Why did Rehoboam reject "the advice that the elders had given him"? Setting the scene Rehoboam arrives at Shechem to be crowned. The northern tribes ask for lighter taxation and labor than what Solomon had imposed (1 Kings 12:1–4). Rehoboam seeks counsel: • The elders who had served Solomon urge him: “If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them… they will be your servants forever” (1 Kings 12:7). • He then turns to the young men who grew up with him. They advise harshness: “My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist… My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions” (1 Kings 12:10–11). Verse 8 records his choice: “But Rehoboam rejected the advice of the elders given to him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him”. What made the elders’ counsel trustworthy? • They had walked beside Solomon through forty years of administration. • They understood covenant responsibilities laid out in Deuteronomy 17:18-20. • Their advice matched God’s heart for servant leadership (Micah 6:8; Mark 10:42-45). Why Rehoboam rejected the elders’ counsel 1. Pride and the craving for dominance – Rehoboam viewed leniency as weakness. Proverbs 13:10: “Arrogance leads only to strife.” – He preferred to assert superiority: “My little finger is thicker…” (12:10). 2. Peer pressure and worldly values – The young advisers “had grown up with him and were serving him” (12:8); they had a vested interest in maintaining luxury and status. – 1 Corinthians 15:33 warns, “Bad company corrupts good character.” 3. Immaturity and inexperience – Solomon’s son never tasted hardship; lavish palace life left him unable to empathize (cf. Ecclesiastes 2:18-19, Solomon’s own worry about an unwise heir). 4. Fear of losing authority – Yielding to the people might embolden future petitions; he chose intimidation instead (Exodus 1:10, Pharaoh’s logic). 5. Spiritual dullness and a hardened heart – Rehoboam “did evil because he had not set his heart on seeking the LORD” (2 Chronicles 12:14). – Ignoring wisdom is a mark of folly (Proverbs 12:15; 15:32). 6. Divine orchestration to fulfill prophecy – “So the king did not listen to the people, for this turn of events was from the LORD to fulfill the word He had spoken to Jeroboam…” (1 Kings 12:15). – God had already decreed the split because of Solomon’s idolatry (1 Kings 11:11, 31-33). Rehoboam’s obstinacy became the human means by which God’s judgment unfolded. Immediate consequences • Ten tribes rebel; only Judah (and loyal Benjamin) stay with Rehoboam (12:16-20). • Civil war nearly erupts, checked only by God’s word through Shemaiah (12:22-24). • National strength fractures, opening doors for idolatry and foreign aggression. Enduring lessons for today • Humility precedes honor (Proverbs 18:12; James 4:6). • Seek counsel from those seasoned in Scripture, not just those who echo personal preferences (Proverbs 11:14; 15:22). • Leadership rooted in servanthood reflects Christ and wins hearts (John 13:14-15). • God’s sovereignty never excuses human folly, yet He weaves even sinful choices into His redemptive plan (Romans 8:28). Rehoboam’s rejection of wise counsel stands as a sober reminder: ears closed to godly advice open the door to division, loss, and missed blessing. |
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