Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Today is Thursday May 2nd, and did you know that in America, since 1952, the first Thursday of May is the “National Day of Prayer”? By an act of Congress, beginning during the growing tensions of the Cold War, this day each year is declared to be a day urging all American’s to PRAY seeking God’s help in the challenges facing America and our world? I wonder what deliberations will take place in the highest offices of governments around the world today, and how those deliberations will affect our world future? I wonder how many leaders will spend time praying today, seeking God’s guidance?
Come with me again to a time in Israel very similar to our times these days. King Solomon had reigned over Israel during its most wonderful time in history. Following Solomon’s recent death his son prince Rehoboam assumed the throne and yesterday Rehoboam was approached by one of his father’s trusted leaders Jeroboam who asked a ‘defining moment’ question which would give all Israel a glimpse into what the future would be like in Israel under new King Rehoboam. “Your father put a heavy yoke on us , but now lighten the harsh labor and heavy yoke and we will serve you.” (1 Kings 12:4) King Rehoboam asked for time, three days, to consult with his advisors and contemplate the consequences of the options before him. I wonder if King Rehoboam prayed in his Jerusalem palace throne room or did he perhaps go up to the Temple seeking God’s guidance in this very important decision?
The record tells us King Rehoboam was 41 years old when he ascended the throne and he reigned 17 years in Jerusalem. (1 Kings 14:21) We can safely assume therefore that Prince Rehoboam had spent considerable time around his father King Solomon watching and learning about the unusual leadership required for the unique nation of Israel, and in particular the role of God in guiding the King and his officials. Interestingly King Rehoboam sought the counsel of two different generations of advisers.
First, “King Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime.” (1 Kings 12:6) We can assume these men would have been of the generation of Solomon, maybe even older, and certainly much older than Rehoboam.
Second, Rehoboam consulted “the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.” (1 Kings 12:8) Two different generations, two different perspectives on life, and two radically different consultations given to King Rehoboam.
The older group advised Rehoboam with these words: “If you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer today, they will always be your servants.” (1 Kings 12:7) One of the very successful leadership styles in recent years is called ‘servant leadership’ in our day. It means leading in a manner which understands the needs of the people and leads them in a way which unites them and helps them accomplish all that is needed to meet their needs. King Rehoboam pondered their advice but turned away from these older advisors, turning toward his younger friends, anxious to hear their counsel. Their response was quite different: “These people have said to you, ‘Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter.’ Now tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions!” (1 Kings 12:10,11)
Having heard radically different advice, King Rehoboam retired to his place of contemplation. We have no record that he prayed or that he sought the counsel of anyone else. I can’t tell you what the relationship was like between Rehoboam and his father King Solomon, nor do I know anything about Rehoboam’s spiritual journey prior to these three days of leadership contemplation. What I do know is Rehoboam certainly had plenty of opportunity to learn the wisdom of his father Solomon and I’m sure Solomon had told his son often about the extreme importance of seeking God’s guidance as leader of a nation. So what happened?
The record is shocking! After three days Jeroboam returned to meet with King Rehoboam to hear his answer. Now remember, Jeroboam had been one of Solomon’s trusted leaders and undoubtedly involved in many leadership discussions and decisions in Jerusalem. Perhaps Prince Rehoboam had been in some of those meetings?. The record describes this historic moment with these words: “King Rehoboam answered the people harshly. Rejecting the advice given him by the elders, he followed the advice of the young men…” (1 Kings 12:13,14)
The record commentary gives us this insight into what happened that day in 1 Kings 12:15 “So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the LORD to fulfill the word the LORD had spoken to Jeroboam through Ahijah the prophet. When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king: ‘What share do we have in David…to your tents Israel! Look after your own house, David!’ So the Israelites turned away and went home… so Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.“
Oh my! There it is my friends, the birth of civil war. It is a graphic evidence of the power of the tongue and the irreparable damage done by a hard hearted, prideful young king, rejecting the wise advice of elders and threatening his people with harsh, tyrannical leadership. Look around our world and sadly we see very similar leadership destroying their nations; attacking neighboring weaker nations; and causing devastation in our world today.
As word spread across the land, the stunned, angry Israelite people rose up and called upon Jeroboam to become their leader. In fact the record says: “…they made him king over Israel. Only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to the house of David. King Rehoboam mustered the fighting men of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, 180,000 young men, ready to go off to war against Israel…” (1 Kings 12:20,21) Oh how quickly violent words of conflict can escalate to a mob of people ready to fight. But in this case, fight who? This would be a civil war! Israelites would be fighting their fellow Israelites! It was a treacherous, volatile, dangerous moment unlike the nation of Israel had ever seen before!
Let’s pause here and reflect on what has happened and how King Rehoboam’s unwise rejection of his heritage and the wise counsel of older men, who had many years of leadership experience, had now placed King Rehoboam in the desperate place of seeing the highly revered legacy of his grandfather King David and his father King Solomon destroyed by his harsh arrogance. Look around our world my friends, do you see so much of the same failed, selfish, prideful, arrogant leadership?
On this National Day of Prayer, we need to seek God’s wise counsel for us, for our leaders and for leaders all around our world. Here’s an appropriate song for this hour of our great need for God’s help:
Today’s Scripture: 1 Kings 12:6-21.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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