1 Kings 12

Listening to God Matters More

If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever. ~ 1 Kings 12:7

Have you ever asked someone for advice when you already knew exactly what you wanted them to say? You weren’t really looking for wisdom, you were looking for confirmation. We’ve all done it. Sometimes we even have a committee meeting in our head, and somehow every member of the committee agrees with us!

Today’s scripture reading gives us a powerful picture of what can happen when we listen to the wrong voices. After King Solomon died, his son Rehoboam took over as king. When the people of Israel came to him asking that he lighten the heavy burden Solomon had placed on them, Rehoboam asked the older, experienced counselors what he should do. Their advice is simple, serve the people, speak kindly, and lead them well. That sounds like pretty good advice, doesn’t it?

But Rehoboam didn’t like what he heard. So he went to his younger friends, the people who had grown up with him and understood his world. They told him exactly what his pride wanted to hear. Instead of making the burden lighter, they encouraged him to make it heavier. Rehoboam listened to the wrong voices, made the wrong choice, and the kingdom was divided.

His story may be thousands of years old, but the lesson is timeless. We live in a world filled with voices. Social media has opinions about everything. Friends have opinions. Family has opinions. News outlets have opinions. Everybody has a microphone, and many of those voices think  we need to hear from them!

But as God’s people, we have to learn to recognize which voices deserve our attention and, most importantly, which voice we give our obedience to.

Below are three important points from this chapter to remind us that the loudest voice isn’t necessarily the wisest voice. Sometimes God’s direction comes quietly, but that doesn’t make it less powerful.

1. Don’t confuse advice with wisdom.

Rehoboam had access to wise counsel, but he rejected it because it wasn’t what he wanted to hear. The older counselors understood something he didn’t. Leadership wasn’t about proving how powerful he was. It was about serving the people God had entrusted to him.

This is an important lesson for us because we don’t always need someone who will tell us what feels good. Sometimes we need someone who will lovingly tell us what we need to hear.

There may be times when you’re facing a decision about a relationship, a job, your finances, your family, or your future. You may have ten people willing to give you their opinion, but that doesn’t mean all ten opinions deserve equal consideration. Ask yourself, “Does this advice agree with God’s Word? Does this person have wisdom and character? Are they helping me hear God, or simply telling me what I want to hear?”

Maybe you’re considering walking away from something simply because it’s difficult. A friend might say, “You deserve better, just quit.” But perhaps God is teaching you perseverance. Maybe you’re considering a relationship and everyone around you is excited because the person is charming and fun, but something in your spirit keeps bothering you. Don’t ignore godly wisdom because it interrupts your plans.

Before you make a major decision, take it to God. Then seek counsel from people who genuinely love Jesus and aren’t afraid to tell you the truth.

2. Leadership is about serving, not being served.

The older counselors told Rehoboam that if he would serve the people, they would serve him. Rehoboam chose the opposite approach. He basically said, “You thought my father was tough? You haven’t seen anything yet!” but that didn’t exactly go well.

God’s way of leadership is different from the world’s way. Whether you’re leading a ministry, a business, a family, a small group, or simply influencing people around you, biblical leadership begins with serving.

Jesus demonstrated this perfectly. He didn’t use His authority to elevate Himself above people. He used His authority to serve them.

This applies even if you don’t have a title. You don’t have to be a pastor, boss, coach, parent, or ministry leader to lead. People are watching how you respond, how you speak, how you treat others, and how you handle responsibility.

Maybe you’re leading a team at work. Instead of constantly pointing out what people aren’t doing, ask how you can help them succeed. Maybe you’re serving in church and feeling overlooked. Serve anyway, knowing God sees what others don’t. Maybe you’re raising children and you’re exhausted because it feels like you’re constantly giving. Remember that some of the most important leadership happens in the ordinary, unseen moments of life. Serving doesn’t make you less important. It demonstrates the heart of Christ Jesus.

3. Don’t let pride make decisions that humility would prevent.

Rehoboam had an opportunity to bring people together, but pride pushed him in the opposite direction. He cared more about appearing strong than actually being wise. Pride often tells us that changing our mind makes us look weak. Humility understands that changing our mind when we realize we’re wrong is actually a sign of strength.

There may be moments when God asks you to apologize first, listen instead of speak, admit you don’t know something, or accept correction. Your flesh may immediately say, “Absolutely not!” But that little internal protest doesn’t mean you should ignore God. Sometimes that’s exactly where He wants to do His work.

