The Seed is Chosen: Bad Seed

Scripture: 1 Kings 12:8-11

But he forsook the counsel of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served him. So he said to them, “What counsel do you give that we may answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?” The young men who grew up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you shall say to this people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, now you make it lighter for us!’ But you shall speak to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins! Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”

Insights:   Yesterday we observed the good seed presented to Rehoboam.  Today, we notice the bad seed.  It has been my observation that people often times seek out advice in the hopes they will find someone to validate the choice with which they have already made.  In other words, a decision has to be made.  Down within the depths of their soul they know the good choice (seed) and the bad choice (seed) that lies before them.  They desire to make the bad choice and so seek out counsel until they find someone who will side with the choice they have already made.  Ironically, and not very surprisingly, this bad advice often comes from individuals who are not in an abiding love relationship with Jesus.  These bad advisors can be anywhere.  They can be family members, coworkers, associates at the local gym.  In other words, these people can be found anywhere.  In fact, we might even consult talk show hosts on television for our advice.  After all, they are the experts on every given subject matter under the sun, aren’t they?  Beloved, heed my advice from yesterday.  Seek out good godly counselors.  Let them point you to the way of the Lord that does not conflict with the Bible.  Then act on their advice even when it is hard.  In the long run you will be better off for such diligence and devotion to the Lord.  Choose the right seed to plant in your freshly cultivated ground.

Questions:

1. Who has recently given you bad advice?

2. How frequently do you act upon bad advice?

Prayer: Father, I again pray, in this world there are a lot of advisors in this world.  They are not all good advisors.  Lord grant me the wisdom to know the distinction between the two and help me to honor You in the process.  Amen.

The Seed is Chosen: Good Seed

Scripture: 1 Kings 12:6-7

King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, “How do you counsel me to answer this people?” Then they spoke to him, saying, “If you will be a servant to this people today, and will serve them and grant them their petition, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”

Insights:   Yesterday we cultivated the ground for Rehoboam.  In other words, the scene was set for him to make a decision.  At this point in the process we learn there are good and bad seeds with which he could plant in his freshly tiled field.  Today’s verses reveal to us the good seed or good advice he received from those more experienced men.  It would be wise for us to listen to the advice of our elders when it comes to many matters in our lives.  They have a lot more knowledge and wisdom than we like to give them credit.  Beloved, one of the ways we know the will of God is by the council of fellow Christians.  It is important for us to receive godly advice from our fellow brothers in sisters in Jesus.  I think one of our problems as Christians is we try to do everything on our own; and as a result, we often times make major mistakes because of our lack of humility in regards to areas of importance in our lives.  Let me encourage you to seek out good seed and listen to the advice of these wise and godly individuals with whom you know.  As you follow their advice may the Lord be brought glory.

Questions:

1. Who can you go to in order to receive good advice?

2. How frequently do you act upon this good advice?

Prayer: Father, in this world there are a lot of advisors in this world.  They are not all good advisors.  Lord grant me the wisdom to know the distinction between the two and help me to honor You in the process.  Amen.

The Ground is Cultivated

Scripture: 1 Kings 12:1-5

Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. Now when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it, he was living in Egypt (for he was yet in Egypt, where he had fled from the presence of King Solomon). Then they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, "Your father made our yoke hard; now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you." Then he said to them, "Depart for three days, then return to me." So the people departed.

Insights:   Throughout this week I am going to use farming imagery.  I am discussing the biblical pattern of sowing and reaping.  Having stated this premise notice with me today’s verses.  They are the scene which is setting everything that we are going to be looking at this week into motion.  Using that farming imagery, today’s verses are the same as getting the ground cultivated for planting seed.  Here is a brief bit of background to help us understand the soil of this particular field.  David was a man after God’s own heart, but he was not the best family man.  Solomon, his son and heir, was less devoted to the Lord and began to worship Baal.  He had 700 wives and 300 concubines.  His family life was far less desirable from that of his father’s poor example.  Now comes Solomon’s son and heir, Rehoboam and he is even less desirable than Solomon.  My point is that the ground in which Rehoboam is about to plant his seed would be considered rocky at best.  Every decision made by David, Solomon and even Rehoboam have led up to this moment in time.  Each has helped establish a precedent.  Now, the beautiful thing about choices is no matter what our past we don’t have to make the decision that we are predisposed to make.  Through the power of Christ Jesus we are capable of saying, “No, I will not follow the dead end pattern of my past, but rather will choose to follow Jesus.”  Now it is true that all those previous decision will be bearing down on us and telling us we have no choice but to follow our past and it is very difficult to break that pattern, but it is possible in Jesus.  The scene or ground is now set and cultivated for Rehoboam.  This week we will observe his choices.

