Rejecting Wisdom

1 Kings 12

Israel Refuses to Follow Rehoboam

1 Rehoboam went to Shechem. All of the people of Israel had gone there to make him king. 2 Jeroboam heard about it. He was the son of Nebat. Jeroboam was still in Egypt at that time. He had gone there for safety. He wanted to get away from King Solomon. But now he returned from Egypt. 3 So the people sent for Jeroboam. He and the whole community of Israel went to Rehoboam. They said to him. 4 "Your father put a heavy load on our shoulders. But now make our hard work easier. Make the heavy load on us lighter. Then we'll serve you." 5 Rehoboam answered, "Go away for three days. Then come back to me." So the people went away. 6 King Rehoboam asked the elders for advice. They had served his father Solomon while he was still living. Rehoboam asked them, "What advice can you give me? How should I answer these people?" 7 They replied, "Serve them today. Give them what they are asking for. Then they'll always serve you." 8 But Rehoboam didn't accept the advice the elders gave him. Instead, he asked for advice from the young men who had grown up with him and were now serving him. 9 He asked them, "What's your advice? How should I answer these people? They say to me, 'Make the load your father put on our shoulders lighter.' " 10 The young men who had grown up with him gave their answer. They replied, "These people say to you, 'Your father put a heavy load on our shoulders. Make it lighter.' Tell them, 'My little finger is stronger than my father's legs. 11 My father put a heavy load on your shoulders. But I'll make it even heavier. My father beat you with whips. But I'll beat you with bigger whips.' " 12 Three days later Jeroboam and all of the people returned to Rehoboam. That's because the king had said, "Come back to me in three days." 13 The king answered the people in a mean way. He didn't accept the advice the elders had given him. 14 Instead, he followed the advice of the young men. He said, "My father put a heavy load on your shoulders. But I'll make it even heavier. My father beat you with whips. But I'll beat you with bigger whips."

Dear Jesus,

Self deception seems to be the theme of my studies lately. And that gives me one big "Uh-oh." What am I deceived about? I think I'm catching a glimpse of the lesson that You are trying to wake me up about.

In this passage there is a clear account of a man that is self deceived. He says he is seeking an answer, but when one is given that he doesn't like, he continues to search until he finds the one that fits to his own selfish desires.

Rehoboam needs an answer, and he turns to the "elders."

In scripture- wisdom is often attributed with age. (job 12:12- "Wisdom is with aged men, With long life is understanding., Proverbs 22:15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child) In the letters to Timothy, Paul encourages Timothy to have the older teach the younger.

The elders speak wisdom. They give the advice that the people wanted to hear. It was advice to be compassionate and understanding, but Rehoboam doesn't want that... so he continues to search. He seeks the young men, and their "wisdom" is foolishness. They tell him what he wants to hear, and what the people will reject him for.

As an outsider, a reader of scripture, we can see that it is all a part of God's plan. That God is the one that causes him to reject the wise counsel so that he will be rejected by Israel. But that isn't the view we get in our own lives. I wonder what situations I am in that I have rejected advice because I wanted to hear what I wanted to hear....

Lord, Give me the wisdom to hear Your wisdom and to know Your leading and to accept it. Help me to reject the wisdom of the foolish. I desire to follow Your ways.

1 Kings 6

Solomon Builds the Temple

1 Solomon began to build the temple of the Lord. It was 480 years after the people of Israel had come out of Egypt. It was in the fourth year of Solomon's rule over Israel. He started in the second month. That was the month of Ziv.

2 The temple King Solomon built for the LORD was 90 feet long. It was 30 feet wide. And it was 45 feet high.

3 The temple had a porch in front of the main hall. The porch was as wide as the temple itself. It was 30 feet wide. It came out 15 feet from the front of the temple.

4 Solomon made narrow windows high up in the temple walls.

5 He built side rooms around the temple. They were built against the walls of the main hall and the Most Holy Room.

6 On the first floor the side rooms were seven and a half feet wide. On the second floor they were nine feet wide. And on the third floor they were ten and a half feet wide. Solomon made the walls of the temple thinner as they went up floor by floor. The result was ledges along the walls. So the floor beams of the side rooms rested on the ledges. The beams didn't go into the temple walls.

7 All of the stones that were used for building the temple were shaped where they were cut. So hammers, chisels and other iron tools couldn't be heard where the temple was being built.

Letter from a Friend

Hi Friend~ I am going to continue to pray and ask God for a verse for you or to even confirm if this was the best choice to send to you. However, this morning just sitting with the Lord I read

Psalm 135:5-6

⁵For I know that the LORD is great,
and that our Lord is above all gods.
⁶ Whatever the LORD pleases, he does,
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all deeps.

