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DAY 94 or APRIL 4.

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GREAT LEADERS ARE GREAT FOLLOWERS.

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Our thoughts today are from 1 Kings chapter 12, verse 8.

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Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him, and consulted the young men who had grown

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up with him, and were serving him.

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Now the big picture surrounding this verse.

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Halfway through the book of 1 Kings, the kingdom is split into North and South on the death

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of Solomon.

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These two separate kingdoms, Israel and Judah, will coexist for a long time before one is

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scattered and the other is taken away into exile, leaving the land bereft of the tribes

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of Israel for seventy years.

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The new king of Israel is now Rehoboam son of Solomon.

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He takes advice from his peers and decides not to reduce the taxation pressures on the

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tribes, and all ten of the northern tribes declare independence under their new leader,

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Jeroboam.

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He reintroduces the worship of golden calves, so that his people have no need now to travel

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south to the temple in Jerusalem.

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Poor leadership and persistent battles between these two kingdoms are the reason for this

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period being called the Divided Kingdom period.

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After only a hundred and twenty years of United Kingdom under Saul, David and Solomon, the

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land slips into chaos and never quite recovers.

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Our action step for today.

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When Rehoboam succeeded his father Solomon, he obviously decided it was time to show his

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power and enforce his rule.

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Rehoboam's mistake was being far too heavy-handed in his leadership.

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I remember a minister friend of mine telling me that he had just experienced a difficult

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church meeting, which he resolved by telling the whole church that he was the minister,

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and whatever they said, he would decide what the next step was.

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A modern day Rehoboam.

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Leaders should remember that they are followers of Jesus, who said that he came to serve.

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Make your priorities to make sure that as a leader you are leading as Christ would,

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whether in church or at home.