Who are you listening to? After King Solomon died, his son Rehoboam took the throne of Israel. After the coronation the leaders of Israel came to Rehoboam, and asked if the heavy labor burdens and taxes that Solomom had imposed could be eased a bit. After all, most of the large scale building projects had been completed, and the people needed time to recover. It was a reasonable request. Matter of fact, the advisors that had served his father Solomon, all men of wisdom, advised Rehoboam,
"If you are good to these people and do your best to please them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your loyal subjects." 2 Chron 10:7
That was some sound counsel. But Rehoboam didn't listen to his father's advisors, instead he listened to his friends, who told him he should lay an even heavier burden on the people. I can hear the conversation, "Don't listen to those old geezers, you're the king! You need to show them who's boss!" So Rehoboam told the people:
"My father laid heavy burdens on you, but I'm going to make them even heavier! My father beat you with whips, but I will beat you with scorpions!" So the king paid no attention to the people. 2 Chron 10:14-15
What was the result? The kingdom split, and the Hebrew empire eventually collapsed; Moab successfully revolted against Judah, and Ammon successfully seceded from Israel. Within a century of Solomon's death, the kingdoms of Israel and Judah were left as tiny little states, led by a succession of evil kings, which made them easy targets for the Assyrians and the Babylonians.
It's crazy to think all of that wreckage can be traced back to one foolish decision by a young king.
Sadly, this same kind of foolishness takes place in relationships today; The leader that refuses to heed sound counsel, or the husband that refuses to heed the plea's of his wife. The result? Teams fall apart, churches split, and families disintegrate. What happens when a group disintegrates? The individual members become easy targets for the enemy.
I have to be honest, one of the saddest parts of being a pastor is watching families become divided because of pride and stubbornness, and then watching the aftermath as the members are picked off one-by-one by the world and the enemy.
So today my exhortation is to men: Be careful who you listen to. If you're having trouble at home, don't listen to guys that tell you to "put her in her place," listen to the advice of Solomon's advisors:
"If you are good to your wife, and seek to love her, understand her, bless her, and please her, she will be faithful to you and love you all the days of your life."
"Lord, help me to be the man that brings love, peace, and godly leadership to my home."
Pastor Clay | 
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