1 Kings 13:25

1 Kings 13:25 says, And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.  Some people came along and saw the carcass of the prophet with the lion standing by it and went and told people in the city where the old prophet lived. We are not told that they had attempted to retrieve the body of the prophet, but only that they brought news of what they had seen.  Some people are better at talking about things than they are at taking action.  Verse twenty-six adds, And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the Lord: therefore the Lord hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake unto him.  The old prophet who had lied and led the other prophet to disobey God did not take responsibility for what had happened but said that it was the prophet who had disobeyed God who was destroyed by the lion in punishment for his sin.  Those who lead us away from God's will by lies are never going to be quick to take responsibility if God punishes us.  Of course, ultimately the responsibility for our sins is ours personally.  Verse twenty-seven continues, And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled him.  The old prophet did begin to take some responsibility, telling his sons to saddle an ass for him, but it was too late to help the prophet who had been killed.  We may ultimately take responsibility for leading others astray, but it is often too late to undo the consequences of our sins.  Verse twenty-eight states, And he went and found his carcase cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcase: the lion had not eaten the carcase, nor torn the ass.  The old prophet found the body of the other prophet and the ass standing by it unharmed.  The lion had neither eaten the body nor torn the ass.  The ass was not being punished, and what happened to the body of the prophet after he was dead had nothing to do with God's punishment of him.  Punishment for our sins will never ultimately focus on our earthly body but on our soul and what happens in God's everlasting kingdom.  Verse twenty-nine adds, And the prophet took up the carcase of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back: and the old prophet came to the city, to mourn and to bury him.  The old prophet brought the body of the other prophet back to the city to mourn and bury him.  We are not told if he did this because his lie had influenced the other prophet to disobey God or not, but we may mourn our actions if we lead others to sin, but that is going to do nothing to change the situation.  Verse thirty continues, And he laid his carcase in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother!  The old prophet buried the other prophet in his own grave saying. Alas my brother.  I don't know if this was more because of what had happened to the other prophet or out of regret for his lie or both.  We may be sorry if our lies lead others to harm, but it may be too late to do them any good.  Verse thirty-one says, And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones:  The old prophet instructed his sons to bury him with the man of God, or other prophet, when he died.  He recognized that the other man had indeed been a man of God, and I believe that he was also acknowledging that he had not acted like a man of God in the situation.  Our actions after someone we have led astray has died are never really going to matter, nor is it going to matter if we try to honor them when we die.  Verse thirty-two adds, For the saying which he cried by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.  The old prophet said that all that the prophet had declared against the altar at Bethel and the high places would come to pass.  Of course, this was because the judgment was not the other prophet's but was God's.  Even if we aren't always faithful to God, His promises will always come to pass.  Verse thirty-three continues, After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places.  The prophesy of the prophet had no effect on Jeroboam except to make him even worse in his sinful actions and idolatry.   Some people are not going to accept God's truth no matter how clear it may become to them because they do not want to take themself off the throne of their live here in this world.  Verse thirty-four concludes, And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth.  Jeroboam's sinful actions would lead to his house being cut-off from God's kingdom forever.  Though our actions cannot cause anyone else to be denied salvation and everlasting life with God, if we reject Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, this will cause us to be cut off from His kingdom forever.

