March 31, 2003
LifeWay Explore the Bible Series for April 13
Guard against following counsel lacking wisdom
___ 1 Kings 12-14
___By Jim Perkins
___Madison Hills Baptist Church, San Antonio
___Good, godly advice in a world of unwise, ungodly advice: Adam and Eve suffered through the latter as somehow they forgot to give heed to the former (Genesis 3:1-5). That situation has not changed since the garden. We revisit the ever-present challenge to find godly advice as we examine 1 Kings 12-14 and the lives of Rehoboam and Jeroboam.
___Weigh advice carefully
___1 Kings 12:1-5 introduces the two people who would exert the major influence in shaping the post-Solomon chapter in the history of Israel and the worship of God.
___First, Rehoboam, Solomon's son, assumed the kingship of Israel after his father's death. Rehoboam went to Shechem to attempt to cement his position as leader of the nation--especially as concerned the northern tribes. The text offers a glimpse of the unrest that evidently was growing among the people in the north, which was partly due to their conscription to build the n
umerous construction projects Solomon undertook in southern Israel (11:28; 12:4).
___Second, we meet Jeroboam (12:2), who had been entrusted by Solomon to supervise the laborers conscripted from the northern tribes (11:28). The prophet Ahijah had informed Jeroboam of God's intention to make him the leader of the 10 northern tribes--if he remained faithful to the Lord (11:30-31, 38).
___Jeroboam, however, was forced to flee to Egypt as Solomon sought to eliminate this new rival to the throne (11:40). It is not clear whether Solomon heard about and reacted to the prophet's message, or perhaps Jeroboam attempted to "assist" the Lord and assume kingly leadership by his own methods and according to his own timetable.
___Both Rehoboam and Jeroboam faced an immediate need to make major decisions concerning the future of the nation(s). As a result, both leaders sought assistance from advisers who offered conflicting advice. Rehoboam faced the challenge of stemming the rising tide of unrest in the north, and he sought the advice of both his father's sage and experienced counselors and his young, inexperienced and overzealous peers (12:6-9).
___Jeroboam also faced a dilemma: He needed to provide his people with opportunities to worship the Lord that did not recognize the legitimacy and primacy of Jerusalem, which would tempt the people to "revert to the house of David" (12:26).
___Follow godly advice
___Both of these young leaders sought advice from others. Even though they entertained conflicting advice, both had the opportunity and obligation to follow wise, godly counsel. Rehoboam was blessed to receive counsel from the "elders who had served his father Solomon" (12:6). These men provided the young king with the gathered wisdom and godly advice capable of serving the best interests of the people, preserving the house of David and maintaining a unified country--if Rehoboam would only follow that advice! Rehoboam, however, chose unwisely and followed the rash, discouraging and divisive counsel of his inexperienced and insecure peers (12:13-14).
___Jeroboam, on the other hand, had received a prophetic injunction from Ahijah to preserve faithful worship and service to God. Remember that God's promise of a kingdom for Jeroboam to rule was contingent on his responsibility to "do whatever I command you and walk in my ways ... keeping my statutes and commands, as David my servant did" (11:38). Like Rehoboam, though, Jeroboam chose unwisely and listened instead to the voice of political expediency and compromise. In so doing, he chose to compromise a faithful worship of and obedience to God as he manufactured little gods ("golden calves") and new sites and times for worship (12:28-33).___
___Avoid negative
___consequences___
___The consequences of following ungodly advice soon became crystal clear to Rehoboam and Jeroboam. The text clearly indicates Rehoboam's decision to follow the unwise advice of his peers resulted in a rebellion by the northern tribes that divided the country (12:16-19). The author of 1 Kings laments that "Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day" (12:19).
___Jeroboam acted rashly in his attempt to solidify his political power in the northern tribes. By following the bad advice of his counselors, the new ruler introduced a form of worship that would lead to idolatry. God communicated his condemnation of that development as he sent this message to Jeroboam through the prophet Ahijah: "You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have provoked me to anger" (14:9).
___The remainder of the books of Kings contains more than a dozen references to Jeroboam's culpability for leading the Northern Kingdom into sin through idolatry and the dire consequences sin produced (e.g., 1 Kings 14:16; 15:30, 34; 2 Kings 3:1-3; 10:29).
___Questions for discussion
___ In what situations in the past have you needed to receive good, godly advice and instead received a mixed bag of godly and unwise, worldly counsel?
___ What parameters should inform your decision to follow or reject counsel from others? Name several biblical passages that could inform your decision to follow or reject advice.
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