Good morning!
Text: 2 Chronicles 8-11; Psalm 104:1-23
After Solomon’s death, his son Rehoboam assumes the throne. When he does, he is counseled by the elder men who counseled Solomon, to treat the people with kindness. His young companions, however, counsel Rehoboam to be harsh. The young king listens to his peers rather than his elders; “And the king answered them harshly; and forsaking the counsel of the old men…” (2 Chronicles 10:13). The results are disastrous, resulting in the split between the northern ten tribes and the southern two. The split would never heal. Now, when I first read this I thought of a quick lesson in why we need to always listen to the counsel of the elders among us. That’s an important lesson. I could speculate how much better things would have been if the king had only chosen wisely.
However, when Rehoboam begins to take steps to recover, The Lord tells him, “Return every man to his home, for this thing is from me.” (11:4) So here’s a quandary. It was the Lord’s plan to tear the kingdom in two. You will recall that it was a consequence of the sin of David, the young king’s grandfather. The Lord used Rehoboam’s unwise counselors and his poor judgment to do this apparently destructive thing. If it was God’s will, then it would make sense that if Rehoboam had chosen wisely, the kingdom would have come apart anyway. Makes you think, doesn’t it?
Here’s my take: We need to live in obedience, and make wise choices. At the end of the day, the Lord will accomplish his plan. We cannot mess it up, nor can we take credit. It is all Him! Praise the Lord.
in Him, Mike