Rehoboam took the counsel of the Young men

 

1 Kings 12:1-11

 

                                                                   May 28, 2021

 

 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king.  And as soon as Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), then Jeroboam returned from Egypt.  And they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and said to Rehoboam, “Your father made our yoke heavy. Now, therefore, lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.”   He said to them, “Go away for three days, then come again to me.” So, the people went away.

Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?”   And they said to him, “If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be your servants forever.”   But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him.  And he said to them, “What do you advise that we answer this people who have said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put on us?”   And the young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Thus shall you speak to this person 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.   And 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.’”

I’m still a young 79-year-old and have a desire to finish strong, I do not want to do like Solomon.  Most of the men who gave me council has died, and I miss those men, but God has raised up men who seek him to give me council.  In my short life on planet earth, I’ve learned it is not age that brings wise council, but men and women who study to show themselves acceptable before God.

 

Now listen to me the United States of America leadership does not look to the God of Creation, but to the little gods of wealth and power, and are taking our nation the way of Solomon’s son Rehoboam.  And in Texas, we have not had the governor or Mayors who are God-haters as they have experienced in California, Oregon, New York, and other states, but it will happen.  You and I need to become Christ's warriors, learning how to do Spiritual battle.  And denounce the little gods in our life.

 

From the Back Porch,

 

Bob Rice