1 Kings 13:11

1 Kings 13:11 says, Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.  The sons of an old prophet in Bethel came and told him all that the prophet had done in Bethel that day.  I don't know why God had not spoken through this prophet, but He chose to use someone else instead, but it may be because of his character as we will see.  Still, when someone is doing a great work for God today, we need to let others know, and we can never be jealous of their work.  Verse twelve adds, And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah.  The old prophet asked his sons which way the other prophet went, and they told him toward Judah.  The prophet who had confronted Jeroboam was doing what God had told him to do, and so must we today.  Verse thirteen continues, And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon,  The old prophet had his sons saddle him an ass and he rode on him after the other prophet.  Since we are not told the name of either prophet, this can become confusing when talking about them.  As we know though, we don't know the names of all those who had worked to spread the gospel of Christ nor of all those who have professed to but really don't, as we will see was the case of the old prophet.  Verse fourteen states, And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am.  The old prophet caught up with the other prophet as he was sitting under an oak.  I am not sure why he had stopped, but He wasn't still on his way home as God had told him to be.  I do know that we should never stop short of doing what God has commanded us to do.  Verse fifteen adds, Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.  The old prophet invited the other prophet to come home with him and eat bread.  Having a meal seems to be a simple and non-sinful thing to do, and some things that we as Christians may be invited to do today may seem simple and unoffensive to God.  Verse sixteen continues, And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place:  The prophet told the old prophet that he couldn't do this.  Verse seventeen declares, For it was said to me by the word of the Lord, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.  He then told the old prophet why he couldn't.  God had told him not to eat or drink until he got back to where he came from.  This should have been the end of the conversation as far as the prophet was concerned.  God had told him what to do, and until God told him otherwise, he should have simply obeyed God.  So must we today.  Verse eighteen adds, He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.  The old prophet said he was also a prophet and that an angel had spoken to him and told him to bring the prophet home with him so he could eat and drink, but he lied.  We are never actually told that this old prophet was a prophet of God, and by his actions, we have to conclude that if he had been, he no longer was acting as one.  Just because someone claims to be speaking for God today by His authority doesn't mean that they are, and we as followers of Christ must be careful that we aren't deceived by them.  Verse nineteen continues, So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.  The prophet went with the old prophet and ate and drank with him, even though God had told him not to eat and drink there.  We are not told that the prophet sought God's guidance in the situation and that should have been the first thing he did.  If God had spoken to him to send him there and tell him what not to do while he was there, he should have questioned why God would not speak to him directly if he had changed His order to the prophet.  If God calls us to do something for Him today, and someone tells us that God told them something different, we need to do what God has told us to do.  We should certainly not just follow what they tell us to do without praying about it, because as Christians, the Holt Spirit will always lead us to the truth of God.  Verse twenty says, And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lord came unto the prophet that brought him back:  This time, God did speak through the old prophet.  We may not always understand God's ways, but we can always be sure that He is aware of what is going on in the world.  Verse twenty-four adds,  And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, and hast not kept the commandment which the Lord thy God commanded thee,  The old prophet told the other prophet that God had told him that God was aware of his disobedience, and He will always be aware of ours today.  Matthew Henry says we might wonder why the old prophet wasn't punished for lying to the other prophet, but this sin was on the other prophet alone.  He had disobeyed God's command to him.  Our concern should never be whether God punishes others or not, but it should be whether we are obeying Him or not no matter what anyone else may tell us.  Verse twenty-two continues, But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.  God told the prophet that since he had disobeyed Him, he would not be buried with his ancestors.  As Christians, where we are buried should be of little importance and if we are a born-again believer in Jesus Christ, we will never lose our place in God's family, but there will be consequences in this lifetime, if it is only a feeling of guilt. Verse twenty-three states, And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back.  After the prophet ate, he was given or loaned an ass by the old prophet and he left.  I have to wonder what both of them were thinking at this time.  If we have allowed ourself to be led astray today as Christians, it doesn't really matter if someone else tries to make life easier for us if God has already pronounced His judgment on us.   Of course, the sentence that God pronounced on the prophet concerned only his physical state and not his everlasting soul.  Though God may punish us in this lifetime, if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, our soul is safely in God's care forevermore.  Verse twenty-four adds. And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase.  On his way home, a lion killed the prophet and stood by his carcass.  God's word to the propjet was fulfilled, just as it always will be today.  Though we may think it unfair that this prophet was punished, and we aren't told that the old prophet who lied was, what we need to understand is that we are only responsible for our own actions, and no matter what someone else may tell us, we must be faithful to God's calling in our life.

