1 Kings 12 - Nothing New

Please allow me to open with sarcasm as an object lesson. Start sarcasm: I am special. You are special. There has never before been people as special as you and I. Our lives are special, new, and different. There has never been lives such as ours. As a result, our American society and culture is special, new, and different. America is awesome, safe, well-structured and free of corruption like other lesser countries. There has never been a better nation that has ever existed. Our economy is the best ever, it is special because it is well, American. End sarcasm.

My sarcastic object lesson may seem harsh and sharp but that’s kinda what sarcasm is. Folks, humans have many, many flaws and this is just one of them…the idea that the world never rotated until we were born. The idea that we are the first hearts to beat upon this planet and our experiences today have never before occurred. But as King Solomon somberly reflected upon his great fall from God, he wrote some words in Ecclesiastes that should speak greatly to us today.

“What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” Eccl. 1:9

Today in chapter 12 of 1 Kings we see quite the colorful collection of human drama. In fact, as I study it, I have to remind myself that the drama on these pages is not from the year 2020, but is indeed from 931 BC. They read as real as if they happened yesterday. You see, the hearts of men and women have gone untouched and unchanged since God created them in the very beginning. Once again, this erroneous idea that somehow our hearts have evolved much farther than our ancestors, is just plain false. Your heart and mine carries the same qualities as Abraham’s, Jacob’s, David’s and yes, even Solomon’s. Our propensity for sin, pride, self-worship and idol worship runs through our veins today just as it did in those veins back in 4000 BC. Nothing has changed, nothing is new.

Throughout our chapter we see this point expounded. Example upon example that God gives us to show us the monotony and similarities of human behavior. Let’s look at 4 points, all pulled just from this chapter, that should all seem very familiar to you today.

1) A leader that follows his own heart is destined to be a poor leader.

“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?” 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. But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him…” 1 Kings 12:6-8a

We continue, thousands of years later, to chase this idea of a “good leader.” That somehow there is a special man or woman out there that is impervious to sin and failure. That person just doesn’t exist. I heard a story of a freshman seminary student that had to study every king of Israel and describe their reign as either good or bad. After much study he discovered an alarming pattern. He found that if he memorized the name of every single Israelite king and simply wrote “bad king” he would score a 95% on the test. What an amazing testament to mankind’s lack of ability to reign righteously over other people. Folks, if you think that modern society has feared any better, your mistaken. Look around at the world dictators today that are killing, persecuting and starving their own people. And don’t kid yourself into leaving America out of the equation. Look back at 250 years of US leaders and be honest.

2) A poor leader will not listen to the people they have been called to lead.

“When the people saw that the king would not listen to them, they shouted, "Down with David and his family! What have they ever done for us? People of Israel, let's go home! Let Rehoboam look out for himself!" So the people of Israel rebelled” 1 Kings 12:16

The cycle is endless. A politician looks to be elected and promises the voters the moon. But as soon as they are elected, those promises vanish like vapor upon the wind. There is nothing new under the sun. Here we see that Solomon’s son Rehoboam first refused to listen to the wise counsel of his elders and now he refuses to listen to the very people he is to lead. As a result, the kingdom will move into civil war and eventually split into a Northern kingdom (Israel) and a Southern kingdom (Judah.)

3) A poor leader over works and over taxes his people.

“Then Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, “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.” 1 Kings 12:3-4

It takes money to build. Money for materials, money for labor, money for maintenance, money for repair. Solomon had indeed built a magnificent empire but while doing it he had worked the people into exhaustion and taxed them into poverty. There is nothing new under the sun. Look back to the gold-plated Aztec shrines that were built in splendor while the common man starved. Look to the massive cathedrals built in Medieval Europe, hand-painted and lined with gold gilding, all while the common serf slaved away to earn one daily meal. And just look around at our world today. The last time Margie and I were in Washington DC, we walked and gawked, our eyes and mouths wide open. Each and every structure was a massive beyond belief. The capital building, the library of Congress, the monuments, the museums, and yes, even the National Cathedral, all larger than life. And today, you and I pay for these, modern day Solomon monuments. Structures built to stroke the egos of men and women.

4) A poor leader leads the people in the direction of idol worship.

“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!” And he set up one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan. He made shrines on the high places, and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi. 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. 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.” 1 Kings 12:28-33

It doesn’t take much for the human heart to slide into idol worship. For most, all it takes is a recommendation and a nod of approval. And many times, poor leaders are more than willing to oblige if it serves their platform and personal agenda. My favorite definition of an idol is “anything that creates distance between you and God.” Another very practical exercise to spot idols in your life is this, simply look at what you spend most of your time on today. We might be quick to classify the people in our lesson today as heathens for worshiping a simple golden calf, but folks, there are countless people today around the world worshiping plastic, metal and glass idols. According to Nielsen, the average American watches 35.5 hours of TV per week. That’s a lot of worshiping to a plastic and glass box. What about cell phones? It amazes me while here in Mexico the amount of people that will be in front of a stunning sunset, only to miss it because they are texting or Facebooking their friends about what an awesome time they are having. I see young people every day that are worshiping their small glass and metal cell phones that they cannot put down. There is nothing new under the sun when it comes to the human heart seeking something to worship besides the one true God.

Today, refuse to buy into the lie. The world turns the same today as it did over 4000 years ago. Our human hearts are still hearts that inherited a sin nature. And as a result of that, you need to carefully tend to your heart today. You need the power of God’s Holy Word every day. If you miss a day, you open a chasm that allows the world in. You need quiet time of prayer, reflection, and focus on God every day. Without that time, the world will creep in and claim that time. You need the encouragement and strength of fellowship with other believers in Christ. Without that time of edification, it will be replaced with worldly hearts that will pull yours into their realm. You need to serve others daily. There is no quicker way to get out of yourself than by getting into the life of another. We were built to serve and if we don’t serve others, we will learn to quickly serve ourselves.

There is nothing new under the sun, but that also means that worshiping and praising God is the same as it was 4000 years ago. Seek Him, love Him, and make Him the focus of every day of your life. And it is in this way, that you can live a life of joy, freedom and peace.

God Bless You.