1 Kings 12:1-20
There
are two kings in Israel now. One is named Rehoboam, and he is the son
of Solomon. Solomon had great potential. He had the opportunity to have
everything he ever wanted, and he got it. Instead of creating harmony
among the people of Israel with all the resources he had, he created
tyranny. He put the people to harsh labor, scourged any people who
disagreed with his rule, and put a yoke on the people that they couldn't
bear. Rehoboam hasn't fallen far from the tree of Solomon, and plans to
continue the oppression that his father started. He is king over Judah.
The other king is named Jeroboam. He was the one who ran into Ahijah on the road and was told that he would become the king over all of Israel except the tribe of Judah. He was a hard worker, one who stood out to Solomon and became the supervisor over all the construction crews in the tribe of Joseph. He is now king over ten tribes of Israel.
When Jeroboam hears that Rehoboam is now king over Judah, he and the assembly of Israel show up to his town. They let him know that his father has put a heavy yoke of control over the people of Judah, and ask him to lighten it. Rehoboam tells them to go away for three days and then to come back. He needs time to think it over. He needs time to consult his advisors.
He first consults the elders. They tell him to listen to the people, and to serve them and give them a favorable answer. This doesn't fit into his tyrannical scheme, so he rejects their advice and moves on to his subjective friends who have already been brainwashed over the years. They tell him to make the burden heavier for the Israelites. They tell him to threaten them with more harsh labor.
Jeroboam and the people show up after three days to hear an answer. Rehoboam tells them, "My father's yoke was heavy, and I'm going to make it even heavier. He scourged the Israelites with whips, and I will scourge the Israelites with scorpions. Get the hell out of here and don't come back to Judah."
So, the Israelites go back home with their king Jeroboam. Although Rehoboam was completely outmatched and vulnerable, he still decided to rule with an iron fist. The people didn't like him, he didn't listen to the people, and he made their lives miserable. Jeroboam could have smashed him like a mosquito, but he chose instead to walk away and focus on how he could help the Israelites.
This is a tale of two leaders. One seeks solidarity with his people, and the other seeks control over his people. One listens to the requests of his people, and the other disregards the wishes of the people. One creates harmony, and the other creates misery.
When a leader is all about controlling what the people do, there will be a few who stick around because they want that sort of leadership. In this case, the people of Judah were the ones who stuck around. They could have left the oppression and joined the tribes under the direction of Jeroboam. However, they didn't. They instead hung on to the thought that possibly there could be some good that would come out of forced labor and punishment for disagreeing with the king.
The people under Jeroboam weren't going to have any of that. They wanted freedom. They didn't retaliate against Rehoboam however. They simply let him give him their answer, then walked away. They knew that trying to convince him to make the load lighter for the people of Judah wasn't going to do anything. Rehoboam was set in his ways to rule with unlimited power. Jeroboam and the ten tribes of Israel walked away and worked on being the change they wanted to see.
There are times when I get so angry about what leaders are doing, whether it be the president or the pastor, that I think shouting and screaming are the right solutions for the problem. Or, when I disagree with someone who is set in their ways, I'll keep conjuring up ways to get them to change their mind. After months of sending emails, having coffee, and writing blog posts, I'll realize that I've just spent three months wasting my time. When I could have been living out the things I believed, I spent all that time throwing pearls before swine.
I
love to debate and discuss. But, there is a balance there. If I go into
an argument or discussion trying to change the mind of my opponent, and
expect them to believe what I do, I'm in for a very rude and irritating
awakening. When I let go of my expectations to change anyone's mind
about any certain subject, I can freely voice my opinion and hear the
other's opinion. Then, when the discussion is over, I can walk away and
start figuring out ways to live out what my belief systems are.
When we let go of trying to change other people's minds, our focus shifts from what we stand against to what we stand for. When a group of people are constantly looking for things they can stand for, there is a power there that nothing can stop. The screaming and shouting stills, the animosity dies, and they are left with a blank slate to create something good in the world.
Today's Action: Is there anybody in our lives who we're spending a lot of time trying to persuade to think differently? What is it that we are so passionate about in these conversations? Are we wasting our time? Have we spent all this time screaming and shouting, clueless that we just spent months not doing what we're so passionate about?
The other king is named Jeroboam. He was the one who ran into Ahijah on the road and was told that he would become the king over all of Israel except the tribe of Judah. He was a hard worker, one who stood out to Solomon and became the supervisor over all the construction crews in the tribe of Joseph. He is now king over ten tribes of Israel.
When Jeroboam hears that Rehoboam is now king over Judah, he and the assembly of Israel show up to his town. They let him know that his father has put a heavy yoke of control over the people of Judah, and ask him to lighten it. Rehoboam tells them to go away for three days and then to come back. He needs time to think it over. He needs time to consult his advisors.
He first consults the elders. They tell him to listen to the people, and to serve them and give them a favorable answer. This doesn't fit into his tyrannical scheme, so he rejects their advice and moves on to his subjective friends who have already been brainwashed over the years. They tell him to make the burden heavier for the Israelites. They tell him to threaten them with more harsh labor.
Jeroboam and the people show up after three days to hear an answer. Rehoboam tells them, "My father's yoke was heavy, and I'm going to make it even heavier. He scourged the Israelites with whips, and I will scourge the Israelites with scorpions. Get the hell out of here and don't come back to Judah."
So, the Israelites go back home with their king Jeroboam. Although Rehoboam was completely outmatched and vulnerable, he still decided to rule with an iron fist. The people didn't like him, he didn't listen to the people, and he made their lives miserable. Jeroboam could have smashed him like a mosquito, but he chose instead to walk away and focus on how he could help the Israelites.
This is a tale of two leaders. One seeks solidarity with his people, and the other seeks control over his people. One listens to the requests of his people, and the other disregards the wishes of the people. One creates harmony, and the other creates misery.
When a leader is all about controlling what the people do, there will be a few who stick around because they want that sort of leadership. In this case, the people of Judah were the ones who stuck around. They could have left the oppression and joined the tribes under the direction of Jeroboam. However, they didn't. They instead hung on to the thought that possibly there could be some good that would come out of forced labor and punishment for disagreeing with the king.
The people under Jeroboam weren't going to have any of that. They wanted freedom. They didn't retaliate against Rehoboam however. They simply let him give him their answer, then walked away. They knew that trying to convince him to make the load lighter for the people of Judah wasn't going to do anything. Rehoboam was set in his ways to rule with unlimited power. Jeroboam and the ten tribes of Israel walked away and worked on being the change they wanted to see.
There are times when I get so angry about what leaders are doing, whether it be the president or the pastor, that I think shouting and screaming are the right solutions for the problem. Or, when I disagree with someone who is set in their ways, I'll keep conjuring up ways to get them to change their mind. After months of sending emails, having coffee, and writing blog posts, I'll realize that I've just spent three months wasting my time. When I could have been living out the things I believed, I spent all that time throwing pearls before swine.
When we let go of trying to change other people's minds, our focus shifts from what we stand against to what we stand for. When a group of people are constantly looking for things they can stand for, there is a power there that nothing can stop. The screaming and shouting stills, the animosity dies, and they are left with a blank slate to create something good in the world.
Today's Action: Is there anybody in our lives who we're spending a lot of time trying to persuade to think differently? What is it that we are so passionate about in these conversations? Are we wasting our time? Have we spent all this time screaming and shouting, clueless that we just spent months not doing what we're so passionate about?
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