1 Kings 13:1

1 Kings 13:1 says, And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.  A man of God, a prophet out of Judah was sent by God to Bethel, and Jeroboam was standing before the altar of his false god ready to burn incense.   God sent him straight to the source of the problem, which was Jeroboam and his false gods.  God will still send people to address false gods today I believe, and He will make it clear when He does.  Verse two adds, And he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.  This prophet didn't address Jeroboam, but he addressed the altar instead.  This was where the people were worshipping the false gods.  God today will condemn the sin while still reaching out to the sinner with His love.  I am sure that God would have preferred for Jeroboam to repent and be saved instead of being destroyed.  Matthew Henry says it was about 356 years before this prophesy was fulfilled totally fulfilled, but it was always a certainty that it would be, just as the return of Christ is, no matter how many years may pass before He returns.   Verse three continues, And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the Lord hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.  The prophet gave a sign that this was going to happen, and that sign was that the altar would be rent and the ashes on it would be poured out.  This would show God's superiority over these false idols, and we would have thought would have made Jeroboam repent and return to worshipping God.  I don't believe that God is going to destroy all the false religions today, but when Jesus Christ died on the cross, all these false religions were already defeated and one day all their places of worship will be destroyed.  All we can do in the meantime is share the gospel.  Verse four states, And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.  When Jeroboam heard what the prophet had to say, instead of repenting, he removed his hand from the altar and told those there to grab the prophet.  This prophet was not afraid of what Jeroboam might do to him, but was ready to do as God had commanded him to do, and so must we be ready to do whatever God calls us to do.  Jeroboam's hand dried up and he couldn't pull it in again.  This should have been a pretty good sign that the prophet was speaking for God.  Verse five adds, The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.  What God had said was going to happen to the altar then happened, and so would the things that He foretold about the future.  When Jesus Christ died and arose, all earthly barriers between man and God were removed, but this only matters if we accept Him as our personal Savior and Lord.  We can also be certain of His return when God says the time is right.  Verse six continues, And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the Lord, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.  Jeroboam asked the man of God to pray to his God and ask that his hand might be restored.  Of course, this should have been Jeroboam's God as well, and I believe it tells us a lot that he didn't pray to his god.  False gods will always be powerless to do anything.  The prophet then prayed to God and Jeroboam's hand was restored, which once more showed the power of God.  Verse seven says, And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.  Having just been ready to seize the prophet, Jeroboam then asked him to come home with him and he would reward him.  If God does something great through Christians today, the people of the world may want to reward us materially, but we need to make sure that God gets the credit and the glory instead.  We should never do anything for God expecting any material reward for it.  Verse eight adds, And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place:  The prophet told Jeroboam that he would not go with him if he offered him half of his kingdom, and he added that he would not eat or drink in that place.  If we are offered a reward for doing God's work today, we likewise need to decline ifr God has told us to have nothing to do with the place where we have been sent after we proclaim His word. Of course, we are supposed to reach out to sinners, but even in doing this we must act under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Verse nine continues, For so was it charged me by the word of the Lord, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.  The prophet said God had charged him to not eat bread or drink water there, but to deliver the message and leave.  Sometimes, all God calls us to do is deliver His message of salvation and then to be on our way.  Verse ten concludes, So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel.  Having been told not to return the way he came, the prophet took a different way back to Bethel.  We must also go where God sends us and leave it up to Him where we go next.

1 Kings 12:25

1 Kings 12:25 says, Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel.  Jeroboam began to build or fortify Shechem in Ephraim and Penuel in Gad, on the other side of the Jordan since he was not to rule out of Jerusalem.  He was including all of the tribes left for him to rule over.  God may call us to go and build a work in other places today, but that doesn't mean that He is not still at work where we have left.  Verse twenty-six adds, And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:  After this, Jeroboam asked rhetorically if the kingdom would now return to the house of David.  Matthew Henry says he was jealous of the people doing so and that building up these cities should encourage them to support him as king.  We can never build God's kingdom based on jealousy of others who are doing His work and still hope to be effective.  We must all work together.  Verse twenty-seven continues, If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.  Since the temple was in Jerusalem and Rehoboam was the ruler there, Jeroboam was afraid that when the people went to Jerusalem to worship God that they would follow Rehoboam and kill him.  He did not put a lot of faith in God and the fact that He had anointed him king over the ten tribes.  As followers of Christ, we should never be worried about those that God has placed us in a place of leadership over turning away to worship somewhere else.  If we are all following God's leadership, everything will be as God intends it to be.  Verse twenty-eight states, Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.  I am not sure who Jeroboam took council from, but it was bad advice.  Since he was worried about the people going to Jerusalem to the temple to worship, he made two golden calves and proclaimed them the be the gods that had brought them out of Egypt.  Not only was he making idols, but he was attributing God's work in the past to them.  We as Christians can never allow anything other than God to be what we worship, and we certainly should never attempt to attribute what God has done to some false god.  Verse twenty-nine adds, And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.  He put one of the golden calves in Bethel and the other in Dan.  He did not have much faith in the people or in God, and he should have also known that God was not confined to one place.  Instead of creating false gods. he could have built places to worship the true God other than the temple.  We should never believe that God is confined to one particular place.  Verse thirty continues, And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.  These idols became a source of sin for the people as they started to worship them.  It is surprising how easily God's people were led to worship false gods.  As followers of Christ, we must acknowledge that He alone can bring salvation to us, and if anyone attempts to teach anything else, we must reject their teachings.  Verse thirty-one says, And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.  Jeroboam then made a house of worship in the high places, and ordained his own priests, who were not Levites and were called the lowest of people.  We cannot afford to place people in positions of leadership in the church today who have not been called by God to serve in that position.  Verse thirty-two adds, And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.  Jeroboam then made a feast that would be like the one in Judah, except without God's blessing and put his priests, who were not God's priests, in charge of the sacrifices.   Our worship services must be in accordance with God's will, and we can never allow false leaders to lead us away from worshipping Him alone.  Verse thirty-three continues, So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.  Jeroboam led the people in worshipping what he himself had created.  Again, we can never allow manmade things to become a part of our worship service, but as Christians, we must always keep God at the center of our worship services.

