Daily Manna 24 June
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)
TEXT: 2 Chronicles 10:1-16
And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. 2 So it happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it (he was in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon), that Jeroboam returned from Egypt. 3 Then they sent for him and called him. And Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4 “Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”
5 So he said to them, “Come back to me after three days.” And the people departed.
6 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, saying, “How do you advise me to answer these people?”
7 And they spoke to him, saying, “If you are kind to these people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be your servants forever.”
8 But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him. 9 And he said to them, “What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?”
10 Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you should speak to the people who have spoken to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us’—thus you shall say to them: ‘My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s waist! 11 And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with [a]scourges!’ ”
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had directed, saying, “Come back to me the third day.” 13 Then the king answered them roughly. King Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders, 14 and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, [b]“My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with [c]scourges!” 15 So the king did not listen to the people; for the turn of events was from God, that the Lord might fulfill His word, which He had spoken by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
16 Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying:
“What share have we in David?
We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.
Every man to your tents, O Israel!
Now see to your own house, O David!”
So all Israel departed to their tents.
Read yesterday’s Daily Manna here
Sometimes, what gets people into trouble is not what they do, but the advice they get from others. The situation is made worse if someone seeks the advice that fits his preconceived notions. This is more so for some people of influence who love flattery and sycophancy.
And this was the problem of King Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. At their first appearance before the king, the people pleaded with him to reform some policies of his father’s era. Solomon had taxed the people heavily and subjected them to hard labour. The people pleaded with Rehoboam for a reprieve. Rather than respond immediately, he rescheduled the meeting. In the meantime, he asked the old counselors of his father what they thought of the people’s request. They advised him that a little reprieve would make the people more subservient to him. He rejected this counsel, and turned to his peers for guidance. They advised him not to show mercy as that would be a sign of weakness and that he should announce to the people that things would be tougher under his reign. The people revolted at this and ten tribes broke away leaving Rehoboam with two tribes.
Irrespective of our position in life, we should be willing to take counsel from those more knowledgeable and experienced than we are. Moreover, we should always seek God’s guidance on whatever we do and for wisdom to take right decisions. We must avoid those who only tell us what we want to hear. And where there is an impending prophecy of God’s judgment, the Lord will show mercy and cancel it if we change our ways.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: There is safety and security in wise counsel.
BIBLE IN ONE YEAR: 1 Kings 9-10
Thank you for studying today’s Daily Manna – Shun Bad Advice – by Pastor Enoch A.
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Daily Manna 24 June 2021
