How does 2 Chronicles 10:6 connect with Proverbs on seeking wisdom? Setting the Scene Solomon’s son, Rehoboam, has just ascended the throne. Israel gathers at Shechem to ask him for lighter labor. Before he answers, “King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime” (2 Chronicles 10:6). The Verse in Focus “Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon during his lifetime. ‘How do you advise me to answer these people?’ he asked.” (2 Chronicles 10:6) What Proverbs Teaches About Seeking Wisdom • Proverbs 1:5 — “Let the wise listen and gain instruction, and the discerning acquire wise counsel.” • Proverbs 11:14 — “Where there is no guidance, a people fall, but in an abundance of counselors there is victory.” • Proverbs 12:15 — “The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to counsel.” • Proverbs 15:22 — “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” • Proverbs 19:20 — “Listen to counsel and accept discipline, that you may be wise the rest of your days.” • Proverbs 24:6 — “Only with sound guidance should you wage war, and victory lies in a multitude of counselors.” Point-by-Point Connection • Rehoboam’s initial instinct to consult elders echoes Proverbs’ repeated call to “listen and gain instruction” (Proverbs 1:5). • The elders served Solomon—Israel’s foremost sage—linking them directly to the wellspring of Proverbs’ wisdom literature. • The very act of asking, “How do you advise me?” mirrors the humility Proverbs upholds (Proverbs 12:15; 19:20). • Tragically, Rehoboam will later ignore this counsel and listen to his peers, illustrating the flip side of Proverbs 15:22: when wise counsel is rejected, plans crumble. • His choice splits the kingdom (2 Chron 10:16-19), validating Proverbs 11:14 in reverse: without sound guidance, a nation falls. Lessons for Today 1. Wisdom begins with asking the right people. Seek voices seasoned in godliness, not merely age or popularity. 2. Consulting is not enough; obedience must follow. Rehoboam proves that hearing truth without heeding it brings ruin (cf. James 1:22). 3. A single counsel session can set lifelong trajectories. The decision you make after receiving advice may either sustain unity or fracture relationships. 4. Proverbs is not abstract theory—its principles materialize in history. 2 Chronicles 10 stands as case-in-point evidence that God’s wisdom works exactly as He says. |
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