Rend Your Heart and Not Your Garment — Joshua Daniel

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Rehoboam’s Judgment Under Shishak

If we turn to the twelfth chapter and look at 5 and 6, 2 Chronicles 12,. Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and lo, the princes of Judah that were gathered together in Jerusalem because of Shishak, that was the king of Egypt, who invaded them because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus said the Lord, You have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.

Thirteenth verse,. For Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there.

Family Influence and Rehoboam’s Unstable Character

And his mother's name was Namah, an Ammonitess. See a mother's values come down to a boy or girl, who was she? From Lot's family, the mother was from Lot's family. So there came that instability into Rehoboam, an inbuilt instability.

But don't forget Ruth was a Moabitess, Lot's family, but she overcame that so completely by following the truth. Now in this case, Solomon's son, Rehoboam, did not overcome his nature. It was a seesawing nature, you know, like we have today, you know, seesawing people.

You can never be sure what they are going to do, what they are up to. What do you mean? An unreliable character? You know, a person must have, no matter what the circumstances, a character which is rock stable and steady.

Testing and Spiritual Formation Through Adversity

Circumstances do not determine our future. No, it is our keeping to the chart and compass, which God has given us. So we have nothing to fear from circumstances. Circumstances sometimes are very unfavorable.

And actually God uses certain circumstances to shape us up. If all of us had wonderful smooth waters to sail on and all favorable winds, what kind of people would we be? Would we be proper navigators?

No currents, everything is smooth sailing. You want that? I don't want that. I want to be toughened up. I want to be tested. I want to be shown what I am really inside. I don't want to put on appearances.

What am I really inside? That's what I want to know. And so my dear friends, if you turn to the 10th chapter and 4 and 7, you know in the 10th chapter Rehoboam had to face a people who said, Oh, your dad taxed us heavily.

Rehoboam Rejects Counsel on Relieving the People’s Burden

I don't know, maybe Solomon felt that some of those, the temple of the Lord should have the very best, most precious stones, whatever, the people came to him and said, when he succeeded Solomon, the people said, your father, 4th verse, 10th chapter, made our yoke grievous.

Now therefore, ease thou somewhat the grievous servitude of your father and his heavy yoke that he put upon us, and we will serve you. And he said unto them, come again unto me after three days. And the people departed.

And King Rehoboam took counsel with the old man that had stood before Solomon, his father, while he had lived, saying, What counsel give you me to return answer to this people? And they speak unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this people and please them and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants forever.

The Destructive Arrogance of Harsh Words

Some of these old advisors of Solomon said, No, learn just kind words will never die. You know, my mother used to say, kind words will never die. No, never die. You know, we are capable of kind words and harsh words.

Some people can come out with a real acid tongue, real acid tongue. How does that help? And here, when the people were all so upset about the heavy taxation, what did the younger advisors say to him? The tenth verse.

Thus shall thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins. Great word, isn't it? My little finger will be thicker than all the girth of my father's loins. What? What arrogance?

You know, arrogance never wins, never wins. And so, whereas my eleventh verse, whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.

Ha, do not that, my friends, very kind words, no, harsh words, and then these people revolted. You see, the king answered them roughly, thirteenth verse. And King Rehoboam forsook the counsel of the old men and answered them after the advice of the young men.

What was the result? Nineteenth verse. Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day. The kingdom got divided, kingdom got divided. David, then Solomon, the man of peace, then Rehoboam, the man who divided the kingdom.

He would not be kind. Now, if you turn to Joel, second chapter, you will see how Hosea, Joel, second chapter in the thirteenth verse. Rend your heart and not your garments. Turn unto the Lord your God, for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness.

Repentance, Kindness, and True Humility of Heart

You know, somehow many Christians, while I know some Christians who are so kind, my, my, my, some people really surprised me. I sat down to dinner in Stuttgart and I was proceeding with my dinner when a telephone rang and the telephone was there.

Oh, the leader of this whole mission is waiting for you. The Oberyn is waiting. It was already late for dinner. And here was an older lady, elderly lady. She refused to dine till I traveled those 20 kilometers and got to that place.

She just waited and all the leaders waited till I arrived. Some gestures are so foreign to some people. They're just so nasty by nature, nasty people. And then when they become Christians, they transfer to the Christian side their nastiness also.

They're just nasty people. They have never learned the law of kindness. In her tongue is the law of kindness, says the Bible. Dividing a kingdom? My, what a kingdom it was. Just by nastiness, arrogance, pride.

My little finger will be thicker than my father's girth. What a terrible statement. So, my dear friends, God is full of kindness. Let us pray. Father, we pray on our tongues. Let there be the law of kindness.

We can learn to be gracious. We can see someone else's point. We can be patient with someone else. But let our tumbling be true. A rending of our hearts. Hear our prayer. In Jesus' holy name, amen.

The speaker on this program was Joshua Daniel. He would like to know what your response has been to the Lord's challenge and would be delighted to hear from you. Please write and if you have burdens you want to share and want prayer, do let us know.

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