solomon to rehoboam

8/11/2019 Solomon to Rehoboam

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The Value of Advice

From Solomon to Rehoboam: 1 Kings 12

Rev. Steven Braun© 2011 Steven J. Braun

As I write this, the United States is going through a significant economic crisis. Many people have lost their jobs, and others have lost their savings. The downturn has been

serious, and has affected almost everyone in one way or another.

One of the reasons so many people have been negatively affected is that they listened tothose who were thought to be experts and followed their financial advice. Most of us

don’t understand exactly how our financial system works, so we turn to those who haveexpertise to help us make decisions. When we do this, we need to be careful to choose

advisors who are qualified to analyze our situation and experienced enough to give usgood advice.

A number of those who were consulted did not meet these qualifications. A few were

outright dishonest. Bernie Madoff ran a huge pyramid scheme, while deceiving hisinvestors as to how his “investments” were performing. When his financial empire

collapsed, he ended up in prison, while his investors lost huge chunks of their savings. Itdidn’t take dishonesty to fail, however. For many, the simple fact that they had never

experienced anything but a rising market prevented them from considering a largedownturn. Their experience wasn’t sufficient to handle a major crisis.

People with no expertise of their own trusted others to advise them about investments,

mortgages, stocks, and bonds. There were not many in the financial world who were ableto keep their clients clear from the fall. As a result of a lot of bad advice, the economic

system of the entire country went through a substantial change that has lasted over a yearat this time.

Now bad advice wasn’t the sole factor contributing to the economic crisis, but it was a

significant factor in the choices made by many individuals and corporations. Had theadvice they were given reflected the risks that the future would reveal, many would have

been spared a lot of trouble. The quality of advice given makes a difference in the resultwe obtain from following it.

The situation: Rehoboam takes the throne

Solomon had been a powerful king. During his reign, Israel experienced its greatest time

of peace, prosperity, and power. Solomon had an international reputation for wisdom,despite the limitations of the communication lines of his time. People from all over the

world, including rulers such as the Queen of Sheba, had come to hear his wisdom (1Kings 10:1, 23). The nation of Israel was at the height of its power under Solomon.

Unfortunately, Solomon did not always follow the wisdom the Lord had given him. He

gathered treasures for himself, conscripted many Israelites for royal work, and collectedwives and concubines. While his wealth was gathered despite the commandments of the



law for the king, and the lot of the Israelites led to unrest, it was his wives that broughtSolomon his greatest downfall. They “turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was

not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been” (1Kings 11:4). While Solomon did not descend to the depths Saul had experienced, he

certainly did not follow the Lord wholeheartedly.

Solomon’s decline led to unrest, both from external enemies such as Hadad and Rezon,and in Israel. This was particularly strong in the northern part of the kingdom, away from

Judah, the tribe of the Davidic dynasty. Jeroboam, one of Solomon’s officials, had ledsome of the opposition and been forced to flee to Egypt. The final days of Solomon were

already showing cracks in the veneer of peace and prosperity in Israel.

Solomon had only one son named in the Bible, Rehoboam. Rehoboam had been born ayear before Solomon succeeded David as king, while Solomon was still a very young

man. Rehoboam’s mother, Naamah, was an Ammonite, which indicates that Solomon’swandering eye and tolerance for pagan women began early in his life. From later

statements about Rehoboam’s reign, it appears that his mother must have been the majorinfluence on his life. Perhaps Solomon was too busy with his many other wives and

concubines to take much interest in his son’s education and upbringing.

While it is possible that Solomon had given Rehoboam training to become king, we donot read of any in the Bible. This is in sharp contrast to Solomon and his father, David.

David had given Solomon advice on how to rule, how to deal with some difficultsituations left over from David’s reign, and how to build the Temple. He had left

Solomon prepared to take the throne and rule well. We do not see Solomon doing any ofthat for Rehoboam.

Solomon died, and the throne passed on to Rehoboam. As Rehoboam began his reign,

many issues in Israel were coming to a head. He would be put to the test immediately,and his responses to the situations that faced him would have enormous repercussions for

Israel.

