DCLM Daily Manna 24 June 2021 Devotional by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi — Shun Bad Advice
TOPIC: Shun Bad Advice
TEXT: 2 Chronicles 10:1-16
1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for to Shechem were all Israel come to make him king.
2 And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was in Egypt, whither he had fled from the presence of Solomon the king, heard it, that Jeroboam returned out of Egypt.
3 And they sent and called him. So Jeroboam and all Israel came and spake to Rehoboam, saying,
4 Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of thy father, and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve thee.
5 And he said unto them, Come again unto me after three days. And the people departed.
6 And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people?
7 And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever.
8 But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him.
9 And he said unto them, What advice give ye that we may return answer to this people, which have spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father did put upon us?
10 And the young men that were brought up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou answer the people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it somewhat lighter for us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins.
11 For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king bade, saying, Come again to me on the third day.
13 And the king answered them roughly; and king Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men,
14 And answered them after the advice of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add thereto: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
15 So the king hearkened not unto the people: for the cause was of God, that the LORD might perform his word, which he spake by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
16 And when all Israel saw that the king would not hearken unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? and we have none inheritance in the son of Jesse: every man to your tents, O Israel: and now, David, see to thine own house. So all Israel went to their tents.
KEY VERSE: “But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him.” – (2 Chronicles 10:8)
MESSAGE:
Sometimes, what gets people into trouble is not what they do, but the advice they get from others. The situation is made worse if someone seeks the advice that fits his preconceived notions. This is more so for some people of influence who love flattery and sycophancy.
And this was the problem of King Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. At their first appearance before the king, the people pleaded with him to reform some policies of his father’s era. Solomon had taxed the people heavily and subjected them to hard labour. The people pleaded with Rehoboam for a reprieve. Rather than respond immediately, he rescheduled the meeting. In the meantime, he asked the old counselors of his father what they thought of the people’s request. They advised him that a little reprieve would make the people more subservient to him. He rejected this counsel, and turned to his peers for guidance. They advised him not to show mercy as that would be a sign of weakness and that he should announce to the people that things would be tougher under his reign. The people revolted at this and ten tribes broke away leaving Rehoboam with two tribes.
Irrespective of our position in life, we should be willing to take counsel from those more knowledgeable and experienced than we are. Moreover, we should always seek God’s guidance on whatever we do and for wisdom to take right decisions. We must avoid those who only tell us what we want to hear. And where there is an impending prophecy of God’s judgment, the Lord will show mercy and cancel it if we change our ways.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY:
There is safety and security in wise counsel.
THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR:
1 Kings 9-10
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor W. F. Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
