Pastor's Corner: Torn in two

Jesus Christ is quoted in Mark 3:25 as saying:

“25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”

In last Sunday’s sermon, we took a look at how the Old Testament Kingdom of Israel ended up being divided into two kingdoms. Here’s the scenario:

King Solomon, the third king of Israel (after King Saul and King David), died, designating his son, Rehoboam, as the next king. The tribe of Judah accepted this arrangement — but the other tribes of Israel, because of King Solomon’s heavy taxation and widespread conscripted labor for his grand projects, sent representatives to Rehoboam to let their complaints and recommended changes be made known. Rehoboam asked them to give him three days to consider their proposals. Rehoboam talked to the elders, the men who had counseled his father. They recommended that Rehoboam listen to the people and lighten the financial and work loads upon them. Rehoboam rejected their advice. Then he talked to the young men he had grown up with, the men used to telling him exactly what he wanted to hear. They advised his to be even tougher on the people than his father was. Rehoboam decided to follow their advice, and when the three days were up and Israel’s representatives came back, under the leadership of a man named Jeroboam, Rehoboam harshly delivered his decision to them. Their response? Jeroboam, with Israel, rebelled against Rehoboam. Jeroboam became the king of the northern 10 tribes of Israel, and Rehoboam ruled the two southern tribes, Judah and Benjamin.

Why do I tell you this Bible story? It is obvious that this king, Rehoboam, made a monumental mistake, by not following the advice of his elders — and the result was a kingdom divided. Do we, the people of the United States of America, have anything to learn from this Bible story? I believe we do.

First of all, Rehoboam asked for and took three days to consider these matters — a very wise decision on his part, not to be overly hasty in making a weighty decision. May you and I take the time necessary to research issues and make wise decisions.

Second of all, although he sought the counsel of the elders that worked with his dad, he didn’t really listen to them. He didn’t really consider the positive ramifications of their counsel on the country. So, he simply rejected their advice. Why? It didn’t coincide with what he had already decided in his mind to do. In the U.S.A., do we sometimes do this same thing? Instead of listening, really listening to each other, do we find out whether the person we’re talking to is Republican or Democrat or some other party, and then automatically dismiss what they have to say because they are not allied politically with us? Yes, we do this. Yes, I’ve done this. So very unwise! It causes our “house,” our country to be unnecessarily divided. May you and I learn to really listen to those who advise us, even if they differ from us in opinion.

Thirdly, Rehoboam surrounded himself with his friends who he knew would agree with him and tell him what he wanted to hear. We are living in a danger zone when everyone around us is agreeing with us, and we do not welcome anyone into our surroundings who has a differing viewpoint. The Bible tells us that:

Proverbs 15:22 — “Without counsel, plans go awry,

But in the multitude of counselors they are established.”

To obtain good counsel, we must have within our “multitude of counselors” people who do not think exactly like us, people who will work with us without being or thinking exactly like us. Therein lies the beauty of having a “multitude of counselors.” Does your friend group include people who like you, but they are not like you? May the Lord help us to be inclusive in our friendships, and to really listen to our “multitude of counselors.”

If you and I will learn from this tale of a kingdom torn in two, perhaps we will not contribute to our country divided, our churches divided, and our families divided. As we move forward during this tempestuous time in our nation’s history, let us learn to:

Be single-minded. Live your convictions.

Listen well.

Follow good advice (not just what you want to do).

Love and serve wholeheartedly.

Learn to work with others, not fight them.

Amen? Amen!

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The Rev. Edroy “Curt” Curtis is president of the Greater Havre Area Ministerial Association, chaplain at the Northern Montana Care Center; president of the United Way of Hill County, and lead pastor of Havre Assembly of God Church