DAY 94 or APRIL 4.
GREAT LEADERS ARE GREAT FOLLOWERS.
Our thoughts today are from 1 Kings chapter 12, verse 8.
Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him, and consulted the young men who had grown
up with him, and were serving him.
Now the big picture surrounding this verse.
Halfway through the book of 1 Kings, the kingdom is split into North and South on the death
of Solomon.
These two separate kingdoms, Israel and Judah, will coexist for a long time before one is
scattered and the other is taken away into exile, leaving the land bereft of the tribes
of Israel for seventy years.
The new king of Israel is now Rehoboam son of Solomon.
He takes advice from his peers and decides not to reduce the taxation pressures on the
tribes, and all ten of the northern tribes declare independence under their new leader,
Jeroboam.
He reintroduces the worship of golden calves, so that his people have no need now to travel
south to the temple in Jerusalem.
Poor leadership and persistent battles between these two kingdoms are the reason for this
period being called the Divided Kingdom period.
After only a hundred and twenty years of United Kingdom under Saul, David and Solomon, the
land slips into chaos and never quite recovers.
Our action step for today.
When Rehoboam succeeded his father Solomon, he obviously decided it was time to show his
power and enforce his rule.
Rehoboam's mistake was being far too heavy-handed in his leadership.
I remember a minister friend of mine telling me that he had just experienced a difficult
church meeting, which he resolved by telling the whole church that he was the minister,
and whatever they said, he would decide what the next step was.
A modern day Rehoboam.
Leaders should remember that they are followers of Jesus, who said that he came to serve.
Make your priorities to make sure that as a leader you are leading as Christ would,
whether in church or at home.