Questions:

1. What circumstances are surrounding your life presently which is setting up your scene of choice?
2. Have you evaluated how your past decisions have led you to this present situation?

Prayer: Father, life is a series of choices which continue to progress to a specific end.  Help me to understand the importance of every decision I make in my life and grant me the wisdom to make wise choices.  Amen.

Obey God and Bring Him Glory

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 12:13c-14

and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.

Insights:   This week’s final thought is the conclusion of Solomon’s devotion found in the proper perspective.  In other words, we fear God.  Out of our love and fear of the Lord, we obey Him.  Because we obey Him, then our judgment reveals the good He has done within us and it brings Him glory.  I have a pastor friend named Jim Harris.  Earlier this week he posted the following thoughts.  If he had done it before Sunday, I would have used them in my evening service.  Considering he did not, I will post them here for you now.  I think his words wrap up this line of reasoning really well.  Enjoy: “The proof of desire is pursuit. What I am chasing in life reveals what I am interested in and have passion for. If I say I am a Christian and want God's will in my life yet I consistently use Sundays as a day for going to the beach, fishing, sleeping in, or some other personal hobby...I am being dishonest with myself and God. I will pursue what I love. I will pursue what brings me personal pleasure, fulfillment, and joy. If I say I love the Lord and want his will in my life, yet the only reading I do is Sports Illustrated or the NY Stock Exchange section and never pick up my Bible to discover the character of God, I am being dishonest with myself and God. If I say my passion is to be an Olympic swimmer yet I am in the pool one day a month, I am lying myself. If a man tells his wife he loves her yet is carrying on an affair, he is being dishonest with himself and his wife. What one says is useless unless what one does supports the claim. What do you pursue in life? I mean what do you chase hard after? What do you spend time and money tracking down? In what do you invest sweat equity and energy? What do you think brings you the highest level of happiness and fulfillment? The answer(s) to these questions pinpoint what I truly worship. I am convinced God deserves and has earned our worship by who He is and what He has invested in our redemption. He pursued us! He invested time, energy, and great passion to reveal his great love for the human species. He truly pursued what he loved! He desired us. The proof of desire is pursuit.”  Thank you Jim for your excellent words regarding our obedience and our heart’s devotion.

Questions:

1. Would you say your life is characterized as being obedient to the Lord?
2. If not, why not?

Prayer: Father, my life of obedience brings You glory.  May I indeed bring You the glory You rightfully deserve.  Amen.

Fear God

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 12:13a-b

The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God

Insights:   The subject for today’s Thoughts by Scott is not something new about for which I am to write.  It is, however, a subject I believe is severely lacking in the church of America.  If a survey of church people had been taken in the nineteenth century in regards to God’s predominant character trait, the people would have responded with His holiness.  If you were to take that same survey today, the answer would be God’s love.  Is God infinitely loving?  Absolutely!  Is He also infinitely holy?  Again, the answer would be a resounding yes!  Somewhere along the line, however, we as believers have lost sight of God’s holiness and His otherness, which is the reason He is to be feared.  Throughout the Scriptures we are admonished to fear the Lord.  We then try to down play this fear and talk about reverence or respect as the meaning behind this type of fear.  As I have written before, I think we are missing something when we minimize our fear of the Lord God.  He is to be feared because He is God and we are not.  Now remember the context of today’s thoughts.  Monday and Tuesday we looked at the conclusions of a desperate man.  In other words, Solomon’s premise after trying everything imaginable in life was the man was incapable of understanding and destined to repeat the cycle of life over and over again.  As a result, Solomon was frustrated.  The rest of the book is Solomon’s arguments for his desperate conclusion.  We then come to the last two verses of the book and God reveals to Solomon the whole reason we traverse through this world and it is for one reason.  Friday we will look at that reason, but the starting point to get to that concluding purpose is the fear of the Lord.  Solomon in these last two verses is basically understanding the call of a devoted man and beginning to understand the vast distinction between his years of desperation and his concluding wisdom he has now gained as a devoted man to the Lord.  It is as if Solomon were saying, “If I had truly feared the Lord as I ought to have, I would have saved myself years of misery as I tried to figure life out on my own.  How foolish was I for all my mental prowess?”  Beloved, I think we ought to learn from Solomon’s true conclusion of the matter—let us fear the Lord!

