1 Kings 12 (#1): Firstly, asking God is fundamental

Verse 6:

King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. He asked, "How would you advise me to answer these people?"

Verse 8:

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

◇ Solomon, known as the king of wisdom, also followed the path all people take. After him, Rehoboam became king. 

The people came to him and asked for a reduction in their heavy labor. In response, Rehoboam asked the elders who had been with his father. He also consulted with his contemporaries who were serving him. Rehoboam chose to follow the advice of his peers and imposed even heavier labor on the people. In protest, the ten northern tribes, excluding Judah, made Jeroboam their king. Israel was divided into north and south.

David asked God in everything he did and obeyed according to the answer. He fought many wars and shed much blood, so he was not allowed to build the temple, but he was a king who tried to live according to God's will by asking Him. Solomon was a king who sought wisdom to better govern God's people from the throne God had established for him. He was a king who built a temple for God, dedicated it, offered a thousand burnt offerings, and prayed fervently.

God is not evident at the beginning of Rehoboam's reign. When the people came to him with requests about their labor, he did not ask God first but asked his servants. Consulting with servants is a matter of course. But if he is a king established by God, a king who governs Israel as God's representative, shouldn't he ask God first?

♧ Lord, grant us a heart that first asks God in everything and obeys His will and plan! Holy Spirit, lead us in the way of truth!