Thursday Devotional - Faithful God versus Tolerant Rehoboam 11/17/22

 Have you heard the phrase “sin of omission?” Sitting back and doing nothing can be a sin. When we know to do something and don’t do it, that’s a sin.

Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, became king of Judah and shortly after lost much of the kingdom to Jeroboam (as we saw a few weeks ago). That didn’t seem to wake him up and turn his heart fully back to God. 

I Kings 14:21-24 ²¹ Rehoboam son of Solomon was king in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite.

²² Judah did evil in the eyes of the Lord. By the sins they committed they stirred up his jealous anger more than those who were before them had done. ²³ They also set up for themselves high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. ²⁴ There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.

Rehoboam tolerated all the sins Judah committed. It never says he participated in idolatry, but he didn’t stop the idol worship. In the above verses it says “Judah” did evil and “they” setup high places. So, I don’t think he actively participated. When the Bible talks about the evil of other kings, it says “Solomon did evil,” “Jeroboam made two golden calves,” etc. However, Rehoboam sinned by tolerating all these detestable things the kingdom of Judah did.

What about you and me? Where are we being tolerant in our own lives, with our kids, in our churches or communities? Instead of being tolerant or permissive, where can you and I lovingly speak up for truth in our church, communities and families for the things that are right and godly?

Alice

Thursday Devotional - Faithful God versus Foolish Rehoboam 10/20/22

What do you think it would have been like to grow up with the wisest and wealthiest parent on earth?

Solomon’s son Rehoboam had the wisest and wealthiest father ever, but he didn’t seem to use that to his advantage. Soon after becoming king, he lost most of the kingdom (10 tribes) by heeding poor advice.

I Kings 12:12-15     ¹² Three days later Jeroboam and all the people returned to Rehoboam, as the king had said, “Come back to me in three days.” ¹³ The king answered the people harshly. Rejecting the advice given him by the elders, ¹⁴ he followed the advice of the young men and said, “My father made your yoke heavy; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.” ¹⁵ So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the Lord, to fulfill the word the Lord had spoken to Jeroboam son of Nebat through Ahijah the Shilonite.

Rehoboam foolishly listened to his peers. Israel was divided into two kingdoms after this. God was faithful to David, though, by keeping a descendent on the throne of Judah. God was also faithful to his promise to Solomon to tear the kingdom away from him and his descendants because of his sins. God is faithful, whether it’s a lavish blessing promised or a forewarned consequence.

Where might you and I be foolishly listening to peers instead of seeking and heeding God’s wisdom? We have the wisest and wealthiest Heavenly Father!