Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.

Job 1-42

Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed. Proverbs 15:22

I continue with my study of - Ten Men of the Bible: How God Used Imperfect People to Change the World - eBook by Max Lucado (for purchase). This morning, I continue with the story of "Job: God's Presence in the Storm*".

*Title of lesson two from the Max Lucado study. 

As I start to read and unpack Job, my study starts with Job's initial response to the calamities that befell him in Job 1:13-19. Job falls down in worship and continues to see God reign and how He is worthy of praise - quite an amazing response indeed!  My study then moves to look at Job's friends and the wisdom of their advice.  I am encouraged by my study to seek "multitudes of counselors" and see how Job's friends, while they might have not offered entirely wise counsel, did offer some nuggets. 

One such nuggets include (from Eliphaz the Temanite):

“Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you. Accept instruction from his mouth and lay up his words in your heart. Job 22:21-22

My study points to Elihu (who speaks up in Job 32-37), who while younger than Job's three friends who have already taken a crack at providing their perspective, rebukes Job for attempting to justify himself vs God.  John Piper has an excellent post on how he believes Elihu provides wise counsel to Job. We should all have Elihu-type advisers in our lives.

Comment and discuss the post here.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who has provided many great men and counselors in my life - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of this and the many other ways that You bless me.  I continue to sin with worry and other sins.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.

2 Chronicles 10-11 and 1 Kings 12-13

But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him. 1 Kings 12:8

 
Day 151 of my chronological study of the Bible with The Daily Bible® - In Chronological Order (NIV®) (available by purchase through Amazon - author F. LaGard Smith) moves from Solomon's reign to that of divided kingdoms of Judah (and Benjamin) under Solomon's son Rehoboam, and of the remaining tribes of northern Israel under Jeroboam, who returns after being forced to flee to Egypt following a conspiracy against Solomon.

I've previously posted on Rehoboam's rejection of advice from the elders that served his father and how it is important to remain humble and accept the wise counsel of others - in particular that of our brothers and sisters in Christ who exist to help encourage us and to help us hold each other to account.

Of particular note here as well is how quickly things can go off the rails once we turn from God - a cautionary tale indeed.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has placed men and women of God who have encouraged and helped me grow immensely in my journey with Christ.  Thank You Jesus for these blessings - yet I am undeserving.  I sin...I am easily distracted by the world.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

This is what the Lord says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.’” So they obeyed the word of the Lord and went home again, as the Lord had ordered.

1 Kings 12

This is what the Lord says: Do not go up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Go home, every one of you, for this is my doing.’” So they obeyed the word of the Lord and went home again, as the Lord had ordered. v24

Rehoboam, Solomon's son, does not appear to have the wisdom that his father had.  He chooses to follow the advice of his friends - his peers, and those with whom he has grown up - versus the advice of the elders (v6-11).  This results in an Israelite rebellion and Jeroboam is made king in Israel while Rehoboam maintains reign over Judah.  

Although it is clear from the text that God orchestrated these results (see v24), we can learn that it is not wise to discount wise counsel - particularly those whom God has put in authority over us - earthly authorities (government, etc.) and church authorities (pastors, elders, etc.).  

See also my post from a couple of days ago.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who has led me and provided for all of my needs. I have never been in want - thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love.  I worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Then the king said to his men, “Do you not realize that a commander and a great man has fallen in Israel this day? And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!”

2 Samuel 3

Then the king said to his men, “Do you not realize that a commander and a great man has fallen in Israel this day? And today, though I am the anointed king, I am weak, and these sons of Zeruiah are too strong for me. May the Lord repay the evildoer according to his evil deeds!” v38-39

After Saul dies, the commander of Saul's army, Abner - initiates a power struggle with David to determine who should rule over both Israel and Judah.  However, ultimately Abner determines that he should not fight the Lord's anointed.

May God deal with Abner, be it ever so severely, if I do not do for David what the Lord promised him on oath and transfer the kingdom from the house of Saul and establish David’s throne over Israel and Judah from Dan to Beersheba.” v9-10

David and Abner strike an agreement to peaceably transfer power of Israel from Saul's house (Abner) to David.  Abner then leaves David in peace.

Joab - who was not present to the agreement - feels that Abner is an enemy and he cannot be trusted so he - on his own accord - makes the decision to kill Abner.  David makes his displeasure known.  

For us, a key lesson here is to avoid our impulsive nature and to seek the Lord's guidance - explicitly with regard to significant actions and decisions that will have lasting consequences.  

Contrast this with David's repeated inquiries of the Lord with another one in 2 Samuel 2:

In the course of time, David inquired of the Lord. “Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” he asked.

The Lord said, “Go up.”

David asked, “Where shall I go?”

“To Hebron,” the Lord answered. v1

My sense is that we should be in a daily relationship with Jesus so that in the little things we know what to do (see also Romans 12:2) and go to Him explicitly with the bigger things.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, what an awesome God You are!  You are Truth and I am lost without You.  Thank You for your guidance.  I am not worth such love.  I often neglect my relationship with You. Please forgive me and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.”

Exodus 18

But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied.” v21-23

Ever since creation (see Genesis 2:18), God designed it that we are to live here on earth together - with and for others.

We are to serve others, confess our sins to one another, and encourage one another.

See also:
- Acts 2:42-47 (early formation of church)
- Serve
- Encourage

Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.  James 5:13-16

Key also to this passage of scripture is how Moses received wise counsel and how we are to do the same - to both seek and receive.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God, full of love and patience for me...thank You Jesus.  I am not deserving.  I allow my own comfort and selfishness to prevent me from seeking You. Please forgive me - help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself strength and wisdom.  Please heal Lisa from her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.