sokin's devotional 76 - what we can learn from Rehoboam
"And he did evil, for he did not set his heart to seek the Lord."
2 Chronicles 12:14
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Rehoboam, Solomon's son who took over after his death, has his story and reign of Israel in 2 Chronicles chapters 10 through 12.
It's easy for us to read accounts like this and either have one of two responses.
1. detach ourselves from the character and judge - "How could Rehoboam do such a thing? What a sinner!"
2. over identify with the character - "Oh my gosh, I am Rehoboam! I'm ruined!"
(yes, these are slight exaggerations but nonetheless, I hope it gets the point across..)
I'm no seminarian, but I imagine and discern that we must not do either of these responses.
I think stories like this in the bible are given to us as a grace of God for us to not just learn from them as a bystander making judgment, but by identifying with them in their folly and acknowledging our own sins, and also to see their story from a bird's eye, God's perspective so that we see how we can apply and learn from examples such as Rehoboam.
In Rehoboam's case, there are a couple of things that I think we can learn.
1. Wise counsel is pointless if you don't follow it.
In 2 chronicles 10, Rehoboam is met with a problem with Jeroboam who controlled the northern kingdoms of Israel. Jeroboam is asking for a new agreement to be made with King Rehoboam regarding their forced labor and so Rehoboam goes to consult with the elders that his father Solomon had consulted with.
This is a good move. However, it begs the first question - why didn't he consult God first?
Perhaps in those times (again, I'm no seminarian), and from looking at other instances in Scripture, kings frequently went to counselors and priests because they were connected with God and alot of God's revealed will would be shown through them. Nonetheless, especially when you look at an example like David or even Solomon, who consulted with the Lord frequently in prayer, why Rehoboam didn't consult the God of his fathers first seems to be his first folly.
We should strive to seek the Lord first and foremost in our personal times with him.
I fall in this area a lot, and yes, sometimes, there are moments when our coming to God is too difficult for us to do (for various reasons) and yes, counsel from outside is a means of God to speak to us...but still, we are encouraged and implored in Scripture to seek God's face again and again as a first resort. (Psalm 27:8)
Beyond this, Rehoboam does not even listen to the counsel of the older, wiser men..but he instead listens to the younger men. I don't think this situation calls for a youth vs. elder conclusion because I know plenty of younger wiser men, and older foolish men...but I think we can learn from here that Rehoboam lacked his own discernment. This probably would've been aided had Rehoboam sought the Lord too, but instead, he went with the foolish counsel of the younger men whom he was confortable with.
2. Pride kills
2 Chronicles 12:1 says, "When the rule of Rehoboam was established and he was strong, he abandoned the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him".
This sets into motion an army from Egypt coming and plundering Jerusalem. As the saying goes, "pride begets the fall", pride here again bred conflict due to the people of God abandoning Him.
The ESV study bible points out here that, "There is no effective relationship with God without obedience to His revealed will."
We cannot expect to receive blessing from walking with the Lord, if indeed we do not experience obedience to His will. Obedience to God should beget joy, not torture. Sure, sometimes, obeying God's will seems to be the tougher choice - but it will always reap joy for those that abide.
3. Repentance is a lifestyle, not a onetime act.
After his folly of abandoning God, Rehoboam and the princes of Israel humble themselves before God (2 Chronicles 12:7). This does not stop God's judgment to be fully poured out...but it spares them from a worse punishment.
However, the conclusion the writer of 2 Chronicles points out here about Rehoboam is that he did evil, and he did not set his heart to seek the Lord. (2 Chronicles 12:14)
Perhaps Rehoboam was right and good to repent and seek God in moments. He did so for three years (2 Chronicles 11:17) and God showed favor in this by prospering him. And he was able to repent in the moment Egypt came upon them. But because the conclusion of Rehoboam's reign was that "he did not set his heart to seek the Lord" tells me that repentance was something he did as a last resort - it wasn't cultivated as a lifestyle.
Seeking God was not Rehoboam's priority. It was a means to get what he wanted.
4. In the midst of all this - God was still sovereign and in control
In 2 Chronicles 11:4 it says, "Thus says the Lord, You shall not go up or fight against your relatives. Return every man to his home, for this thing is from me."
Clearly, although Rehoboam could've made wiser choices to avoid this route of conflict...we see that even this, God was sovereign.
Even when things went badly for the Israelites (and continually so as we read Israel's history), God was in control of all things, working all things for good.
We must trust that even in times of conflict and hardship...even in folly, God is still in control. There is no such instance in human history or in our lives that we will see God not sovereign as if he was struggling to catch things spiraling out of control. He is always sovereign in the good and the bad.
That should help us. That should do something to our souls.
We must trust that in every folly, we have to seek to learn from examples such as this, pray that we would not go about that same way, but not simply ask God to help us escape from mistakes and conflicts.
Conflicts happen and they are inevitable for the believer of God.
But how are we responding? How are we entrusting every struggle to God even when it is most difficult?
Every situation calls us to reflection, repentance, and a yearning and seeking after Jesus. If we simply want a lack of conflict, we are in the wrong religion. But God calls us to repentance, trust in Him, and looking and seeking after Jesus.