Think about a disagreement with your spouse, friend, coworker, or family member. You may be convinced you’re right. You might even have supporting evidence, witnesses, timestamps, screenshots, and possibly a PowerPoint presentation! But being right doesn’t always mean you’ve responded rightly.

Ask God, “Lord, is there any pride in the way I’m handling this?” Humility doesn’t mean allowing people to mistreat you. It means being willing to let God examine your heart and trusting Him enough to obey when He shows you something that needs to change.

The kingdom divided because one leader listened to the wrong voices and allowed pride to guide his response. We may never rule a kingdom, but our decisions still affect people. Our words can bring peace or division. Our choices can build trust or destroy it. Our leadership can point people toward Jesus or make them want nothing to do with Him.

As God’s people in today’s world, we have an opportunity to live differently. We don’t have to react to every opinion. We don’t have to prove ourselves in every argument. We don’t have to follow the crowd simply because everyone else is going that direction.

Instead, we can slow down and listen to God. We can seek wise counsel, choose humility and serve others. Sometimes the most powerful thing we can say is, “Let me pray about that before I respond.”

Today I want to encourage you, be careful about whose voice you’re allowing to shape your decisions. Not every voice deserves a seat at the table of your heart. Some voices will feed your fear. Some will feed your pride. Some will tell you exactly what you want to hear. But God’s voice will always lead you toward truth, wisdom, obedience, and the character of the Lord Jesus.

If you’re facing a decision right now, don’t rush simply because everyone else has an opinion. Get quiet before God. Open His Word. Pray. Seek wise counsel. Give yourself permission to say, “I don’t know yet.”

You don’t have to have all the answers today. You simply need to know who you’re listening to. Rehoboam had a choice, and so do we. We can listen to the crowd, or we can listen to God. We can lead from pride, or we can lead through serving. We can make decisions based on appearances, or we can choose the wisdom that comes from above.

The world has plenty of loud voices. What it needs is more people who know the voice of the good Shepherd and are willing to follow Him, even when His direction isn’t the easiest or most popular choice. Don’t let the crowd become your compass. Let God’s Word be your guide.

Today’s scripture reading: 1 Kings 12

1 And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. 

2 So it happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it (he was still in Egypt, for he had fled from the presence of King Solomon and had been dwelling in Egypt ), 

3 that they sent and called him. Then Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 

4 “Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”

5 So he said to them, “Depart for three days, then come back to me.” And the people departed.

6 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, and he said, “How do you advise me to answer these people?”

7 And they spoke to him, saying, “If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”

8 But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him. 

9 And he said to them, “What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?”

10 Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you should speak to this people who have spoken to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us’—thus you shall say to them: ‘My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s waist! 

11 And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!’ ”

12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had directed, saying, “Come back to me the third day.” 

13 Then the king answered the people roughly, and rejected the advice which the elders had given him; 

14  and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!” 

15 So the king did not listen to the people; for the turn of events was from the Lord, that He might fulfill His word, which the Lord had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

16 Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying:

“What share have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel!  Now, see to your own house, O David!” So Israel departed to their tents. 

17 But Rehoboam reigned over the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah.

18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was in charge of the revenue; but all Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. Therefore King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste to flee to Jerusalem. 

19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

20 Now it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back, they sent for him and called him to the congregation, and made him king over all Israel. There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.

21 And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. 

22 But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 

23 “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying, 

24 ‘Thus says the Lord: “You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.” ’ ” Therefore they obeyed the word of the Lord, and turned back, according to the word of the Lord.

Jeroboam’s Gold Calves

25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and dwelt there. Also he went out from there and built Penuel. 

26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom may return to the house of David: 

27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah.”

28 Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!” 

29 And he set up one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. 

30 Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan. 

31 He made shrines on the high places, and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi.

32 Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made. 

33 So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in his own heart. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar and burned incense.

Journal:

• What voices have the greatest influence on my decisions right now?
• Am I seeking wisdom, or am I looking for someone to agree with what I’ve already decided?
• Is there an area of my life where pride may be affecting the way I’m responding to someone?
• Who are the godly people in my life who are willing to lovingly tell me the truth?
• Where is God asking me to serve instead of expecting to be served?
• What decision am I facing right now that I need to surrender to God before moving forward?
• What can I do this week to become more intentional about hearing God’s voice above the noise?