Bad Influence

Can you remember when you were growing up how easy it was to be influenced by someone else? Sometimes we refer to peer pressure as a very influential thing among school children. Among these influences, we know that some are good and some are bad. We as parents know what kind of influences other children are on our children, especially those who are bad influences. While we can’t make their decisions for them, we do hope that our children will be more influenced by the good people around them and follow their advice and example. In 1 Kings chapter twelve there is a story about a king who got some good and bad advice, and we are told this king decided to follow the bad advice. Shortly after the reign of the wisest king who ever lived, being Solomon, his son Rehoboam was to be made king by all Israel at Shechem. There was an assembly of Israel which included Jeroboam who came to request that Rehoboam lighten their load from how hard Solomon had been on them by making their yoke heavy. If Rehoboam would do this, then they would serve him. Rehoboam consulted the elders who had served Solomon, and they told him to be a servant to them and grant them their petition. Unfortunately, there were some other people who influenced him. Rehoboam decided to forsake the counsel of the elders and listen instead to the young men who grew up with him and served him. They told Rehoboam: “Thus you shall say to this people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, now you make it lighter for us!’ But you shall speak to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins! ‘Whereas my father loaded you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father discipline you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’” (1 Kings 12:10-11). Upon the unfolding of these events, we know that Israel rebelled and eventually Jeroboam the son of Nebat became the king of Israel while Rehoboam became the king of Judah, the start of what we know as the Divided Kingdom which was prophesied in 1 Kings 11:30-32. Ahijah had prohesied that the kingdom would be torn from the hand of Rehoboam and given to Jeroboam, though Rehoboam would still have one tribe. My how things can change by listening to unwise counsel from younger men instead of taking the wise counsel of elders! However, this was to fulfill what had been prophesied by Ahijah. Can you look back on your life and see where you took some bad advice? I’m sure we can all relate to this story in some shape, form or fashion. We need to be really careful about who our influences are in this life. What we are influenced to do in this life will have a direct correlation with where we will spend the next life. What are you being influenced to do?