1 Kings 12 

One thing I particularly love about going to a classical Christian school is that we get to talk about difficult cultural issues that are not common topics but are still highly relevant today. In my Apologetics class, we are reading The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis. We are not very far into the book, yet, one point has stuck out to me, and it is this: kindness is doing something to make someone happy, but love is doing what is ultimately best for someone. 

Our culture likes to think that “kindness” and “love” are synonymous. However, love is doing what’s best for someone, which means there may be some pain involved, and God is the best example of that (as we’ll see in this passage).  When we are in the midst of pain, it is hard to see the love that a faithful friend has for us (which is ironic, since the One who is most faithful is the One who loves us the most).

This week’s passage focuses on Rehoboam’s conflict with Jeroboam for the throne of Israel. In verses 3 and 4, Jeroboam and the Israelites go to Rehoboam to ask when “their yokes will be made lighter” -- in other words, when the pain of oppression caused by some of King Solomon’s policies would lift. Instead of calming the people, Rehoboam tried to put everyone in their place.  He escalated the situation until he and Jeroboam were almost at war. 

In this instance, the Israelites sought kindness. They wanted their yokes to be lightened, to be happier. It may have seemed as if God was absent at this time, but he wasn’t. The whole time, he was faithful to the people through and through. They didn’t see it until God commanded Rehoboam to put down his weapons and return home (vs. 22-24), and their yokes finally lightened a bit. 

Of course, this is just a part of God’s plan for the Israelites, and he hasn’t finished it yet. What we see as the greatest example of faithfulness in this passage is God faithfully loving the Israelites far beyond culturally-defined “love.” The things they are facing are hard, but he keeps showing them glimpses of his love by staying faithful to them, even when the times are tough. 

Think about past events in your life where you found yourself seeking cultural love (a.k.a. kindness). How does redefining love change how you viewed God’s faithfulness in that moment?