2 CHRONICLES 10-12

FEATURES OF FAITHFULNESS

 

Tim Hansel told the story of

"Clarence Jordan ...a man of unusual abilities and

commitment. He had two Ph.D.s, one in agriculture and one in Greek and Hebrew. So gifted was he, he could have chosen to do anything he wanted. He chose to serve the poor. In the 1940s, he founded a farm in Americus, Georgia, and called it Koinonia Farm. It was a community for poor whites and poor blacks. As you might guess, such an idea did not go over well in the Deep South of the '40s.

 

Ironically, much of the resistance came from good church

people who followed the laws of segregation as much as the other folk in town. The town people tried everything to stop Clarence. They tried boycotting him, and slashing workers' tires when they came to town. Over and over, for fourteen years, they tried to stop him.

 

Finally, in 1954, the Ku Klux Klan had enough of Clarence Jordan, so they decided to get rid of him once and for all. They came one night with guns and torches and set fire to every building on Koinonia Farm but Clarence's home, which they riddled with bullets. And they chased off all the families except one black family which refused to leave.

 

Clarence recognized the voices of many of the Klansmen, and, as you might guess, some of them were church people. Another was the local newspaper's reporter. The next day, the

reporter came out to see what remained of the farm. The rubble still smoldered and the land was scorched, but he found Clarence in the field, hoeing and planting. "I heard the awful news," he called to Clarence, "and I came out to do a story on the tragedy of your farm closing."

 

Clarence just kept on hoeing and planting. The reporter kept prodding, kept poking, trying to get a rise from this quietly determined man who seemed to be planting instead of

packing his bags. So, finally, the reporter said in a haughty voice, "Well, Dr. Jordan, you got two of them Ph.D.s and you've put fourteen years into this farm, and there's nothing left of it at all. Just how successful do you think you've been?"

 

Clarence stopped hoeing, turned toward the reporter with his penetrating blue eyes, and said quietly but firmly, "About as successful as the cross. Sir, I don't think you understand us.

 

What we are about is not success but faithfulness. We're staying. Good day." Beginning that day, Clarence and his companions rebuilt Koinonia and the farm is going strong today.

Holy Sweat, Tim Hansel, 1987, Word Books Publisher, pp.188-189, http://net.bible.org/illustration.php?topic=528

 

Clarence Jordon was a faithful man.  And most of us admire faithful men.  If there is one thing that most of us as Christians understand in our heads, if not our hearts is that God appreciates faithful men and women.

 

Luke 16:10-12 - He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

 

 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true [riches]?  And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?

 

1 Corinthians 4:2 - Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

 

Revelation 2:10 - Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast [some] of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.

 

The king, whose life we wish to examine this evening was not as faithful as he should have been.  However, we can learn from the positive things which he did and the negative things which he did, some of the things which we should do in order to be faithful to our God.  I've entitled this message,  FEATURES OF FAITHFULNESS.

 

We need to review our history a little at this point.  The first King of Israel was Saul, the second, David, the third, Solomon.  In each of these cases, the kingdom was made up of the twelve tribes of Israel.  However, due to the sin of Solomon, God decided to judge his house, and create a split in the two kingdoms.

 

READ 2 KINGS 11:6-13

 

Solomon died.  His son, Rehoboam, is now to be king.  It is Rehoboam who sees his Kingdom split. The Northern Kingdom, made up of 10 Tribes, is called Israel. The Southern Kingdom, made up of The Tribes of Judah and Benjamin , is called Judah.  We are studying the Kings of Judah because, more of these kings were good kings, who at least in part followed after their ancestor David.  Judah was ruled by David's family. Israel was not.

 

It is Rehoboam, who in both positive and negative ways, teaches us some of  THE FEATURES OF FAITHFULNESS.

 

ADVICE

 

Every person in this room is going to need advice some time in his life, whether he or she wants it or not.  Every person in this room is going to receive advice some time in his or her life, whether he wants it or not.

 

In 2 Chronicles 10:1-4, we find that Solomon has died, and Rehoboam is going to be made king.  Jeroboam, who had been a rebel against Solomon, and others made a request that Solomon's oppressive tax policies be lightened. This was not an unreasonable request.  Solomon had made the tax burden heavy through all of his grandeur and building programs. A break was needed!

 

Vs. 5 - Rehoboam starts out okay. He very wisely asks for some time to think, and tells the people to return in three days.  It is always good not to give a hasty answer.

 

Then Rehoboam goes to his father's counselors.

 

These would have been older men, who had been around the block a few times.

 

In Verses 6-7 Rehoboam receives wise counsel.  He is told to that if he is kind to the people, and pleases them (I would think with a tax break), and speak good words to them, they will be his servants forever.

 

This was actually good advice.  There would be no need for a split in the Kingdom, if the King was going to serve his subjects.

 

However, Rehoboam rejected the counsel of his father's counselors, and sought out the opinion of those his own age, considerably younger.  Perhaps these were even half-brothers to Rehoboam, same dad, different mom.

 

Read Vss. 8-11 - Words like this were sure to incite a riot, and a split in the nation.  Why did Rehoboam like this advice better?  Here are some possibilities.

 

1. It is what he really wanted to do in the first place.

 

2. It appealed to his pride, that he could not be intimidated.

 

3. He thought he was stronger militarily than he actually was.

 

When we need advice, what should we do?

