2 Chronicles 9-11

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Here are a few lessons you can learn from today's 3 chapters:

1) This is the ONLY time Israel had peace as a nation! Throughout all the years of time that Israel has existed as a people group, this time period during King Solomon's reign was the only time they ever had peace. In 9:22-23, you read the fascinating words, "King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. All the kings of the earth sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart."

Solomon's wisdom was so unusual that even the Queen of Sheba (possibly Ethiopia) gave praise to the Lord and witnessed the incredible ability Solomon had to rule his kingdom with such justice and righteousness (9:8).

If you remember, Solomon's father, King David, was a man of war. He fought the nations around him continuously until there were no more battles to fight. King David left quite a legacy! He left this earth with Israel enjoying peace from war and with such great wealth that the number is quite staggering. What David died, he left his son Solomon with the freedom and finanicial ability to accomplish the one mission David felt was worth more than anything in the world - to build a monument (Temple) to the glory of God, one that would serve as a world-wide testimony to God's greatness.

This peace lasted only 40 years or until Solomon's death.

2) There is wisdom in the elderly! Sometimes we younger people (however I'm not considered a younger person anymore at age 50) often discount the words or advice of the elderly. This can be a HUGE mistake! One great example of this is found in chapter 10! Solomon's son, Rehoboam, did not have the wisdom Solomon had. In fact, he made a grave tactical error in not listening to the elderly men who served with his father. When the other 11 tribes came before Rehoboam to ask for some slack, Rehoboam sought the advice of both those who served his father (the elderly men) and those who were his friends (his younger comtemporaries). Although 10:15 explains that God had a hand in Rehoboam's decision as a fulfillment of an earlier prophecy, Rehoboam rejected the wisdom of the elderly and it cost him his kingdom!

One day, I was asked to speak to the graduating class of Southeast of Saline High School in Saline, Kansas. I remember a statement I made to the class, one that I had learned early in life, "Listen to the advice and gather yourself around those who are older and wiser than you, and in time, you'll become known as one of the wisest person's your age!" Let's face it - we are who we hang with!

One can only imagine the wisdom gained by those elderly men who listened to the wisest man who ever lived day in and day out! But, can you imagine someone going to those men for advice and rejecting such wisdom learned? Actually, it happens everyday and to many of us! God's Word is true wisdom, yet many of us reject it everyday! We often find ourselves doing what Rehoboam did - listening to our peers rather than to God.

If you need some advice about something, find an older, Godly person and prayerfully seek their advice. There's a better chance God will give you the answer you really need through a wise, Godly person than a mere book or a friend!!!

3) Israel becomes a divided nation! This is where the nation of Israel begins its downfall as a nation. The other 11 tribes of Israel get mad at King Rehoboam (who is from the tribe of Judah) and reject submission under his rule. Only the tribe of Judah remains faithful to their king. This initiates the disintegration of God's people as a united society. From here on we'll read one sad story after another of how ungodly they become, how angry they become at one another, and how they become destroyed by other nations.

Remember what Jesus said in the New Testament - "A house divided against itself can not stand." This is what has happened!

And, in part, this is exactly what is happening to America! It's the conservatives verses the liberals, the Republicans verses the Democrats. While every nation experiences two or more sets of different thinkers and believers, America has come to a place where we've become angry with one another and verbally challenge the patriotism of each other And, if you think about it, it's the war in the Middle East and the war on Terror that seems to be the tide that brings us together. In my opinion, as I view the news and witness the debates on TV, its only the war that unites us as a nation. Discussions get heated and the debate seethes with passionate and vehement argument until you get to the topic of the war - that's when both Democrats and Rebuplicans, conservatives and liberals come together and agree in part!

If we're not careful, we could become another Israel where states begin to secede from the Union! May God bless America and hold us together and may He receive the glory and praise for what He has done to build this country into a place of freedom!

God bless you, and pray for the peace of Jerusalem and America!