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“But when Rehoboam was firmly established and strong, he abandoned the Law of the Lord, and all Israel followed him in this sin.”  2 Chronicles 12:1 (NLT)

Our almost 20 month and 4 year old grandsons love to play follow the leader around their kitchen island.  We march, play pretend instruments, skip, walk backward, leapfrog, and dance,  depending on what the leader is showing us to do.  We don’t ask questions, we just follow.  The boys love being the boss and watching us act out the silly things they lead us to do.

This is a fun game for all of us, but it is just a game.  We would never just blindly follow someone in real life…would we?

We have an example in scripture where all of Israel blindly followed their king.

Rehoboam did not just lead himself into a life away from the Lord, he led an entire country to walk away from the Lord.

Rehoboam had everything going for him.  He was the grandson of King David, the son of King Solomon, and he was crowned the new king of all of Israel.  The people were ready and willing to follow his leadership.  Some of the older advisors of King Solomon met with him and suggested that he reduce the workload of the people.  King Solomon had been building the Lord’s Temple, and the people were worn out and exhausted.  Rehoboam was handed a beautiful opportunity to become a humble, wise, and servant driven leader.  He had the opportunity to put the people before himself and lead Israel in the ways of the Lord.  However, Rehoboam also had advisors of his own age, and they did not agree.  They suggested that Rehoboam push the people and make them work harder than ever.

The result?  Rehoboam listened to his peers and soon after, Israel split into the northern kingdom (Israel) and the southern kingdom (Judah). He chose to walk away from the Lord and His laws, and 2 Chronicles 12:1 states, “…and all Israel followed him in this sin.”

Rehoboam’s poor game of follow the leader not only caused pain in his day but for generations to come.  Israel and Judah were so weakened by his lack of leadership that both kingdoms were invaded, taken captive, and destroyed.

Follow the leader may seem like a harmless child’s game, but in reality, the results can last for generations.

Why is this story in scripture?  What can we learn from it?

We can look at the leadership that God grants us and check in to see how we are stewarding it.   Are we allowing Christ to lead us so that we may be strong leaders to others?  Are we making decisions for our best or is it the best for future generations to follow?

We also have to look at who we are following.  This could be on social media-isn’t it interesting we are called followers of others??  Do we follow others more than Christ?  Whose opinion do we seek out first?  Who is the loudest voice in our head?  What are our criteria for making decisions and moving forward with them?

Follow the leader is really what this life is all about.  Who is our leader, and who are we following?

“Father, thank you for the opportunity to honor You with our lives and bring others to You.  Help us to hear Your voice the loudest and follow Your path, no matter how narrow it may be.”

For His Glory

Terrie Tollerson (www.TerrieTollerson.com)
TRBC Women’s Ministry