 

1. Go to the Lord.

2. Study God's Word.

3. Seek Godly, experienced counsel.

4. Do not look for a "rubber stamp" for what you really want                                                                                                                                                                                                       to do.

5. Be open to changing your mind, or else don't ask.

 

Just this week I asked some advice.  I was given some I didn't really want, and yet it was right, and I got it from three different people, including Dottie!

 

Rehoboam  received advice.  His problem, he didn't take the right advice. He did as his peers suggested and it split the kingdom.  10 tribes followed Jeroboam. He was left with Judah and Benjamin.  It could have been avoided, if Rehoboam had taken the right advice.

 

ANOTHER FEATURE OF FAITHFULNESS, BESIDES ADVICE, IS,

 

APPLICATION 11:1-4

 

Vs. 1 - After hearing Rehoboam's response to the 10 tribes of

 Israel, it comes as no surprise that he decides to put an army together to bring Israel back into the fold.  He'll show them a thing or two!

 

Vss, 2-4 - Shemaiah hears a message from God to share with Rehoboam. Notice what Shemaiah is called - "man of God."  What better title could we desire? 

What better occupation could there be?

What an honor to be known as such, if we as Shemaiah evidently did, live up to the title.

 

Shemaiah tells Rehoboam and his army to back off.

He tells them "this is from me."

Yes, Rehoboam was wrong.

But, God allowed it, because he was punishing Solomon and his family!

 

Sometimes after we break things, we can't fix them and have to live with the consequences. In this case, Rehoboam heard the Word of God and Applied it to his life.  He was obedient!  He did the right thing.

 

Psalm 119:1-2 - Blessed [are] the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the LORD.  Blessed [are] they that keep his testimonies, [and that] seek him with the whole heart.

 

COMMENT

 

1 SAMUEL 15:22-23 - And Samuel said, Hath the LORD [as great] delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey [is] better than sacrifice, [and] to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebellion [is as] the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness [is as] iniquity and idolatry.

 

Neil Marten, a member of the British Parliament, was once giving a group of his constituents a guided tour of the Houses of Parliament. During the course of the visit, the group happened to meet Lord Hailsham, then lord chancellor, wearing all the regalia of his office. Hailsham recognized

Marten among the group and cried, "Neil!" Not daring to question or disobey the "command," the entire band of visitors promptly fell to their knees!

 

May we be as obedient to our master, applying his commands to our lives through obedience, as they subjects were to the Lord Chancellor.

 

Two features of faithfulness which we've considered so far have been application and advice.

 

ASSOCIATION 11:13-17

 

Read Text

 

Those who were Godly left Jeroboam.

Priests who were not longer to act as priests.

Those who would follow the true God of Israel.

They were a positive influence on Rehoboam.

They probably influenced him to live Godly.

For three years the kingdom was strong, because for three years they walked to together.  They associated with the right people.

 

We wonder sometimes why we do not grow.

Are we associating with Godly people, doing Godly things together, and having Godly conversations?

 

ADVICE

APPLICATION

ASSOCIATION

ABANDONMENT 12:1-4

 

Vs. 1 - Rehoboam did what was right for three years, and the Lord strengthened him.  Then, when he was strong, he led the whole nation away from God.

 

1 Kings 14:22-24 - And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done. 23 For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree. And there were also sodomites in the land: [and] they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.

 

What a lack of gratitude was shown by the king and his subjects. And yet, we who serve the King of Kings have a tendency to walk away from the Lord as well!

 

Revelation 2:4 - Nevertheless I have [somewhat] against thee, because thou hats left they first love.

 

Let's be careful, because it is so easy to leave our love of the Lord behind in favor of love of sports, computers, homes, jobs, money, friends, and so on!

 

Vss. 2-4 - The Lord brings discipline upon Judah because of sin.  The Lord will bring discipline on us as well, desiring that we will repent.

 

Proverbs 3:11-12 - My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction:  For whom the LORD loft he correcteth; even as a father the son [in whom] he delighteth.

 

ADMISSION Vss. 5-12

 

Vs. 5 - God's Man delivers the message of sin.

 

Vs. 6 - They humbled themselves before God.

            Their sins were evidently confessed, admitted.

 

This is exactly what we need to do. 1 John 1:9

 

Vss. 7-8 - God forgave. They were not destroyed, but they were spanked anyway, being in bondage to Egypt.

 

Often the Lord forgives us, but we live with the consequences of our sins.

 

The immoral person.

The alcoholic.

The liar.

 

ADMISSION

There is one last Feature of Faithfulness

 

ATTITUDE Vs. 14

 

Here is the bottom line on Rehoboam.

Why was he so wishy-washy?

Why did he seem good one minute and bad the next.

 

This verse tells us why.

He did evil because he did not prepare his heart to seek God.

If we are not prepared to seek God, we will do evil.

 

HOW CAN WE PREPARE OUR HEARTS TO SEEK GOD?

                Prayer

                Read Scriptures

 

Memorization and Meditation

Presentation of body as living sacrifice.

 

I guess you could some up Rehoboam's life by saying that he just wasn't obedient, nor did he really care to be. The heart was never fully committed to God.

 

How about us.

 

 

FEATURES OF FAITHFULNESS:

 

ADVICE

APPLICATION

ASSOCIATION

ABANDONMENT

ADMISSION

ATTITUDE