Rehoboam

(2 Chronicles 11-13)

The king to follow Solomon. I can’t help but think this guy was just an idiot. He followed his father, Solomon, who sought God, who was wise beyond human power, who was successful and wealthy; you’d think he’d have learned at least something from his dad. Nope, at least not very much. Rather than taking the advice of older men who encouraged him to treat his people kindly, he takes the advice of young men and tells his people he will treat them harshly, he will use scorpions instead of whips. And of course, he refuses to seek God and his kingdom is torn in two, Israel to the north and Judah in the south, where he’ll reign as king for 17 years.

It’s really easy to look at this and judge Rehoboam, but what would this look like for us? What foolish advice do we follow? I’ve definitely gotten advice from friends that was unwise. It’s not that they were out to get me or to ruin me, but it just came from a heart not seeking God’s will. I’ve followed that advice too, and much like Rehoboam it’s lead me into destruction. Thankfully God has rescued me from that destruction over and over again, just as he rescued Rehoboam when he humbled himself before God, acknowledging that they deserved the impending destruction from King Shishak of Egypt. But how do we avoid going down that road in the first place?

The study Bible I’m reading asks this question, “How much of real living have we traded away for the things that do not last?” All of us serve something, whether that’s ourselves, the culture we live in, man (or the acceptance of man), money, or God. Of those, only God can give us life, true and abundant life, overflowing with peace, righteousness, and goodness. God is constant and He is good. I want to serve Him and not the caprices of myself and of this world.