1 Kings 12
Here in the UK we will shortly be taking part in an election to the European Parliament and the various political parties and nut-jobs (Sorry if that phrase is offensive) are trying to persuade me that their policies and world views are not only healthy but in my best interest.
Political spin doctors also appear in this chapter of the Bible.
Solomon has died and his son Rehoboam has become king and the leaders of the people come to him with a request - your father laid a heavy yoke on us, forced labour, taxation and oppression. Make our lives better and easier and we will happily follow you. Sound familiar?
Rehoboam asked for 3 days thinking time and when they return in 3 days he will have made his decision.
He asked his father's advisors, men who have been in the administration and know what the king can get away with and what he cannot, and they advise king Rehoboam to relax his iron grip and lower his expectations, at least for now and he would be a good king of the whole land.
He also asked the friends and advisors he grew up with, young idealists with fiery ambition and hot heads and they told him to say basically "you think my Dad was hard on you, you ain't seen nothing yet!"
My little finger is heavier than Dad's waist, if he beat you with whips, I'll tie scorpions to them, now stop whining and get on with it.
We saw with Moses in Exodus just how well that turned out last time!
The Israelites left Rehoboam saying we have no share in this, you are on your own pal, and when Rehoboam sent out people to enforce the forced labour they stoned him to death.
Meanwhile Jeroboam (not of champagne fame) has returned to Israel following Solomon's death and he is proclaimed king of the 10 tribes of Israel while Judah and Benjamin were loyal to Rehoboam and David's line.
Rehoboam and Jeraboam are all set to go to war for the kingdom, but God sent a message telling them not to go to war with thier brothers and to go home, which they did.
Jeroboam in the North was now faced with a dilemma, the temple of God, built for all Israel in Jerusalem was now in a hostile country and he did not want the good people of Israel leaving the land to worship God in Jerusalem, where they may be tempted to stay to properly worship the God of Israel.
Jeroboam had been told to carefully obey all the law of Moses, but what he does is build 2 idols, one in the North and the other in the south where the Israelites could worship (again I think i have seen similar before), and built alters on many high places and appointed priests who were no relative of Aaron and Levi
He took the official Jewish celebration of Sukkot, the festival of tabernacles and instituted his own ceremony in competition - the Israelites could have their celebration locally without having to travel to Jerusalem.
With the split of Israel and Judah I am put in mind that Scotland will also be voting on whether to separate from the union and become a fully independent state - it is slightly remarkable that
A) the rest of the union don't get a say in this as probably a lot of English would say something like "bog off back north of Hadrian's wall then, you ingrate" and
B) the same politicians urging Scotland to stay IN the UK are promising a referendum on whether the UK should leave the European Union and would urge us to get out of the EU
And now a partly political message from me to all politicians -
Please stop telling me that you will fix all our problems - you won't.
Don't promise a utopia that you cannot or will not deliver
remember that you have to answer to a number of higher powers - we the electorate are one of those powers, and also to God, even if you do not believe in him.
You have a responsibility for all those you represent and speak for so please make sure that your words are honest, true, and above all build communities not walls.
My experience is that life goes on DESPITE politics and government and not BECAUSE of politics and government - I'd love to be proved wrong.
Here in the UK we will shortly be taking part in an election to the European Parliament and the various political parties and nut-jobs (Sorry if that phrase is offensive) are trying to persuade me that their policies and world views are not only healthy but in my best interest.
Political spin doctors also appear in this chapter of the Bible.
Solomon has died and his son Rehoboam has become king and the leaders of the people come to him with a request - your father laid a heavy yoke on us, forced labour, taxation and oppression. Make our lives better and easier and we will happily follow you. Sound familiar?
Rehoboam asked for 3 days thinking time and when they return in 3 days he will have made his decision.
He asked his father's advisors, men who have been in the administration and know what the king can get away with and what he cannot, and they advise king Rehoboam to relax his iron grip and lower his expectations, at least for now and he would be a good king of the whole land.
He also asked the friends and advisors he grew up with, young idealists with fiery ambition and hot heads and they told him to say basically "you think my Dad was hard on you, you ain't seen nothing yet!"
My little finger is heavier than Dad's waist, if he beat you with whips, I'll tie scorpions to them, now stop whining and get on with it.
We saw with Moses in Exodus just how well that turned out last time!
The Israelites left Rehoboam saying we have no share in this, you are on your own pal, and when Rehoboam sent out people to enforce the forced labour they stoned him to death.
Meanwhile Jeroboam (not of champagne fame) has returned to Israel following Solomon's death and he is proclaimed king of the 10 tribes of Israel while Judah and Benjamin were loyal to Rehoboam and David's line.
Rehoboam and Jeraboam are all set to go to war for the kingdom, but God sent a message telling them not to go to war with thier brothers and to go home, which they did.
Jeroboam in the North was now faced with a dilemma, the temple of God, built for all Israel in Jerusalem was now in a hostile country and he did not want the good people of Israel leaving the land to worship God in Jerusalem, where they may be tempted to stay to properly worship the God of Israel.
Jeroboam had been told to carefully obey all the law of Moses, but what he does is build 2 idols, one in the North and the other in the south where the Israelites could worship (again I think i have seen similar before), and built alters on many high places and appointed priests who were no relative of Aaron and Levi
He took the official Jewish celebration of Sukkot, the festival of tabernacles and instituted his own ceremony in competition - the Israelites could have their celebration locally without having to travel to Jerusalem.
With the split of Israel and Judah I am put in mind that Scotland will also be voting on whether to separate from the union and become a fully independent state - it is slightly remarkable that
A) the rest of the union don't get a say in this as probably a lot of English would say something like "bog off back north of Hadrian's wall then, you ingrate" and
B) the same politicians urging Scotland to stay IN the UK are promising a referendum on whether the UK should leave the European Union and would urge us to get out of the EU
And now a partly political message from me to all politicians -
Please stop telling me that you will fix all our problems - you won't.
Don't promise a utopia that you cannot or will not deliver
remember that you have to answer to a number of higher powers - we the electorate are one of those powers, and also to God, even if you do not believe in him.
You have a responsibility for all those you represent and speak for so please make sure that your words are honest, true, and above all build communities not walls.
My experience is that life goes on DESPITE politics and government and not BECAUSE of politics and government - I'd love to be proved wrong.
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