humble” in I Chronicles 12:7 is “kana.’”  This has the idea of subduing and bundling into a package.  The picture is one of taking all your cares, your dreams, your hopes,
your passions and putting them into one neat little package and then placing them at the foot of Jesus.

There is an old aspirin commercial from the sixties where a woman is struggle doing housework with a splitting headache and her mother lovingly offers to help and the woman snaps back at her: “Mother please, I’d rather do it myself.” The announcer then says: “Sure you’re tense and irritable, but don’t take it out on her.”  Then the final scene shows this woman as kana (humbled) after taking the aspirin, smiling and laughing with her mother as they wash dishes together.  Kana (humble) is not being modest with your hands in your pocket, head down and an “Aw shucks” attitude, it is simply admitting that you cannot do something alone and giving your burden; lock, stock and barrel over to someone else for help.  But like this woman in the aspirin commercial, she needed help, she wanted help but felt too miserable to take on the responsibility that comes with the help. That responsibility was to establish a positive relationship with the
person who offers their help.  Sometimes we just do not want to be bothered with that burden so we plug along doing it ourselves.  That was Rehobaom; sure he wanted God’s help, who wouldn’t.  We get in a tight situation, with finances, health, relationships or job and sure we would love for God to come riding up on His white horse to rescue us. But then we think: “Shoot, if I accept His help, I have to have a relationship with this guy, it means cleaning up my act, going to church, reading the Bible and doing all that other religious stuff he likes.  I am not sure I am ready to take that on, I think I will try to get out of this myself.”

Kana (humble) is more than just admitting you can’t do it yourself and turning the entire control of your life over to God, it also involves paying the Piper.  In God’s case that payment it is working on a love relationship with Him. That is kana, the whole bundled package.

Just one other thing. God did not promise to completely deliver Rehoboam. But He said that since Rehoboam had humbled himself He would grant him “some” deliverance.  The word some in Hebrew is kim’at which means a little or diminished.  I know exactly what He is talking about.  God grants me deliverance, not complete deliverance lest I go back to trusting in the arm of the flesh, but just enough deliverance so I am not destroyed and yet I am still motivated to work that relationship with Him.

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