2 Chronicles 10 - Our Elders

Verse 13: Then the king answered them roughly. King Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders,

After King Solomon had died, his son, Rehoboam, became King over Israel. I like what Pastor John Courson said about this new King, "Rehoboam was a talented, capable, and gifted young man, but he was also cocky, conceited, and rebellious." King Rehoboam made a bad decision, which cost him half of the Kingdom.

Here's the scenario that did it for him.

For forty years under King Solomon, the nation of Israel worked hard on many building projects and paid heavy taxes. When Solomon died, they wanted this heavy yoke to be lifted, which makes a whole lot of sense to anybody and everbody. And so they came to the new King and asked him that if he lifts this burden, they will serve him faithfully.

King Rehoboam told them to come back in three days and he will have a definite answer for them. Rehoboam then asked the elders what they think. The elders, who were mature men, told him to do what they had asked and to deal kindly with these people.

Did Rehoboam do what the elders said? To the contrary, he did the opposite by listening to his friends who grew up with him. When the people came back for an answer, Rehoboam dealt with them harshly and basically told them that they haven't seen nothing yet. It's going to be tougher and stricter than before. This was the "crack in the wall" that tore Israel into two, and the rest as they say "is history."

In every society, elders are considered to be mature and full of wisdom. They have gone through many experiences and they know what not to do and what to do. People usually give respect to their elders and listen to them.

Like King Rehoboam, we have a generation today that ignores the advise and wisdom from its elders. This generation has fallen into the trap of listening to the media, MTV and its celebrities for advice, and has ignored the wisdom of its parents and grandparents. When we hear of the escalation of turmoil and troubles in our young people's lives today, know that they are a direct reflection of the types of advice they are getting from the world in which we live.

Today's problems are a symptom of what is going on in the heart of man. The heart of man is corrupt by nature, and the only remedy is to learn from our elders and the Word of God!

Prayer: Lord, help us to learn from past heroes, our elders, and your Word. Guide our steps and strengthen our minds, so that we can stand firm amidst this generation's lies. Pour your Spirit on our young people, so that they will be examples (your light) of the future.

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