A Second look at a bad Decision

Read 1 Chronicles 10.

With a change in leadership, the nation looked for relief from the burdens of King Solomon; namely, the style of leadership, amount of work, and taxes.

The new king, Rehoboam, had been given an opportunity to be more popular than his famous father.  He inherited this expanded kingdom and all its wealth.  There could not have been anything lacking.  But this inaugural decision required wisdom and character.  Rehoboam had neither one.

Solomon wrote, "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction." (Proverbs 1:7)

There is no indication that Rehoboam tried to understand what God wanted him to do.  Given that, there was no way his leadership would ever last.  Solomon also left the new king an advisory council to provide guidance in making important decisions.  He met with them but ignored their wisdom.  His young, foolish friends possessed greedy agendas and swayed the king away from what was right.

Meanwhile, Jeroboam and ten of the twelve tribes of Israel waited for an answer.  The disastrous decision split the nation in two, leaving only Judah and Benjamin to remain under Rehoboam's leadership.

Two insights for us today from verse 15:
1. "So the king did not listen to the people..."
A good leader listens.  That does not mean that every decision will be popular with the majority, but it does mean that those under that leadership feel heard.  It requires wisdom and skill to navigate what was said to make a right decision.  As a local talk show says, "It is not what is right or left.  It is what is right or wrong."

2. "...it was a turn of affairs brought about by God that the LORD might fulfill his word..."
When an authority makes a bad decision, a wrong decision, or even a sinful one there is One in heaven who is the Ultimate Authority.  It requires a spiritual perspective for followers to look beyond the human leader and trust God for the outcome.  None of this caught God by surprise.  He predicted it.  And, the story has not concluded.  One day every wrong will be made right.  Every sin will be judged.  Every faithful person will be rewarded.