1 Kings 12

Today’s Passage: 1 Kings 12

Everything seems to be falling apart. In 1 Kings 11 we read of the fall of Solomon… and
the fall was great. And in his place his son, Rehoboam, ruled. But everything seems to
go from bad to worse. He abandons wise counsel. The kingdom splits. There is
division. There is idol worship. And this can be traced back to Solomon’s lack of
discipleship to His kids and ultimately to David.

1 Kings 12 has some crucial things for us to think about in relation to our lives. Here are
some thoughts for you.

1) WHO YOU LISTEN TO MATTERS (V.1-15)

As Rehoboam steps into leadership the people ask him to lighten their load because
Solomon had made it heavy. So he goes to older men to ask for wise counsel and they
say to do it. And then he “abandons” and “forsakes” their advice to go listen to younger
men who want to simply tell him what He wants to hear.

Here are some practical thoughts on seeking advice:

• Seek advice from older wiser people > younger less wise people.
• Don’t just seek advice from people that will tell you what you want to hear.
• Listen with humility. Do not forsake in pride.
• Great leaders seek great counsel.
• Accept that we are not smart enough to go through life well without counsel.

He didn’t listen to the counsel.

2) OUR DECISIONS HAVE REAL CONSEQUENCES (V.16-33)

I guarantee you he did not expect this to go down the way it did. I guarantee you that
he did not expect the people to rebel. He didn’t want to lead people. He wanted to
control people. There were real consequences:

• The kingdom divided.
• They were on the brink of war.
• Idol worship.

We cannot undervalue the decisions, no matter how small they seem, truly are. They
matter. They have consequences. Who has God placed in your life as godly wise
counsel? What does it look like to ask and genuinely listen to them?

Let’s live today for Jesus CPC!

Written By: Nick Parsons