Day 134 - 2 Chronicles 9-12

ONE-YEAR JOURNEY OF THE BIBLE
Day 134 - 2 Chronicles 9-12 (The Foolish Decision That Divided Israel)
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"'Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, saying, "How do you advise me to answer these people?"  And they spoke to him, saying, "If you are kind to these people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be your servants forever."  But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him."' (2 Chronicles 10:6-8)

King Solomon had just died and his son Rehoboam succeeded him as king of Israel.  During Solomon's reign, the people were apparently overburdened with taxes and work because his extravagant lifestyle and so after his death, the people united as one with their leader Jeroboam and presented their demand to king Rehoboam:

       "Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome        service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will          serve you."  (2 Chronicles 10:4) 

As we read from our text above, Rehoboam rejected the wise counsel of the elders who were the counselors of his father Solomon and instead listened to the advise of his young friends:

      "'Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying,           "Thus you should speak to the people who have spoken to you, saying,             "Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us'--thus you       shall say to them: "My little finger shall be thicker than my father's                   waist!  And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to         your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with         scourges!"'  (2 Chronicles 10:10-11)

What happened next changed the course of Israel's history forever.  The kingdom which David and Solomon had built in one day was divided into the northern kingdom of Israel made up of the ten tribes and the kingdom of Judah together with the tribe of Levi.  This had been the case until both Israel and Judah were both exiled at separate times into Assyria and Babylon.

So much for a brief history lesson on Israel and Judah.  Now, to the practical lesson for us today - what can we learn from the foolish decision of king Rehoboam in refecting the wise counsel of the elders and following the foolish advise of his young friends?  

It is obviously this: that you and I need to take heed who we seek counsel from. I am not saying that all the counsel of elderly people are wise.  I know many old people who are devoid of wisdom and many young people who are wise beyond their years.  The important thing is that we know how to discern between wise and foolish advise.

"Dear God, please help me to discern between wise and foolish counsel.  Help me to avoid making foolish decisions that will negatively affect my future and that of others.  Thank you for your promise that "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."  (James 1:5)