2 Chronicles 10 Devotional

Harsh Words and a Hidden Hand

“They replied, “If you will be kind to these people and please them by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.””2 Chronicles 10:7 (BSB)

The people come to Rehoboam with a reasonable request. They ask him to lighten the heavy load his father laid on them, and promise to serve him if he does (10:4). The older advisers counsel kindness. If the king speaks gently and seeks the people's good, they will serve him for life (10:7). Rehoboam prefers the advice of his young companions and answers with a threat of whips and scorpions (10:14).

Yet the narrator adds a surprising line. This turn of events came from God, to fulfill what he had spoken through the prophet Ahijah (10:15). Rehoboam's pride is still his own. But even a foolish king cannot step outside God's purposes. Jesus later contrasted rulers who lord it over others with his own way. He came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:42-45). There is a King who chose to serve, and his strength is spent for his people rather than against them.

To think about: Where are you facing someone else's harshness, or tempted toward your own, and how does Jesus' way of ruling speak into it?