1 Kings 12:21

1 Kings 12:21 says, And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.  One-hundred-eighty thousand men of the tribe of Judah and Benjamin assembled to go to war against the rest of the people of Israel and bring them back under Rehoboam's rule.  They may have believed that it was God's will that they do so since Rehoboam was Solomon's son, but he was not willing to listen to the people.  Just because someone is the descendant of a leader in the church today doesn't make them automatically a replacement for them when they are old or die, especially if they are more concerned for themselves than they are for those they would be over.  Verse twenty-two adds, But the word of God came unto Shemaiah the man of God, saying,  While they were assembled, God's word came to Shemaiah, a prophet of God.  The word did not come to Rehoboam himself, probably because he wasn't looking to God for direction.  As Christians, we should really never need someone else to come to us and tell us what God has to say.  Verse twenty-three continues, Speak unto Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying,  God told Shemaiah to speak to Rehoboam and all the people of Judah and Benjamin.  Though we as Christians are told to go into all the world and share the gospel, at times God may give us a message for a specific group of people if they are about to do something outside of His will.  Still, it will always be consistent with His word if He does.  Verse twenty-four concludes, Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the Lord, and returned to depart, according to the word of the Lord.  Shemaiah told them that God said they were not to go fight against their brethren, the people of Israel.  We as followers of Christ should never be fighting against our fellow believers, even if we do have different believes about who should be in charge in the church, as long as it is not inconsistent with God's word.  The people listened to God's word and went back home.  They had to believe in God and that Shemaiah was speaking His word to them.  If we listen to someone's direction today, we need to believe that they are speaking the truth of God, and to do that, we must first acknowledge God by accepting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord.     

1 Kings 12:16

1 Kings 12:16 says, So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we in David? neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse: to your tents, O Israel: now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents.  When Rehoboam wouldn't listen to the people, they asked what did they have to do with the house of David. They said they had no inheritance with him.   Matthew Henry said they acted rashly in rejecting David, their great benefactor, as being no more than any other man and not God's anointed king whose descendants were to rule over them forever.  Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of that promise, yet too many people see Him as just another man that they see no need to follow.  They left Rehoboam's rule.  Verse seventeen adds, But as for the children of Israel which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.  Not all the people rejected Rehoboam, and the people of Judah followed him.  Jesus Christ will still divide people today, but He will never be a cruel Ruler, but will always want what is spiritually best for His followers.  Verse eighteen continues, Then king Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was over the tribute; and all Israel stoned him with stones, that he died. Therefore king Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot, to flee to Jerusalem.  Rehoboam sent Adoram to collect the tribute, or taxes, and the people stoned him to death, so Rehoboam fled to Jerusalem.  Rehoboam was a descendant of David, but he wasn't following God's guidance, so he did not have God's protection.  We may be the descendant of some great man of God, but that does not mean that we are saved.  We must accept Jesus Christ in order to be saved, and then we should seek and follow His will for our life.  Verse nineteen states, So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day.  The people of Israel, ten tribes, rebelled against Rehoboam.  When things don't go as they want, too many people rebel against God today.  Even though at times we may not be certain which earthly ruler to endorse, we can always be certain that we should follow Jesus Christ.  Verse twenty adds, And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.  Matthew Henry points out that the people of Israel did not call on Jeroboam to be king until Rehoboam fled.  He says had Rehoboam been willing to listen to the people and treat them with respect that they would likely have accepted him as king, but he didn't.  He ran away instead, in spite of his talk of ruling even more harshly than Solomon had.  When Jesus Christ calls us to follow Him, we can be certain that He will always want what is best for us, and He will never desert us.

