Today's Daily Lesson comes from 2 Chronicles chapter 10 verses 12 through 16:
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had said, “Come to me again the third day.” 13 The king answered them harshly. King Rehoboam rejected the advice of the older men; 14 he spoke to them in accordance with the advice of the young men, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.” 15 So the king did not listen to the people, because it was a turn of affairs brought about by God so that the Lord might fulfill his word, which he had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.
16 When all Israel saw that the king would not listen to them, the people answered the king,
“What share do we have in David?
We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse.
Each of you to your tents, O Israel!
Look now to your own house, O David.”
Rehoboam son of Solomon acceded to the throne at a very precarious point in the life of Israel. The Northern tribes were organized and ready to split apart from the powerful Judah, and the clouds of civil war were on the horizon.
Rehoboam was given one last chance to keep the House of David together. The people demanded reform. They wanted a say in governance and a share in prosperity. But Rehoboam took bad counsel. He flexed his muscle and doubled down on his might. Soon the nation was at war within itself. It would never be unified again.
This is a cautionary tale. The consent of the people is an essential part of governance. In order have that, the people must feel that their interests are being served and that they are being treated with fairness. A wise ruler will listen to the people and learn from them, or risk losing them.
And when the people are lost so too is the nation.
NOTE: We are reading the whole Bible through this year. Tomorrow's Lesson comes from 1 Kings 16 and 2 Chronicles 17.
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