Prov. 19:20-21:
20 Listen to counsel and receive
instruction,
That you may be wise in your latter
days.
21 There are many plans in a man’s
heart,
Nevertheless the
Lord’s counsel—that will stand.
I know what some might say. The divided kingdom was God’s doing. But in the Bible, when God works, people are
still accountable. So, we can still ask what did the two kings do wrong. This same chapter that tells us that God was
at work also tells us that the two kings sinned.
What I find interesting is that one perspective
says that they rejected the wisdom of a man (Solomon) who was father to one of
the men and master to the other. Rehoboam
did not have the wisdom of his father (or the heart of his grandfather David
whose heart was after God’s). We can say
that Rehoboam got some things right and some things wrong. He did seek counsel. That’s good.
But then he did not listen to those with age and wisdom on their
side. He listened to his peers. Furthermore, when he was told that the
situation was from God (12:24) he did turn back from his plan and follow the
word of the prophet.
Further reading (1 Ki. 14:21-31) tells us that
Rehoboam had issues early on in his reign.
Even more reading (2 Chron. 12:14) tells us “he did evil, because he did
not prepare his heart to seek the LORD.”
Perhaps that last idea is the key to Rehoboam and something for me to
consider. In the initial decision, he
did seek the LORD but he had not prepared his heart to seek the
LORD. He was not ready to discern
between the two answers he got. When we
ask the LORD for direction we need to be in a spiritual state to see the
difference between the LORD’s direction and the deception of the wicked one.
As for Jeroboam, we could say that he didn’t
understand what Solomon said, or didn’t believe it (it’s not that hard to
understand): The LORD’s counsel – that will stand. And he had more “clues” that he didn’t
heed. In 12:25 we see he dwelt in “Shechem
in the mountains of Ephraim.” Abraham
and Jacob both spent time in Shechem.
Then Jeroboam built Penuel. That’s
where Jacob wrestled with the Angel of the LORD. In other words, Jeroboam and the Northern
Kingdom contained well-known places that stood as a memorial to God’s work in
previous generations in Israel. And
then, of course, he had Ahijah the prophet (11:29-39) and the promise of an
enduring kingdom in the north, like David in the south (1 Ki. 11:38). But he doubted God’s word and lost it all! Notice that when he made his plan to
establish the golden calves for worship, that he “said in his heart” (12:26). He concocted this idea. He didn’t seek counsel from anyone else.
Here we have things on which to meditate. Let us walk “circumspectly” (i.e. in wisdom,
Eph. 5:15-16), redeeming the time for the days are evil.
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