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Speaker 1: I'm John Stangi, and today we're in Second Chronicles, chapter ten,
Speaker 1: and we'll be reading from the contemporary English version. Reebohm
Speaker 1: went to Shechem, where everyone was waiting to crown him.
Speaker 1: King Jeroboam, son of Niebat, heard what was happening, and
Speaker 1: he returned from Egypt, where he had gone to hide
Speaker 1: from Solomon. The people from the northern tribes of Israel
Speaker 1: sent for him. Then together they went to Reobohm and said,
Speaker 1: your father Solomon forced us to work very hard, but
Speaker 1: if you make our work easier, we will serve you
Speaker 1: and do whatever you ask. Raoboam replied, come back in
Speaker 1: three days for my answer. So the people left. Raaboam
Speaker 1: went to some leaders who had been his father's senior officials,
Speaker 1: and he asked them what should I tell these people.
Speaker 1: They answered, if you want them to serve and obey you,
Speaker 1: then you should be kind and promise to make their
Speaker 1: work easier. But Rayaboam refused their advice and went to
Speaker 1: the younger men who had grown up with him and
Speaker 1: were now his officials. He asked, what do you think
Speaker 1: I should say to these people who asked me to
Speaker 1: make their work easier. His younger advisers said, here's what
Speaker 1: we think you should say to them. Compared to me,
Speaker 1: my father was weak. He made you work hard, but
Speaker 1: I'll make you work even harder. He punished you with whips,
Speaker 1: but I'll use whips with pieces of sharp metal. Three
Speaker 1: days later, Jeroboum and the others came back. Rayabam ignored
Speaker 1: the advice of the older advisers. He spoke bluntly and
Speaker 1: told them exactly what his own advisors had suggested. He said,
Speaker 1: my father made you work hard, but I'll make you
Speaker 1: work even harder. He punished you with whips, but I'll
Speaker 1: use whips with pieces of sharp metal. When the people
Speaker 1: realized that Raaboam would not listen to them, they shouted,
Speaker 1: we don't have to be loyal to David's family. We
Speaker 1: can do what we want. Come on, people of Israel,
Speaker 1: let's go home. Raaboam can rule his own people. Adoniram
Speaker 1: was in charge of the workforce, and Raaboam sent him
Speaker 1: to talk to the people, but they stoned him to death.
Speaker 1: Then Reaboam ran to his chariot and hurried back to Jerusalem.
Speaker 1: Everyone from Israel's northern tribes went home, leaving Reaboam to
Speaker 1: rule only the people from Judah. And since that day
Speaker 1: the people of Israel have been opposed to David's descendants
Speaker 1: in Judah. All of this happened just as a Hyjah,
Speaker 1: the Lord's prophet from Shiloh, had told Jeroboam, let's pray, Lord,
Speaker 1: we thank you for your word, and we thank you
Speaker 1: for the privilege to be able to look at it today.
Speaker 1: And Lord, as we look at this portion of scripture,
Speaker 1: we can see that the people of Israel rebelled against
Speaker 1: the man who sat on David's throne. And Lord, we
Speaker 1: know that that's not the only time that they chose
Speaker 1: to do so. We know that that was also the
Speaker 1: case in the spiritual realm, when they rejected Jesus as
Speaker 1: their messiah. And Lord, that's been the case in our
Speaker 1: lives as well. We've rebelled against you. We've gone our
Speaker 1: own way in this case. Here we see Raya Bohm
Speaker 1: being an oppressive king. But your word reveals to us
Speaker 1: that Jesus Christ is a gentle, loving, faithful, and kind
Speaker 1: king who sacrificially serves his people, as opposed to being
Speaker 1: someone who is a harsh and bitter task master. Rayebeam
Speaker 1: was trying to be. Lord. We're so grateful that you
Speaker 1: welcome us into your family, and we're so grateful that
Speaker 1: through faith in your son Jesus Christ, we are part
Speaker 1: of his kingdom forever, and that he rules and reigns
Speaker 1: benevolently and we're the beneficiaries of that. So Lord, we
Speaker 1: pray that we would rejoice in that truth, and that
Speaker 1: our lives would testify to our love for your son
Speaker 1: Jesus Christ, and that others would come to know the
Speaker 1: saving grace of Jesus Christ as a result. We're grateful,
Speaker 1: Lord for your presence with us today. We commit this
Speaker 1: day to your care, and we pray this all in Jesus' name. Amen.