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Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Most of us have lived long enough to have witnessed many senior leadership transitions in the countries where we’ve lived, the businesses we’ve been part of and even the churches we’ve been associated with. We’re now within 10 days or so of the hugely significant election in America which will likely result in some leadership changes in the Congress and possibly the White House. How are you praying? What are you watching for my friends, in the global frenzy which will likely follow in the weeks after November 3rd?
In our journey together over the past two weeks, I’ve invited you to look at the leadership transition between king Saul & king David, and then 40 years later, the transition between king David and his son king Solomon. Now 40 years later, we have the opportunity to evaluate another leadership transition which is quite different from the first two, and may be closer to the turmoil we may be experiencing a few weeks from now in America and other countries.
Please notice that while the 40 years of king Solomon are considered by many to be the ‘golden years’ of the nation of Israel, with peace and prosperity and the construction of the great Temple in Jerusalem, there is very little commentary about him or his reign at the time of Solomon’s death. Do you wonder why? Remember what we saw in 1 Kings 11 yesterday? Sadly, the glorious early years of Solomon’s reign are far overshadowed by the closing years of his reign with his overindulgence with 1000 women; his construction of places of worship for the evil gods of enemy nations worshiped by his foreign wives; his spiritual drift away from God and thus the loss of God’s hand of blessing and wisdom upon him; and finally the leadership discord caused by three different men that God actually raised up to oppose king Solomon.
It’s almost as though the scribes who recorded the leadership history of Israel felt compelled to write something about Solomon’s reign and death, but they kept it as short as possible. “Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel for 40 years. Then he rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David his father. And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king.” (1 Kings 11:42,43)
That’s it! No mention of the great things king Solomon accomplished, nor of any authenticious funeral process, nor of a period of official mourning. It’s almost as though the people were anxious to move on to a new leader, and hopefully a new future, even though they’d lived in peace and prosperity unknown before Solomon. There is an important lesson here my friends: The moral decay in leadership and a country cannot be overshadowed by booming economic growth, or military pride and peace, or unrestrained entertainment! Moral decay consumes from the inside like a cancer and causes implosion of a society.
You’ll remember the extensive preparations king David made for the transition of leadership to his son king Solomon, and the spiritual challenge David provided to Solomon and the group of leaders of Israel, as he approached the end of his kingship and his life. I see none of that with king Solomon! It appears his son Rehoboam simply assumed the throne with a brief ceremony in Shekem rather than in Jerusalem. There’s no explanation as to why Shekem? We remember this was the place where Joshua gave his famous farewell speech as he ended his remarkable leadership tenure (Joshua 24), but that was more than 400 years before and I see no indication Rehoboam did anything to link his leadership vision to Joshua’s?
I also see no evidence Rehoboam sought God’s guidance as his father Solomon had done when he first became king, remember that in 1 Kings 3? Nor do I see any evidence of great worship at the Temple as part of the coronation of this new king Rehoboam! Oh my, I already see many dangerous warning signs as this new king assumes his leadership, do you my friends? We can learn a great deal by watching how a new leader steps into their leadership role, can’t we?
Was it only a matter of days before new king Rehoboam was faced with his first great leadership challenge? Look at 1 Kings 12:3 “…Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel went to king Rehoboam and said to him: ‘Your father (king Solomon) put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke and we will serve you.'” The peace, prosperity, progress and expansion of almost everything in Israel, during Solomon’s time, had come at a heavy cost of forced labor and taxation. The people’s request was logical and fair, similar to the call to national leadership from people in almost every country of our world today.
Now I urge you, my friends, to read very carefully the rest of 1 Kings 12 and 2 Chronicles 10 for these events divided the people of Israel into two nations, Israel to the north and Judah to the south. All wise leaders understand the importance of surrounding themselves with wise, seasoned advisors who can help them see clearly and think wisely, as critical leadership decisions need to be made. Isn’t that right? The kind of leadership decisions which will shape the future and impact thousands of lives. Look at what king Rehoboam did. He sought the counsel of two very different groups of leadership advisors and the advice he chose is a reflection of the important initial leadership steps he took or didn’t take as he came into office!
“Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. ‘How would you advise me to answer the people?’ he asked. They replied, ‘If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer they will always be your servants.” (1 Kings 12:6,7)
Do you understand the concept of “servant leadership’ my friends? It means a leader who serves the mission or vision or mandate entrusted to him or her wisely, and also a leader who leads by serving the people he or she leads. Jesus is a great example. He continually sought to serve His Father and the mission of Redemption for which the Father had sent Jesus to earth. In fact just before going to the cross, Jesus prayed “Father, I have brought You glory on earth by completing the work You sent me to do…” (John 17:4)
And as you know, all through His life, Jesus served the people that He had come to teach and to save. Remember that final evening in the upper room (John 13) how Jesus even washed the feet of His disciples, explaining to them how important servant-leadership is for a leader who is following God, accomplishing the mission God has assigned to him or her, and is loving and serving the people God has given them to lead. Look around my friends, where do you see Jesus style ‘servant-leadership’ in your part of the world?
Now as you read the rest of 2 Chronicles 10 and 1 Kings 12, you’ll see Rehoboam rejected this wise counsel and instead he followed the selfish, prideful, self-serving counsel of his younger friends. When Jeroboam and the people returned to hear king Rehoboam’s decision they were shocked and dismayed to hear the new king say: “My father Solomon made your yoke heavy, I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.” (1 Kings 12:14)
Oh what a terrible moment in Israel’s history! The people turned away from king Rehoboam that day, and deeply hurt, turned toward Jeroboam, and the nation of Israel split in two, never to be restored into one nation again until 1948 when Jews began returning to Jerusalem and the new nation of Israel. But they come now, no longer as ‘children of Israel’ in celebration of God’s fulfillment of His Ezekiel 36:24 promise, but rather, most are coming as secular Jews anxious to return to their new homeland.
In closing today my friends look closely at 1 Kings 12:15 “So king Rehoboam did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the LORD, to fulfill the word the LORD had spoken…” God had removed king Saul and his family from the kingship of Israel and given the throne to David and his family, when king Saul turned away from God. But God did it on the condition that those who sat on the throne would honor God, follow God’s guidance, and lead God’s people Israel to live as a God honoring nation. Remember David had warned his son Solomon “And you my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve Him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek HIM God will be found by you, but if you reject God, He will reject you…” (1 Chronicles 28:9)
Solomon began well, but turned away from God first to himself and his selfish pride, and then to worship with idols and false gods of his wives. He had no spiritual legacy to pass to his son Rehoboam and in his pride Rehoboam failed the people, failed God, and failed Israel’s history! Oh my dear friends, it is so very important as God’s people that we are careful at this time in history, especially if you are in any leadership role. We need to be praying earnestly that God will raise up wise counselors for all those in leadership. Are you one?
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Click to read today’s chapter: 1 Kings 12; 2 Chronicles 10. (At the top you can choose a different translation.)
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Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“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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