Growing Through 1 & 2 Kings

But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.--1 Kings 12:8

Rehoboam failed to follow good counsel and rashly rejected the elders' ideas. How ironic that the son of the wisest man on earth would not take the advice of his dad's proverbs which underscore the importance of hearing and heeding the good advice or good counsel:

• Proverbs 11:14--For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisers make victory sure.
• Proverbs 15:22--Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.
• Proverbs 24:6--For waging war you need guidance, and for victory many advisers.

Rehoboam listened to his buddies rather than to wise advisers--with disastrous consequences! God has provided you with a variety of sources for obtaining wisdom to assist with the decisions you must make. Sure, like Rehoboam, you can reject help so you can proudly proclaim, "I did it my way!" Or, you can use your Bible, the leading of the Holy Spirit, church leaders, and the sage counsel of older brothers and sisters in Christ to help you in your decision-making process.

It wasn't just Rehoboam that rejected the resources God provided for holy living. There were other kings who lived in opposition to the will of God. For example:

Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king...he did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as his father Manasseh had done.--2 Kings 21:19-20

Real revival didn't happen in the kingdoms until the people returned to the ultimate resource for living: The Book of the Law. God's Word is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12) and has the power to restore faith and change lives!

Hilkiah the high priest said..."I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord." ...When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes. [He said]..."Great is the Lord's anger that burns against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us."--2 Kings 22:8; 11; 13

Don't neglect God's Word! Read it every day. Let it restore your faith and revive your life.

Growing Through 2 Samuel

The book of 2 Samuel begins where the book of 1 Samuel ends. Saul is gone, so the people of Judah give their allegiance to King David. However, the northern tribes give their allegiance to King Ishbosheth (Saul's youngest son). David rules in Hebron for over 7 years before all Israel acknowledges him as their king. He reigns in Jerusalem for 33 years. As you read 2 Samuel, you'll learn about...

David, the Shepherd

Then all the tribes of Israel went to David at Hebron and told him, "We are your own flesh and blood. In the past, when Saul was our king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the Lord told you, 'You will be the shepherd of My people Israel. You will be Israel's leader.'"--2 Samuel 5:1-2

The northern and southern tribes of Israel unite under the leadership of David. He leads the people to shift from tribal independence to national unity. David, a man after God's own heart, brings the ark to Jerusalem (2 Samuel 6). God affirms the fact that one of David's distant descendants would always reign on his throne--realized in the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 2:30-31).

David, the Scopophiliac

Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. He sent someone to find out who she was...--2 Samuel 11:2-3

At the peak of his influence, David abandons his principles and commits adultery with his neighbor's wife, Bathsheba. One sin leads to another as his morals continue to erode. From this point on David's life spins out-of-control. God is displeased!

David, the Sniper

So the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to tell David..."Why, then, have you despised the word of the Lord and done this horrible deed?--2 Samuel 12:1; 12:9

The prophet Nathan confronts David about his sins--adultery and murder! David had his neighbor killed. While he didn't actually "pull the trigger," he was solely responsible for the plan that led to the death of Uriah. David's elaborate murder plot was a feeble attempt to cover up his adultery. God sends Nathan the prophet who utters the infamous biblical phrase: "You are the man!"

David, the Statistician

But after he had taken the census, David's conscience began to bother him. And he said to the Lord, "I have sinned greatly by taking this census. Please forgive my guilt, Lord, for doing this foolish thing."--2 Samuel 24:10

By taking the census, David chose to walk by sight rather than faith. He expected to know the extent of his resources. Instead of placing his trust in the Lord, he put his trust in people, horses, and chariots. We live in an age of statistics. Numbers! Numbers! This is all some churches live for! Instead of focusing on quality of ministry, they focus on quantity of ministry. Far too many church leaders become obsessed with how many butts are in the seats and how many bucks are in the plate.

Here's the life lesson for today's church from 2 Samuel 24: Instead of counting numbers, may God give us numbers that count! After all, the Lord said to Zerubbabel (Zechariah 4:6):

"It is not by force nor by strength, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of Heaven's Armies."

Growing Through 1 Samuel

Saul then said to his attendants, "Find a woman who is a medium, so I may go and inquire of her." "There is one in Endor," they said. So Saul disguised himself, putting on other clothes, and at night he and two men went to the woman. "Consult a spirit for me," he said, "and bring up for me the one I name."--1 Samuel 28:7-8

 There are some people who use 1 Samuel 28:5-20 as justification for practicing the occult practice of seances. However, the Bible clearly states that any attempt to contact the spirit-world or communicate with the dead is strictly forbidden (Leviticus 19:31; Deuteronomy 18:10-12). The punishment for ignoring God in this matter could be severe.

Saul died because he was unfaithful to the Lord; he did not keep the word of the Lord and even consulted a medium for guidance, and did not inquire of the Lord. So the Lord put him to death and turned the kingdom over to David son of Jesse.--1 Chronicles 10:13-14

Saul's disobedience resulted in death!

Years ago I had the unique opportunity to spend time with a former spiritualist medium, Ben Alexander, the founder of Exposing Satan's Power Ministries. A ministry dedicated to fighting the cults and the occult. Ben became fascinated with the occult at an early age. His involvement in Spiritualism became more and more profound, until he was fully practicing as a trance medium, believing that he was contacting the dead for beneficial purposes. However, his life in the occult ultimately brought him face to face with a demon! An experience that was so frightening (reminiscent of the witch at Endor's experience in 1 Samuel 28:12)--that Ben immediately reevaluated his occultic practices. Soon afterward, a friend led Ben to Christ through the power of "the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God" (Ephesians 6:17).

Ephesians 6:12 reminds us that we aren't in a battle against flesh and blood, but "against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms." Until the return of Christ, we are living in enemy territory (Romans 8:20; 1 Peter 5:8). By getting involved with witchcraft, Ouija boards, horoscopes (1 Samuel 15:23), and other demonic practices--we make ourselves vulnerable to a dark world whose dangers should never be underestimated.