1 Kings 12:1

1 Kings 12:1 says, And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king.  Rehoboam went to Shechem and all the people went there as well to make him king.  Evidently, the fact that God had chosen Jeroboam to be king of most of Israel was not a well-known fact.  When we select leaders in the church today, we need to make sure that they are the person that God has chosen.  Who their parents were should not be a determining factor.  Verse two adds, And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it, (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt;)  Jeroboam heard that Rehoboam was to be anointed king while he was still in Egypt.  We need to know what is being done in God's name today wherever we may be.  Verse three continues, That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying,  The people of Israel, or at least most of them, went with Jeroboam to speak to Rehoboam.  They didn't just come and say they weren't going to follow him but presented him with an option if they were going to.  If someone is going to be placed in a position of authority in the church today, I believe that we need to make sure that they are following God's will and doing what is best for the church as a whole and not just looking for a position of power and self-glorification.  Verse four continues, Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.  They told Rehoboam that Solomon had made their yoke heavy and asked that he make it lighter if they were going to serve him as their king.  I believe that those in power today should be working to make the burdens of Christians lighter and not heavier.  Verse five concludes, And he said unto them, Depart yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.  Rehoboam told them to go away for three days and then he would give them his answer.  At least he was taking the time to consider what he was going to do.  We today should always take the time to consider our actions before we take them, and as Christians, we should always seek God's guidance before we take any action.  Verse six states, And king Rehoboam consulted with the old men, that stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, and said, How do ye advise that I may answer this people?  Though we aren't told that Rehoboam prayed about the situation, he did consult with the old men who had served Solomon about what he should do.  Of course, as Christians, the first thing we should do if we have a decision to make, whether about a personal issue or an issue with the church, is to pray about it, but then we would also be wise to consult with those who are older Christians and ask their advice.  Verse seven adds, And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.  These older men told Rehoboam that if he would be a servant to the people of Israel and would treat them fairly that they would be his servants forever.  As followers of Christ, He is our King and we can be certain that He will always do what is best for us spiritually as long as we are following Him, so we should always serve Him faithfully.  Verse eight continues, But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and consulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him:  Rehoboam did not listen to the old men because they didn't tell him what he wanted to hear.  Some people in power today are not going to listen to anyone who tells them that they are there to serve the people and not to enrich or glorify themselves.  Verse nine says, And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?  He then asked what the young men would advise him to tell the people who said that he needed to lighten the yoke that Solomon his father had put on them.  Leaders in the church today should not put a heavy burden on the people that they are supposed to serve in order to support a luxurious lifestyle or even to support a luxurious building that really should not be there just as a showplace.  Verse ten adds, And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins.  The young men who grew up with Rehoboam then joined in, telling him to tell the people that the yoke Solomon had placed on them was going to be light compared to what he was going to do.  We may get advice from younger people that is not consistent with what the church is supposed to be about.  This is not to say that younger people are always wrong, but sometimes they can be more self-centered.  Verse eleven continues, And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.  The young men continued to tell Rehoboam to tell the people that he was going to be even more oppressive to them than Solomon had been.  At least they were advising him to be honest about his intentions.  He would have had better success by promising them that he would ease their burden and then increasing it after he was established in power.  Sometimes, would be leaders today will promise us that things are going to be better for us if they are in power than they are now, but they really aren't concerned as much about all the people as they are about themself and their friends.  So, the people of Israel should at least be thankful that Rehoboam was advised to be truthful with them.  Verse twelve states, So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying, Come to me again the third day.  After three days, Jeroboam and the people of Israel came to Rehoboam again for his answer.  We need to remember that Jeroboam had already been anointed by God to be the king of ten tribes of Israel, but he didn't come making that claim to power.  Like David with Saul, he was not just assuming the position that God had appointed him to without any respect for Rehoboam who could have believed that he was the rightful king.  Still, if God has called us to a position, we need to fill that position as soon as He tells us to, and God had already told Jeroboam that the majority of the kingdom was being taken away from Rehoboam and given to him.  Verse thirteen adds, And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old men's counsel that they gave him;  Rehoboam answered the people roughly while rejecting the advice of the old men.  I believe he was acting out of arrogance and self-pride, and we still encounter leaders and would be leaders who act the same way today.  Verse fourteen continues, And spake to them after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.  Rehoboam followed the advice of the young men, once again we should notice without seeking God's guidance in the matter.  We as Christians can never afford to act without seeking God's guidance first.  Verse fifteen concludes, Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the Lord, that he might perform his saying, which the Lord spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.  Though God was credited with Rehoboam's answer to fulfill a prophesy, I believe that He just knew what was in Rehoboam's heart or nature.  I don't believe that God ever causes people to act outside His will, but He will always allow them to do so.