2 Chronicles 9:31 "And Solomon slept
with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David his father: and
Rehoboam his son reigned in his stead."
2 Chronicles 10:6-11 "And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people? (7) And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever. (8) But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him. (9) And he said unto them, What advice give ye that we may return answer to this people, which have spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father did put upon us? (10) And the young men that were brought up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou answer the people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it somewhat lighter for us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins. (11) For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions."
Solomon has died. His son, Rehoboam, is now king of Israel. The nation has grown and prospered in such a way that had not been equaled by any other nation. The Lord had blessed Solomon with wisdom and understanding. Overall, he used those two characteristics to be a blessing to Israel. Now Rehoboam sits on the throne. It is apparent that he did not inherit the quality trait of wisdom.
I digress for a moment. When Solomon was king, Jeroboam the son of one of Solomon's servants tried to rise up against Solomon. As a result of the conflict, he had fled to Egypt all these years. Now he hears that Solomon has died and he comes again to Israel. The people remember him and the manner in which he had treated them. They soon began to follow him. Jeroboam came to Rehoboam and said, "If you will treat the people right, as your father, we will serve you." Apparently Jeroboam had different ideas.
That sets the stage for today's devotion. Rehoboam asked for three days to make his decision. He called the older men to ask of their advice. They told him, "If you treat the people fairly and to be kind to them, the people would serve him for ever." Then Rehoboam called the younger men for their advice. They told him just the opposite of what the older men had told him. "Make their work harder than ever." In other words, let them know who is boss and enforce it strictly.
The age old battle: Youth versus Mature. The young people are filled with vitality and energy. The older mature have gained a lifetime of wisdom. How is the best way to lead? It seems to me that much can be accomplished when there is a proper mixture of energy and wisdom. If Rehoboam had taken the two pieces of advice and combined them, there is no doubt he could have been a great king. Instead, he listened to the energy without wisdom and as a result, the nation was divided. It only takes one generation to destroy what had been built. What is the answer? The older must be willing to share their wisdom and the younger must be willing to listen. The older must be willing to help steer the energy in the proper direction and the younger must be willing to follow, in order to gain wisdom. I am talking in circles this morning, but there is a happy medium, if people are willing to sit and talk and respect one another. It seems to me that our nation, today, needs a big dose of that willingness.
2 Chronicles 10:6-11 "And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people? (7) And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever. (8) But he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him, and took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him. (9) And he said unto them, What advice give ye that we may return answer to this people, which have spoken to me, saying, Ease somewhat the yoke that thy father did put upon us? (10) And the young men that were brought up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou answer the people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it somewhat lighter for us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins. (11) For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions."
Solomon has died. His son, Rehoboam, is now king of Israel. The nation has grown and prospered in such a way that had not been equaled by any other nation. The Lord had blessed Solomon with wisdom and understanding. Overall, he used those two characteristics to be a blessing to Israel. Now Rehoboam sits on the throne. It is apparent that he did not inherit the quality trait of wisdom.
I digress for a moment. When Solomon was king, Jeroboam the son of one of Solomon's servants tried to rise up against Solomon. As a result of the conflict, he had fled to Egypt all these years. Now he hears that Solomon has died and he comes again to Israel. The people remember him and the manner in which he had treated them. They soon began to follow him. Jeroboam came to Rehoboam and said, "If you will treat the people right, as your father, we will serve you." Apparently Jeroboam had different ideas.
That sets the stage for today's devotion. Rehoboam asked for three days to make his decision. He called the older men to ask of their advice. They told him, "If you treat the people fairly and to be kind to them, the people would serve him for ever." Then Rehoboam called the younger men for their advice. They told him just the opposite of what the older men had told him. "Make their work harder than ever." In other words, let them know who is boss and enforce it strictly.
The age old battle: Youth versus Mature. The young people are filled with vitality and energy. The older mature have gained a lifetime of wisdom. How is the best way to lead? It seems to me that much can be accomplished when there is a proper mixture of energy and wisdom. If Rehoboam had taken the two pieces of advice and combined them, there is no doubt he could have been a great king. Instead, he listened to the energy without wisdom and as a result, the nation was divided. It only takes one generation to destroy what had been built. What is the answer? The older must be willing to share their wisdom and the younger must be willing to listen. The older must be willing to help steer the energy in the proper direction and the younger must be willing to follow, in order to gain wisdom. I am talking in circles this morning, but there is a happy medium, if people are willing to sit and talk and respect one another. It seems to me that our nation, today, needs a big dose of that willingness.