Pussy Cat, Pussy Cat… I

This post and the next, we interrupt the ‘audio series’ to bring you two more on sight/perspective. Enjoy. INVITATION – You are warmly invited to join us by LIKING, FOLLOWING, SHARING and COMMENTING.

And they spake unto him, saying, If thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be thy servants for ever.

1Kings 12:7 

Do you remember that nursery rhyme (Pub. 1805) “Pussy cat, pussy cat, where have you been? I’ve been to London to visit the Queen[1]”. The following line asks the cat, who travelled to London ostensibly to see Queen, what he did there. The cat’s answer is that he frightened a little mouse under her chair!

Seeing a mouse should be expected, I guess, being a cat. However, the cat did not need to go all the way to Buckingham Palace to see one! After all, he went there to visit the Queen! The palace, its expanse, splendour, design, decoration, chandeliers, jewels, gardens, pools, fountains, the Queen herself, the staff, the order, and changing of the guard! Wow! Who goes to BP without seeing the changing of the guard? This cat did, my friend.

In 1 Kings 12, we meet Rehoboam, the son of the world’s wisest man. He had just been crowned king after King Solomon’s death. He was so elated and excited that he failed to observe and analyze the tense political climate his father had left. He only saw riches, glory, renown, and wine and women. If we were to sing our nursery rhyme above for him, we probably would go something like, ‘Rehoboam, Rehoboam, where have you been? I have been to Jerusalem to become the king. Rehoboam, Rehoboam, what did you see? I saw riches, honour, power, wining, dining, and ‘womaning’.

After his coronation, the people selected representatives, including Jeroboam, to speak to the king on their behalf. King Solomon had made their lives miserable with his taxes and forced labour. They wanted the newly installed king to ease their burdens. Keep in mind that wisdom is neither transferable nor hereditary!

So what was the response of the king who could not see that ascending the throne meant he was to serve his people? Well, it’s not like he didn’t consult with others. He went first to his father’s advisors and then to his own agemates and playmates. The two groups gave completely opposite pieces of advice. The former said, ‘serve them, and they’ll be your servants!’ The latter said, ‘show them you are tougher than even your father!’ He chose the advice of his playmates and destroyed Israel’s national unity forever. Read it in 1Kings 12:8-11.

At the time, the leaders asked Jeroboam to be king over the 10 tribes who were not directly descended from David. This man had fled from King Solomon to Shishak’s Egypt. He returned only when Solomon died. At the time, ten of the tribes of Israel seceded to form the kingdom of Israel. Only two of the twelve tribes – his own tribe of Judah and Benjamin remained under him as his subjects. At the time, the united nation of Israel became divided, fulfilling the devil’s plan. At the time, Rehoboam’s blindness to his purpose affected an already shaky Israelite unity.

Even after splitting the kingdom, he still didn’t get the point, so he followed the tax collector on his next trip. They stoned the tax collector, Adoram, to death, and King Rehoboam narrowly escaped alive. It is terrible to have a good venture collapse under your watch. You go down in history with that tag.

Rehoboam, Rehoboam, where have you been? Rehoboam, Rehoboam, what did you see…. Yes, you reading this; what do you see? You have become a leader, president, Member of Parliament, politician, CEO, VC, GO, administrator, supervisor, employee, management member, board member, cheerleader, faculty member, staff, worker, achiever, student, son, and daughter of a respected nation, organization or family. What do you see in that status? Can you discern the tense climate? Interpret your role? Have you found your actual purpose for the position and standing you have? We’ll continue next week.

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[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pussy_Cat_Pussy_Cat