Questions:

1. Does your life reflect a proper fear of the Lord?
2. In what ways do you display proper fear of the Lord?

Prayer: Father, You are sovereign and worthy of fear and admiration.  My problem is I often times take you for granted and do not revere Your holiness as I ought.  Forgive me for my disrespect and transform my heart to love and honor You as You rightly deserve.  Amen.

The Understanding of Man and the Frustrations of Man

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1:8-11

All things are wearisome; Man is not able to tell it. The eye is not satisfied with seeing, Nor is the ear filled with hearing. That which has been is that which will be, And that which has been done is that which will be done. So there is nothing new under the sun.  Is there anything of which one might say, "See this, it is new "? Already it has existed for ages Which were before us. There is no remembrance of earlier things; And also of the later things which will occur, There will be for them no remembrance Among those who will come later still.

Insights:   The first two verses today deal with man’s inability to truly learn from life experiences.  In other words, the pattern of man’s life is just as cyclical as the natural world around him.  For example, man built roads thousands of years ago and then man got better at making roads, but they are still roads.  Now our roads are made of concrete or asphalt, but they are still roads.  It is for this reason Solomon states there is nothing new under the sun.  Man’s search and quest for more leaves him empty because he does not truly grasp wisdom and understanding as he travels this world.  The last two verses reveal Solomon’s frustration with this pattern.  Understand that at this point Solomon is an old man and he has literally tried to fill the gap of his heart with everything and it has left him empty and wanting.  It is because of this reality that we can say these first eleven verses of chapter one point to the conclusions of a desperate man.  Solomon is desperate for an answer to his frustrations.  By the grace of the Lord, Solomon is given an answer by the Lord and starting tomorrow we will begin to look at the answer Solomon discovered which transforms his frustrations into gladness.

Questions:

1. Do you actually learn from the life lessons through which you traverse?
2. Or are you full of frustration because of the desperateness of your situation?

Prayer: Father, grant me wisdom and help me to learn so I do not experience the frustrations of life.  Let me grow in Your grace.  Amen.

The Pattern of Man

Scripture: Ecclesiastes 1:1-7

The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem. "Vanity of vanities," says the Preacher, "Vanity of vanities! All is vanity." What advantage does man have in all his work Which he does under the sun? A generation goes and a generation comes, But the earth remains forever. Also, the sun rises and the sun sets; And hastening to its place it rises there again. Blowing toward the south, Then turning toward the north, The wind continues swirling along; And on its circular courses the wind returns. All the rivers flow into the sea, Yet the sea is not full. To the place where the rivers flow, There they flow again.

Insights:   Some of you at FBCBG have probably run to your computers this morning to read blog postings from Sunday morning’s sermon from the book of Song of Solomon.  I believe I have embarrassed myself enough and chosen to write this week’s blog from the Sunday evening service.  So, in today’s verses we see the first conclusion of a desperate man is about the pattern of humanity.  Everything is cyclical in nature.  The sun rises and the sun sets.  The river runs to the ocean and the snows melt and new water runs down the river into the oceans, etc.  The pattern of the rivers running does not change.  The reality is the same thing is true of humanity.  This cyclical pattern can lead to a feeling of desperation.  Beloved, let me give a brief teaser for later this week.  You need to understand the only hope you have to break the cyclical pattern of life is Jesus.  If you have gotten yourself involved in destructive patterns, your only hope is Jesus.  If you continue to do the same things and expect different results, then you have lost your mind and tomorrow’s blog is going to speak to your condition.  Let me encourage you to strive to run to Jesus and let Him be your hope and peace in the midst of a cyclical world of human depravity.

Questions:

1. Do you feel like your life is cyclical in nature?
2. Has this cyclical pattern caused you to feel desperate at times?

Prayer: Father, help me to understand You are the only one that can help me break the cycle of life which leads to desperation and frustration.  Forgive me for the bad habits I have allowed to creep into my life which take me away from You and the glory which is rightfully Yours.  Amen.