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Following Rehoboam’s decision which split the kingdom, only God’s intervention through the word of the prophet Shemaiah kept a civil war from destroying the people. When the northern kingdom split from Israel, Rehoboam intended to take it back by force. However, God intervened.

All of this happened, 1 Kings 12:15 tells us, to fulfill the prophecy of the kingdom’s division. Here we see the remarkable harmony of human choices and God’s divine rule. No one forced Rehoboam to take foolish counsel, and the Lord’s plan was thereby fulfilled. Matthew Henry comments, “God serves his own wise and righteous purposes by the imprudences and iniquities of men.” That Rehoboam’s decision led to the fulfillment of prophecy did not make the choice any less sinful or foolish. God uses our decisions to achieve His purposes, but that does not mean we are not responsible for our choices. We cannot blame anyone but ourselves for our sins, even though the Lord’s sovereign plan works through these sins to achieve a greater good.

As “young” people, we often have dreams and aspirations for the future, which is good. However, we must remember that our plans and goals are subject to God’s will, and we cannot be sure what tomorrow will bring. Proverbs 27:1 says, “Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do now know what a day may bring forth.” Let us trust in God and seek his guidance in our plans and aspirations, humbly acknowledging that His ways are higher than ours.

Reflection: Look back on decisions you have made in your life. Were your decisions built upon the wisdom of God or your own plans?

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