And I got to thinking with this that our Lord, our Savior does whatever He pleases to do. He allows all things for His pleasure. He has the blimps perspective on the Rose parade sort of speak. From beginning to the end He sees it. We see just the float that just passed us, the one in front of us, and the front of the one coming our way. He sees the entire parade happening at the same time. I got to thinking that if it pleases Him then it should please me as well. If it’s what he wants then it SHOULD be what I want. So why the often struggle in our heart. Romans 12 tells us the will of God is good and acceptable and perfect. We want to believe this and surrender to this but our flesh rages war against this truth. I concluded all I know how to do and all I know to tell anyone else is to take it to the cross. Unsurrendered hearts need to be broken at the cross, tears need to be shed, and the brokenness of a doubting heart needs to be left at the cross. Repentance of the sin so the healing can come is where this all needs to start. Not once in our life but every time it comes – we need to take it to the cross. Will we ever be perfected in this. I really don’t know if that will happen here on earth. I know it happens for moments at a time but a lifestyle of this not so sure, as I’ve yet to be able to say it is true of me – SO take it to the cross is what I will continue to do.

I had the AHA moment thinking that we have become a people who have organized the Lord right out of our lives, our churches – everything. Don’t get me wrong plans are great, organization is good. But we have so come to know it like the back of our hands that we have learned it to perfection and most things get done without ever really considering what He thinks on the subject. When we have not peace we view it as opposition from the enemy, instead of the truth that we have veered off His path and now walk without Him. I firmly believe that He is desperately trying to teach us how to really walk with Him. To not be in the know of the steps down the road, only the one in the here and now. Total dependence on our Lord who has a good and perfect plan for us. We continue to buck up against this training and discipline in our lives that soon will be the very thing that will save us as the days grow darker.

So in conclusion of this time spent with the Lord this morning with this whole thought process. I will purpose to see what looks hard to me and impossible in my mind, as my Jesus doing what He pleases in my life because and trusting that He comes from a heart of pure untainted love towards me. Just some random thoughts this morning that when I was finished thought of you and that maybe this just might be the verse I have been praying for you.

This is My Prayer

2 Samuel 19:14 So the hearts of all of the men of Judah were turned toward David. All of them had the same purpose in mind. They sent a message to the king. It said, "We want you to come back.

God, I want all my principals, students, parents of students, and coworkers to have this message on their tongue for me :) God, turn the heart of the people towards me that I might be rehired for next year.

Thoughts on 2 Samuel 19

1 Someone told Joab, "The king is sobbing over Absalom. He's filled with sadness because his son has died."

2 The army had won a great battle that day. But their joy turned into sadness. That's because someone had told the troops, "The king is filled with sorrow because his son is dead."

3 The men came quietly into the city that day. They were like fighting men who are ashamed because they've run away from a battle.

4 The king covered his face. He sobbed out loud, "My son Absalom! Absalom, my son, my son!"

5 Then Joab went into the king's house. He said to him, "Today you have made all of your men feel ashamed. They have just saved your life. They have saved the lives of your sons and daughters. And they have saved the lives of your wives and concubines.

6 "You love those who hate you. You hate those who love you. The commanders and their troops don't mean anything to you. You made that very clear today. I can see that you would be pleased if Absalom were alive today and all of us were dead.

7 "Now go out there and cheer up your men. If you don't, you won't have any of them left with you by sunset. That will be worse for you than all of the troubles you have ever had in your whole life. That's what I promise you with an oath in the LORD's name."

Isn't it interesting how we can so often rejoice in the wrong victories. As I read this passage I am filled with a deep regret for the times that I have missed the boat on showing my appreciation to the right people for the right thing. The times that I have overlooked the Godly, for the ungodly. It reminds me of a story I have heard over and over from various teachers about the missionary couple that returns from the mission field after many years and no one is there to meet them as they enter the country. Expecting that someone will be there at each destination until they reach their home and they realize that no one is there, no one to greet them, no one to thank them and congratulate for a job well done.

This is a passage that as I read, I am filled with a stirring in my heart, but I don't really understand it.

Lord, what do you want me to understand from this passage?

The Life I Want to Live

Psalm 26

A psalm of David.

1 Lord, when you hand down your sentence, let it be in my favor. I have lived without blame. I have trusted in the Lord. I have never doubted him.

2 Lord, test me. Try me out. Look deep down into my heart and mind.

3 Your love is always with me. I have always lived by your truth.

4 I don't spend time with people who tell lies. I don't keep company with pretenders.

5 I hate to be with a group of sinful people. I refuse to spend time with those who are evil.

6 I wash my hands to show that I'm not guilty. Lord, I come near your altar.

7 I shout my praise to you. I tell about all the wonderful things you have done.

8 Lord, I love the house where you live. I love the place where your glory is.

9 Don't destroy me together with sinners. Don't take my life away along with murderers.

10 Their hands are always planning to do evil. Their right hands are full of money that bought them off.

11 But I live without blame. Set me free and show me your favor.

12 My feet stand on level ground. In the whole community I will praise the Lord.

I want to say these things! How do I make this true of me this side of heaven? I can't say that I am blameless. And what does it mean to say, "I hate to be with a group of sinful people?" You Jesus, spent time with tax-gatherers and prostitutes and people that were sinners... that was Your ministry. Lord, help me to be more like You.

Defeat Following Victory

OK Lord, as I continue to read about the life of David, I have to chuckle that just at a time when he is learning to trust in You and to let You be his defender, he takes matters into his own hands and he flees to Ziklag. He isn't trusting in You there. He is fighting the battles against his enemies but lying to Achish about what he is doing. Lord, help me to continue to trust in You and do things Your way!