The turning point: The people ask for relief

Rehoboam didn’t have to wait long to face his first challenge. Rehoboam had chosen togo to Shechem, in the territory of the northern tribe of Manasseh, to be crowned king of

all Israel. It was a politically savvy choice, showing that Rehoboam wanted to be seen asthe king of all Israel, not just Judah and its surrounding territory. Rehoboam undoubtedly

knew about the unrest among the northern tribes, and he chose to come to them to becrowned to show he was interested in their plight.

His father’s old nemesis, Jeroboam, led a group from the northern tribes to confront

Rehoboam. Jeroboam had already been told he would become king of the northern tribes, but he didn’t know God’s timing. Perhaps he saw in Rehoboam’s actions a chance for the

two parts of the nation to be united, or maybe he figured he would expose Rehoboam’s



agenda. Whatever his motive, Jeroboam returned from Egypt to head up the delegation toRehoboam.

The request they made was simple. Solomon had taxed Israel heavily, and conscripted

many for his building projects. Jeroboam and the northern representatives thus made an

offer to Rehoboam: lighten the load put on them, and they would serve him. It was areasonable request, given the heaviness of their burden.

Rehoboam asked for time to think about their request. This may seem a little odd to us,since the request seems so simple and logical. Rehoboam knew, however, that every

decision he made had significant consequences. He wanted to be sure that he understoodwhat Jeroboam’s request meant, and how that would affect the kingdom. The Bible

doesn’t indicate that Jeroboam and the others with him were offended by this. They mayhave understood that a state decision required time.

How many times have you made a quick decision that you wish you had thought over?

How might you gain time to think about a decision without offending others?

Rehoboam’s next step was a wise one. He decided that he could not make this decision

on his own, so he asked for advice. He recognized that as a new king who had noexperience in ruling he needed help in this first major decision of his reign. It certainly

looked like the new king was a humble man who would seek the help he needed toovercome his own limitations.

He first called in the elders who had served under Solomon, the men who had experience

in governance and had seen the wisdom of Solomon in action. This was a group that hada strong background in handling state affairs, and who could be expected to offer wise

advice. Assessing the situation, they advised Rehoboam to be a servant to the people andgive them what they asked. The idea of the king as a servant was in line with the

covenant David had made with Israel after he became king over the whole land in 2Samuel 5. The Israelites acknowledged David as their “shepherd,” the one who would

take care of them, and they made a compact with David that established that relationship.The elders advised Rehoboam to return to David’s role as shepherd of Israel, rather than

continuing Solomon’s role as a dominating ruler.

Rehoboam rejected this advice immediately. I suspect he was hoping that the men whohad advised his father would recommend he continue in Solomon’s ways. Rehoboam

thus shows what his intent is; he is not seeking advice, but confirmation for an opinion

already formed. It is significant that he does not ask the young men for advice first, thencompare the two suggestions. He rejects the elders’ advice, then turns to his friends fortheir advice. Rehoboam doesn’t want suggestions, just approval.

What do you want when you seek advice? Are you willing to accept advice that goes

against what you want? When giving advice, are you willing to offer advice that may not

be what the person or group wants to hear?



The “young men” serving Rehoboam actually weren’t all that young. They had grown upwith him, and so were likely close to his age of 41. They were young in comparison with

the elders, and also in their lack of real experience in government. They had grown upwith the prince, and had enjoyed all the advantages of being part of the court. They had

not been challenged to actually serve in an office, nor had they experienced the hardships

that the people of Israel faced. As a group, they were singularly unqualified to suggestany kind of response to Rehoboam.

Rehoboam identified with these young men. His question to the elders had been “Howwould you advise me?” while his question to his friends was “How should we answer?”

He shared their upbringing, their attitudes, their background, and their privileges. It islikely he thought they would give him the answer he wanted. In any case, these were the

ones he trusted to advise him, since they were more likely to think like him. They werethe consummate group of “yes men” for the king.

