Proverbs 2:1-5 ( ESV )
In
reading Proverbs I sometimes forget that these are the words of a father to his
son. This was not just any father, but through the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit, these words were written by the wisest king who ever lived. Solomon
wanted his son to be wise as well. He wanted his son to see wisdom as the
greatest of treasures. He wanted his boy through this wisdom to grow up to fear
the Lord and find the knowledge of God.
That’s why II Chronicles 10 stands out to me so much. Solomon’s son
Rehoboam ,was to become king over all of Israel. The one thing that Solomon
wanted his son to be, would be the one thing that he would fail at miserably.
Wisdom would flee like a summer’s snow.
As we
read the first verse of II Chronicles 10 we see how that ALL of Israel had come
to make Rehoboam their king. I believe that the majority of the people who came
out that day, truly saw him as the Lord’s anointed. The followers of David were
excited about their future and what the Lord had in store.
A man
named Jeroboam now comes upon the scene. All that we are told about him up to
this point is that he had fled from Israel during the time of King Solomon. We
don’t know all the reasons that he had fled for Egypt. The answer is probably found in his remarks towards
Rehoboam. He wanted Jeroboam to lighten the physical load that Solomon had put
upon the people during the building of the temple and his palace. The extra
burden had been necessary during that time but now he ask for Rehoboam to be
more lenient with the people of Israel.
What
happens next would divide a kingdom, cause civil war and change the course of
Israel’s history. Israel would never be the same.
Rehoboam,
will look for council for what to do. This in and of itself was a good thing.
He would first of all go to the older men who had stood before his Father and
ask them what he should do. The council of the older men was simple, “ Be good
to these people, speak good words to them, then they will be your servants
forever.” Rehoboam should have listened. Instead he heeded the words of his
friends.
2 Chronicles 10:10-11 ( ESV )
10And the young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Thus
shall you speak to the people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke
heavy, but you lighten it for us’; thus shall you say to them, ‘My little
finger is thicker than my father’s thighs.
11And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to
your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with
scorpions.’”
Rehoboam would fail his first test in wisdom. He would proclaim to all
what the younger men had told him as to what his kingdom would be like. He lost
it all.
Here
is something to think about though. Yes, Rehoboam sought wisdom from others and
in the counsel of many there is wisdom.
Yet, nowhere in the passage are we told that he sought the Lord’s
wisdom. We are never told that He asked
God, “What would you have me to do Lord?” What good is man’s council alone if
we ask not for wisdom from above?
We
see in Rehoboam a man who would be inconsistent in walking with the Lord. In
the next chapter we are told how that he is ready to go to war against his brothers
after the rebellion. He gathers an army to go against Jeroboam. A man of God
called Shemaiah will tell him not to go after them. Rehoboam obeys the Word of
God that was spoken by the man of God. For three years Rehoboam had peace
within the land as he harbored priest who left the Northern kingdom to come
back to Jerusalem. During these years we are even told that he acted wisely in
watching over Israel and his children. God blessed Rehoboam. This would soon
change again.
2 Chronicles 12:1-2 ( ESV )
1When the rule of Rehoboam was established and he was strong, he
abandoned the law of the Lord, and
all Israel with him.
2In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, because they had been
unfaithful to the Lord, Shishak
king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem
Rehoboam began to believe his own press. He saw himself as the reason
why things were going so smoothly. The end result was that by his fifth year he
and all of Israel had abandoned the law of the Lord. God would have to rebuke
him by having the king of Egypt come against Jerusalem.
Once
again Shemaiah would come to the rescue with the Word of the Lord. He would
speak truth to the king by saying, “Thus says the Lord, you have abandoned me
so I have abandoned you.” The king and his men would once again humble
themselves and declare the Lord as righteous in what He was now doing. The Lord
would be merciful and not allow Egypt to completely overthrow them. Rehoboam would carry the scars of his sin as
we see in the following passage.
2 Chronicles 12:9-11 ( ESV )
9So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. He took away
the treasures of the house of the Lord
and the treasures of the king’s house. He took away everything. He also took
away the shields of gold that Solomon had made,
10and King Rehoboam made in their place shields of bronze and
committed them to the hands of the officers of the guard, who kept the door of
the king’s house.
11And as often as the king went into the house of the Lord, the guard came and carried them
and brought them back to the guardroom.
Gone
were the shields of gold. The shields of gold would be replaced by shields of bronze.
The kingdom would not be the same under his reign. The overall summary of his
life is to be found in II Chronicles 12:14 where it says, “He did evil, for his
heart did not seek after the Lord.” He died the opposite of what Proverbs 2:5 required,
he did not fear the Lord and failed in finding the knowledge of God.
In
thinking about Rehoboam I just want to make some observations that I have had
to think a lot about.
1.
Am I truly seeking the
Lord’s face in what He wants me to do? This should be my first priority.
2.
No matter how we live as
parent’s we must realize that our children will make their own choices on how
they will live. We are to be an example to them but the choice will be theirs.
3.
Am I willing to change when
I hear the Word of God or will I still want to go my own way?
4.
Do I struggle with the
desire to rule with a heavy hand?
5.
When things are going well
am I still as dependent upon the Lord as when things are rough?
6.
Have I in anyway abandoned
the Law of the Lord?
7.
Am I being consistent in my
walk with the Lord?
8.
Will my legacy for the Lord
be filled with shields of gold or shields of bronze?
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