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"And Solomon slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David his father: and
Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead" ( 1 Kings 11:43).
Solomon was the world's wisest ruler. Never was there one like him before, and neither shall be again. After the death of Solomon, his son, Rehoboam, was made king. Shortly after becoming king, representatives of the people came to him with a request. "Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee" (1 Kings 12:4). This request was altogether reasonable. Too many rulers are prone to make for their subjects "grievous service" and "heavy yokes." Rehoboam showed a streak of wisdom when he said, "Depart yet for three days, then come again to me." Many times our decisions would be much wiser if we would take time to think over them seriously and pray over them understandingly. Another mark of wisdom upon the part of Rehoboam comes out when we read this in the record: "And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?" (1 Kings 12:6). Wisdom and discretion are more apt to be found with the old than the young. No doubt, this is why God placed elders in the church to be overseers. These old men gave the king good advice. "And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants forever" (1 Kings 12:7). How different the subsequent history of Israel and of Rehoboam might have been had this advice been followed! It is possible to lead people into paths of right, but all but impossible to drive them. Rulers should serve their subjects and speak good words unto them. Much friction in congregations of the church would be avoided if the elders would thus act. But alas! "He forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him: and he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter? And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins. And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions" (1 Kings 12:8-11). The king followed this wild and reckless advice. He spake roughly unto the people. What happened? The saddest thing that can happen among God's people took place. They divided. Ten tribes revolted, set up a rival government, and made Jereboam their king. Only two tribes remained under Rehoboam. But Jereboam made Israel to sin. He did not want the people to go to Jerusalem to worship. He was afraid their hearts might turn back to their former king and relationships. Gradually, he led them away from the right ways of the Lord. He made two calves of gold and set one of them in Bethel and the other in Dan. He told his people it was too much for them to go to Jerusalem! How much that sounds like some religious teachers of our day! He also made priests of the lowest people who were not of the sons of Levi, ordained a feast in the 8th month like unto the feast that was in Jerusalem, and offered upon the altar. The record says, "he had devised of his own heart" (1 Kings 12:33). Much that is carried on in religious circles today has been devised by the hearts of the people and the Lord thinks no more of it than He did Jereboam's altar, priests and worship. He would have none of it. God sent a man to Bethel to cry against this altar. God never makes a mistake in choosing the right man for the right place. It took courage and fidelity on the part of the man of God to carry out this trust, but the prophet of God was equal to the occasion. Of course, God had given him the exact message He wanted spoken at Jereboam's altar in Bethel, and the man of God delivered it. What were the visible results? "And it came to pass, when king Jereboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him" (1 Kings 13:4). The king did not like the sermon! So many times it is thus. A religious teacher or preacher who tries to find out "what the people want" and then give them that rather than what God wants them to have, is not a true man of God. The world is full of these false teachers and some have crept in "among us." "Beware of false prophets" (Matt. 7:15). I know of no "soft" way of handling false prophets and false teaching. Furthermore, the Bible knows of no such way. The king saw that he was in an awful predicament, and asked the man of God to pray for him that his hand might be restored him again. The man of God prayed to this end, "and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before" (1 Kings 13:6). Then came the crucial test for the young prophet. "And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward" (1 Kings 13:7). But, thanks be to God, the man of God stood the test. "And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place: for so it was charged me by the word of the Lord, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest. So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel" (1 Kings 13:8-10). This preacher could not be scared. He could not be bought. God had told him not to eat or drink in Bethel, and not to go back the same way that he had gone down. Of course, he could understand these explicit directions. When the very salvation of our souls depends upon obedience to God, it is an absolute necessity that the commands of God be made plain. Thus it has ever been. This man of God may not have been able to understand why God gave these commands, but he could and did understand the commands. That is all God requires on our part. But there was a lying preacher in town and he ran after the man of God. This lying prophet said, "Come home with me, and eat bread "(1 Kings 13:15). Of course, the man of God told him why he could not do this. But the old prophet said unto him, "I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water" (1 Kings 13:18). Now, listen carefully what this verse also says of the old prophet's words: "But he lied unto him." The man of God could not be intimidated, nor be bought. But he could be deceived, and he was deceived. Because of this disobedience he did not reach his earthly home in Judah. If we turn away our ears from hearing God, listen to false prophets and false doctrines, we shall not reach our heavenly home. "Be not deceived." Jesus Christ said, "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mark 16:16). This is the only thing under heaven that will take you from the power of darkness and make you a Christian. Do you believe it? Have you obeyed it? Are you a faithful Christian? |