Having gotten the advice he wanted, Rehoboam was prepared to answer the contingent

from the northern tribes. He had the affirmation that he wanted to continue in the harshways Solomon had practiced, and in his second interview with Jeroboam he not only

would continue the hard taxation and labor, but in fact would make it even harsher.

It’s hard to imagine what Rehoboam thought this answer would accomplish. The northerntribes were already restless, and this answer certainly wouldn’t placate them. Rehoboam

may have overestimated the military strength he could bring to bear on the situation, orthe willingness of the northern tribes to remain under the rule of David’s son, but not his

grandson. He showed himself to be a poor evaluator of advice, one who couldn’t look past his own prejudices to see what was best.

The result: A kingdom divided

It is not surprising that Jeroboam and the northern tribes took this declaration badly.

Their cry of "What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse's son? To your tents,O Israel! Look after your own house, O David!" indicated a complete break with the

Davidic dynasty. The northern tribes took Rehoboam’s insult as the catalyst to declaretheir independence. Only Judah and Benjamin remained loyal to David’s grandson.

It’s possible that Rehoboam didn’t take this seriously at first. He sent out Adoniram, his

chief tax collector, to do his job. The Israelites stoned Adoniram to death. EvenRehoboam could take a hint this obvious, and he got into his chariot and fled back to

Jerusalem. His grand gesture had turned out to be a failure due to his arrogance and lackof wisdom in weighing advice.

Rehoboam realized that his only chance was to use the army to subdue the northern tribes

again. He gathered the forces at his command, and planned to attack the northern tribes.Only the prophetic warning of Shemaiah stopped Rehoboam, who was chagrined to learn

that God not only knew about the split but actually wanted it to continue. The nation wasdivided, and would remain that way for centuries.



Given that God had chosen Jeroboam to become king of the northern tribes andShemaiah’s prophetic word to Rehoboam, was there any way Rehoboam could have

avoided the division of the kingdom? I don’t think God’s ideal was for Israel to bedivided in two. Rather, He knew how Rehoboam would respond to the request of the

northern tribes, and put a plan in motion to deal with the arrogance and stubbornness that

Rehoboam showed was part of his makeup. This may have been God’s way of working to prevent these attributes from infecting the Davidic dynasty. While God is always incontrol, He often allows us to experience the results of our decisions and actions, and the

result for Rehoboam was disastrous.

In this case, the division would last for centuries. Some might even argue that it was permanent, since the only way Israel was reunited was after the dissolution of the

Northern Kingdom and Exile, when there was only one political entity left. Rehoboam’sfailure to adequately weigh the advice he was given had long-term consequences for his

kingdom. There really was no going back once the poor decision was made.

Have you ever made a decision that had long-term consequences? Were they good or bad? If bad, was it ever possible to restore the situation?

Transition lesson: Be willing to seek advice, and careful to weigh advice given.

It is truly difficult to balance all the competing claims in every situation. In a family,sibling rivalry could force parents to make choices they would rather not make. A church

may be divided over a social or theological issue, and reconciliation may seem to beimpossible. A business may have several competing plans for how to move forward. In

these cases, the advice of people with wisdom and experience can be helpful, evencrucial, to moving forward.

When seeking advice, it is critical to ensure that those who ask for advice actually are

qualified to give you that advice. Find people whose judgment you trust. Ask people torecommend advisors who have experience with decisions like the one you face. Age

alone isn’t a factor; a young person with experience and knowledge can give betteradvice than someone older who lacks both. The important factor is that the advisor has a

background which gives him or her the base from which to make an informed decision.

This may mean stepping out of your circle of comfortable friends. If you expect everyoneyou ask to be fully and uncritically supportive, you don’t have advisors-you just have

“yes men.” These are people who will tell you what they think you want to hear, and

won’t provide you with any analysis or critique of the decision. Support is wonderful, andfeels good, and can be important emotionally and spiritually in the process. Those whoare most supportive, however, may not make the best advisors.

Of course, even with the best advisors you may have a difference of opinion. No one ever

said making decisions was easy! In the end, decisions come down to a person, acommittee, a board, or whoever had that responsibility. If those making the decision have

solomon to rehoboam

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