I pray I would be able to steward that well.
2 Chronicles 12:14
---
Rehoboam, Solomon's son who took over after his death, has his story and reign of Israel in 2 Chronicles chapters 10 through 12.
It's easy for us to read accounts like this and either have one of two responses.
1. detach ourselves from the character and judge - "How could Rehoboam do such a thing? What a sinner!"
2. over identify with the character - "Oh my gosh, I am Rehoboam! I'm ruined!"
(yes, these are slight exaggerations but nonetheless, I hope it gets the point across..)
I'm no seminarian, but I imagine and discern that we must not do either of these responses.
I think stories like this in the bible are given to us as a grace of God for us to not just learn from them as a bystander making judgment, but by identifying with them in their folly and acknowledging our own sins, and also to see their story from a bird's eye, God's perspective so that we see how we can apply and learn from examples such as Rehoboam.
In Rehoboam's case, there are a couple of things that I think we can learn.
1. Wise counsel is pointless if you don't follow it.
In 2 chronicles 10, Rehoboam is met with a problem with Jeroboam who controlled the northern kingdoms of Israel. Jeroboam is asking for a new agreement to be made with King Rehoboam regarding their forced labor and so Rehoboam goes to consult with the elders that his father Solomon had consulted with.
This is a good move. However, it begs the first question - why didn't he consult God first?
Perhaps in those times (again, I'm no seminarian), and from looking at other instances in Scripture, kings frequently went to counselors and priests because they were connected with God and alot of God's revealed will would be shown through them. Nonetheless, especially when you look at an example like David or even Solomon, who consulted with the Lord frequently in prayer, why Rehoboam didn't consult the God of his fathers first seems to be his first folly.
We should strive to seek the Lord first and foremost in our personal times with him.
I fall in this area a lot, and yes, sometimes, there are moments when our coming to God is too difficult for us to do (for various reasons) and yes, counsel from outside is a means of God to speak to us...but still, we are encouraged and implored in Scripture to seek God's face again and again as a first resort. (Psalm 27:8)
Beyond this, Rehoboam does not even listen to the counsel of the older, wiser men..but he instead listens to the younger men. I don't think this situation calls for a youth vs. elder conclusion because I know plenty of younger wiser men, and older foolish men...but I think we can learn from here that Rehoboam lacked his own discernment. This probably would've been aided had Rehoboam sought the Lord too, but instead, he went with the foolish counsel of the younger men whom he was confortable with.
2. Pride kills
2 Chronicles 12:1 says, "When the rule of Rehoboam was established and he was strong, he abandoned the law of the Lord, and all Israel with him".
This sets into motion an army from Egypt coming and plundering Jerusalem. As the saying goes, "pride begets the fall", pride here again bred conflict due to the people of God abandoning Him.
The ESV study bible points out here that, "There is no effective relationship with God without obedience to His revealed will."
We cannot expect to receive blessing from walking with the Lord, if indeed we do not experience obedience to His will. Obedience to God should beget joy, not torture. Sure, sometimes, obeying God's will seems to be the tougher choice - but it will always reap joy for those that abide.
3. Repentance is a lifestyle, not a onetime act.
After his folly of abandoning God, Rehoboam and the princes of Israel humble themselves before God (2 Chronicles 12:7). This does not stop God's judgment to be fully poured out...but it spares them from a worse punishment.
However, the conclusion the writer of 2 Chronicles points out here about Rehoboam is that he did evil, and he did not set his heart to seek the Lord. (2 Chronicles 12:14)
Perhaps Rehoboam was right and good to repent and seek God in moments. He did so for three years (2 Chronicles 11:17) and God showed favor in this by prospering him. And he was able to repent in the moment Egypt came upon them. But because the conclusion of Rehoboam's reign was that "he did not set his heart to seek the Lord" tells me that repentance was something he did as a last resort - it wasn't cultivated as a lifestyle.
Seeking God was not Rehoboam's priority. It was a means to get what he wanted.
4. In the midst of all this - God was still sovereign and in control
In 2 Chronicles 11:4 it says, "Thus says the Lord, You shall not go up or fight against your relatives. Return every man to his home, for this thing is from me."
Clearly, although Rehoboam could've made wiser choices to avoid this route of conflict...we see that even this, God was sovereign.
Even when things went badly for the Israelites (and continually so as we read Israel's history), God was in control of all things, working all things for good.
We must trust that even in times of conflict and hardship...even in folly, God is still in control. There is no such instance in human history or in our lives that we will see God not sovereign as if he was struggling to catch things spiraling out of control. He is always sovereign in the good and the bad.
That should help us. That should do something to our souls.
We must trust that in every folly, we have to seek to learn from examples such as this, pray that we would not go about that same way, but not simply ask God to help us escape from mistakes and conflicts.
Conflicts happen and they are inevitable for the believer of God.
But how are we responding? How are we entrusting every struggle to God even when it is most difficult?
Every situation calls us to reflection, repentance, and a yearning and seeking after Jesus. If we simply want a lack of conflict, we are in the wrong religion. But God calls us to repentance, trust in Him, and looking and seeking after Jesus.
I pray I would be able to steward that well.
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