Rejecting Wisdom

1 Kings 12

Israel Refuses to Follow Rehoboam

1 Rehoboam went to Shechem. All of the people of Israel had gone there to make him king. 2 Jeroboam heard about it. He was the son of Nebat. Jeroboam was still in Egypt at that time. He had gone there for safety. He wanted to get away from King Solomon. But now he returned from Egypt. 3 So the people sent for Jeroboam. He and the whole community of Israel went to Rehoboam. They said to him. 4 "Your father put a heavy load on our shoulders. But now make our hard work easier. Make the heavy load on us lighter. Then we'll serve you." 5 Rehoboam answered, "Go away for three days. Then come back to me." So the people went away. 6 King Rehoboam asked the elders for advice. They had served his father Solomon while he was still living. Rehoboam asked them, "What advice can you give me? How should I answer these people?" 7 They replied, "Serve them today. Give them what they are asking for. Then they'll always serve you." 8 But Rehoboam didn't accept the advice the elders gave him. Instead, he asked for advice from the young men who had grown up with him and were now serving him. 9 He asked them, "What's your advice? How should I answer these people? They say to me, 'Make the load your father put on our shoulders lighter.' " 10 The young men who had grown up with him gave their answer. They replied, "These people say to you, 'Your father put a heavy load on our shoulders. Make it lighter.' Tell them, 'My little finger is stronger than my father's legs. 11 My father put a heavy load on your shoulders. But I'll make it even heavier. My father beat you with whips. But I'll beat you with bigger whips.' " 12 Three days later Jeroboam and all of the people returned to Rehoboam. That's because the king had said, "Come back to me in three days." 13 The king answered the people in a mean way. He didn't accept the advice the elders had given him. 14 Instead, he followed the advice of the young men. He said, "My father put a heavy load on your shoulders. But I'll make it even heavier. My father beat you with whips. But I'll beat you with bigger whips."

Dear Jesus,

Self deception seems to be the theme of my studies lately. And that gives me one big "Uh-oh." What am I deceived about? I think I'm catching a glimpse of the lesson that You are trying to wake me up about.

In this passage there is a clear account of a man that is self deceived. He says he is seeking an answer, but when one is given that he doesn't like, he continues to search until he finds the one that fits to his own selfish desires.

Rehoboam needs an answer, and he turns to the "elders."

In scripture- wisdom is often attributed with age. (job 12:12- "Wisdom is with aged men, With long life is understanding., Proverbs 22:15 Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child) In the letters to Timothy, Paul encourages Timothy to have the older teach the younger.

The elders speak wisdom. They give the advice that the people wanted to hear. It was advice to be compassionate and understanding, but Rehoboam doesn't want that... so he continues to search. He seeks the young men, and their "wisdom" is foolishness. They tell him what he wants to hear, and what the people will reject him for.

As an outsider, a reader of scripture, we can see that it is all a part of God's plan. That God is the one that causes him to reject the wise counsel so that he will be rejected by Israel. But that isn't the view we get in our own lives. I wonder what situations I am in that I have rejected advice because I wanted to hear what I wanted to hear....

Lord, Give me the wisdom to hear Your wisdom and to know Your leading and to accept it. Help me to reject the wisdom of the foolish. I desire to follow Your ways.