Learning to Listen
the hard way
Scripture Reading: 2 Chronicles 11:1-4
Now when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled from the house of Judah and Benjamin one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam.
2 But the word of the Lord came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 3 “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, 4 ‘Thus says the Lord: “You shall not go up or fight against your brethren! Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.” ’ ” Therefore, they obeyed the words of the Lord, and turned back from attacking Jeroboam.
In 2 Chronicles chapter ten, we find the story of Rehoboam’s unwise decision that led to the division of the kingdom. He didn’t listen. His stubbornness led to losing a large portion of the kingdom.
Chapter eleven begins with a brief effort by Rehoboam to assemble an army to engage in a civil war to reunite Israel under his throne. Before they marched on their brothers, God spoke through the prophet Shemaiah and told Rehoboam and the people that the division of the country was from Him and that they should go home and not start this war.
Rehoboam listened.
Give him credit, he learned to listen. It was unfortunate that it took the division of a nation and a potential civil war to make that happen, but he did learn.
May God teach us to listen, and may He, in mercy, help us learn to listen without learning it the hard way.
