Kings do God's will

The leaders of the world can do nothing unless God has designed it.  Many times God has planned for the leaders of nations to turn against Him. 

After King Solomon died, his son, Rehoboam, became king.  As Solomon reigned and solidified his political position by marrying daughters and relatives of kings from the surrounding pagan nations, Solomon became an overbearing king, taxing the people too heavily.  

When Rehoboam, his son, became king, the elders of the Israelites asked Rehoboam to decrease the burden on the people.  When Rehoboam refused, and vowed to make their lot even more difficult, the ten Northern tribes seceded from the two Southern tribes, Judah and Benjamin. 

When Rehoboam sent his servant Hadoram to collect taxes from these Northern tribes, the people stoned Hadoram to death.  Naturally, Rehoboam was furious. 

Rehoboam “assembled from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin 180,000 warriors to fight against Israel. . . but the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, ‘Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying 

“Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: return every man to his house: for this thing is from Me.  And they obeyed the words of the Lord, and returned from going against Jeroboam (king of Israel).”  2 Chronicles 11:1-4

God is in charge irrespective of what kings try to do.

“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, with twelve hundred chariots, and 60,000 horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; and the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians. 

“And he took the fortified cities of Judah, and came to Jerusalem.  

“Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the Lord, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.  

“Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The Lord is righteous.  

“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  

“Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may distinguish my service from the service of the kingdoms of the countries.  

“So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the Lord, and the treasures of the king’s house; he took all: he carried away also the shields of gold that Solomon had made.”  2 Chron12:2-9 

It is obvious that God decides who wins and who loses in every war – from the time of ancient Israel up until today.  It was God who decided whether Shishak, king of Egypt, would ravage Israel – or not.  

All kings and leaders of all nations obey the will of the Lord, whether or not they understand it.  
And it will be the same in the future – right up until Jesus comes: 

“And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore  and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.  

“For GOD hath put in their hearts to fulfill HIS WILL, and to be of one mind, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled.”  Rev 17:16,17 

All of history has been planned in advance by God.  The kings do His will – even though they think they are doing their own will.  Even when the kings fight against God – they are doing precisely what God planned before He created the earth.