Enjoy Life, Enjoy God

CIVIL WAR

January 11, 2010

A war within, "civil," as in, we behave decently, kindly, thoughtfully, "civilly."

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"Now tell them, 'My little finger is thicker than my father's [Solomon] waist. My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions.'"
- 1 Kings 12:10,11 TNIV
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Solomon died, and his son, Rehoboam rose to the throne. So he gathered the elders together for counsel, and they said, "Lighten the load on your subjects, give them a break, be gracious and kind in your subjects." Instead Rehoboam acted anything but civilly, and we read his response above. For that and other reasons, Rehoboam's foolishness, and his harshness led to civil war. Israel divided into two countries--the Northern Kingdom-Israel, and the Southern Kingdom, Judah.

It's a sad story, but it need not be so of us. If we are to err, let us err on the side of civility, of grace and generosity. It is not a positive legacy to be remembered by such words are Rehoboam's. There's harshness all around, let us be people of grace and mercy in the name of Jesus Christ.
Joyfully,

Dale Patterson