The Foolish Son
Isn't it amazing that Solomon was so wise that he astounded the Queen of Sheba with his words of wisdom and knowledge, but his son, Rehoboam, was so foolish that his first decree split the kingdom? I find that very interesting. It looks like some of his father's wisdom would have rubbed off on him, even if Solomon did not impart his insights like David did for Solomon. However, the reality is that the new king listened to his younger counterparts, instead of listening to the elders of Israel. He spoke harshly to the people of the ten northern tribes, so they split away from the kingdom to form the country of Israel, while only Judah remained with the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. (II Chronicles 10:13) I am sure there is much to be learned from this sad experience.
If we have ever been a leader of any kind, I am sure we have made mistakes. No one is perfect. We all have to learn as we go. However, there are certain things that a new leader should consider. We need to take the counsel of older and wiser people, who have had the years of experience we lack. This is especially true as we begin our leadership. Also, it is easy to become proud when we are elevated to the level of a leader. We can allow the power to go to our heads, and we can say and do things we would not have said or done before. This is human nature. It is the flesh. A wise leader will seek to submit to the Lord and listen to Him first. Then, he will listen to other people before making decisions. Finally, he will take all of the counsel of godly counselors, pray about it, and ask God to give His direction. If we do not do these things, we will fall into the trap we see in this passage. After all, God is the Leader, and all leaders should be serving Him and the people under His leadership, not doing things our own way.
Tomorrow, I intend to read II Chronicles 11-14.
If we have ever been a leader of any kind, I am sure we have made mistakes. No one is perfect. We all have to learn as we go. However, there are certain things that a new leader should consider. We need to take the counsel of older and wiser people, who have had the years of experience we lack. This is especially true as we begin our leadership. Also, it is easy to become proud when we are elevated to the level of a leader. We can allow the power to go to our heads, and we can say and do things we would not have said or done before. This is human nature. It is the flesh. A wise leader will seek to submit to the Lord and listen to Him first. Then, he will listen to other people before making decisions. Finally, he will take all of the counsel of godly counselors, pray about it, and ask God to give His direction. If we do not do these things, we will fall into the trap we see in this passage. After all, God is the Leader, and all leaders should be serving Him and the people under His leadership, not doing things our own way.
Tomorrow, I intend to read II Chronicles 11-14.