TEXT: 2 CHRONICLES 10:1-19.
🔑KEY VERSE “But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him” (2 CHRONICLES 10:8).
The reign of Louis XIV of France is synonymous with elegance and arrogance. He was called the “Sun King.” No other personality, with the exception of Napoleon, ever dominated French history to the extent he did. The king and the queen, Mary Antoniette, were far removed from the sufferings and yearnings of the masses. This bred bitter resentment which culminated in the French Revolution that led to the death of tens of thousands with 17,000 people, including the king and the queen, guillotined.
Rehoboam was also an arrogant and reckless young man. He chose to be guided by the advice of his peers instead of the wise counsel of elders to address the complaints of his subjects. When he threatened to impose hard taxation and chastise his people with scorpions, the tribal representatives announced their secession from the union and appointed Jeroboam as their leader. Thus, the unified kingdom built up by David came to an abrupt end.
Many people begin their Christian walk well with focus and wholehearted commitment to God. But subtly, pride and arrogance begin to well up within, setting the stage for a downfall.
God accepts only service to Him and humanity that is rendered with a humble, contrite heart. Those who rule over others must be just, and lead them in the fear of God. To leave Him out or try to take His place in the affairs of the people is to toe the path of the fallen Lucifer.
✍THOUGHT FOR THE DAY To disregard constructive criticism is clear arrogance.
BIBLE IN A YEAR 1 KINGS 8.
How evil prophecy on the father limited the success of the son.
- The evil prophecy
a. Apart from untimely death, there was a prophecy for Solomon that he would loose 10 of the 12 tribes because of his idolatry, I King 11:39-33. It was a costly backsliding.
b. Solomon did nothing to vacate this evil prophesy with repentance and his son Rehoboam inherited it, perhaps without knowing.
c. The evil prophesy programmed limitations into Rehoboam’s reign 2 Chronicles 10:15.
- How the evil prophecy was activated
a. He was given reasonable conditions for a successful reign by the would be subjects vv1-4.
b. He was not a moron at this age of 41. In fact, he was wise and acted wisely in requesting for counselling before decision 2 Chronicles 10:5, 11:23.
c. He did not seek for counselling from God. If he could not pray, (and why shouldn’t a king be able to pray?), there were prophets like Ahijah and Shemaiah in the land at that time I Kings 11:29, 2 Chronicles 12:5. If he had started with seeking the face of God, his failure story could have been different.
d. He allowed peer influence to override the wisdom and the advise of the sages who made his father successful. 2 Chronicles 10:12-15. His friends wanted him to talk tough but the elders wanted him to talk like a servant. A leader is a servant and not Lord. Beware of peer influence Matthew 20:26.
e. All those his mistakes made the evil prophecy came to fulfilment in his life. The kingdom was divided and he had only 2 out of 12 and nobody could reverse it for more than a thousand years.
Q Who was the very wicked King that truncated the evil prophesy on him through repentance and righteousness?
Q Who was the King that God promised that the fulfilment of evil prophecy on him will be delayed till after his death because of his righteousness?
Observe that even though it was prophesied to Jeroboam that he would be given 10 tribes, he did not struggle for it before he was given.
Lord, teach me to always first seek your face and remain righteous in any form of assignment/responsibility given me
Lord, I want you to always be my Counsellor. Give me discernment never to fall prey of wrong counsellors in life
God, teach me to be a listening and improving leader
Lord, I pray that you have mercy and deliver those in my family that evil prophecy has been programmed into their lives
HYMN O brother, life’s journey beginning