“But he forsook the counsel of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served him.”
The young kids are in a drug store and all of them want some candy. With their mouth watering they can almost taste the sweet goodness of sugar on their tongues. One says, “Let’s just steal some, they will never know!” One of the other kids in the group can hear his father saying, “Stealing is wrong so don’t steal son.” This kid is caught in a tug of war. Should he listen to his friend or listen to his father?
Solomon’s son was named Rehoboam. The Lord was going to split Israel up between two kings, one who reigned over the tribe of Judah, and the rest of Israel would have another king. This happened because of Solomon’s disobedience.
Rehoboam became king in chapter 12 and the people of Israel came to him asking him to lighten the load his father had put on them. The new young king consulted the elders that were given to him by the counsel left by his father Solomon. They told him to answer the people by telling them that he will serve them, lighten their load, and speak good words to them. Then the people will be his servants forever.
Rehoboam then consults the young men he grew up with. Their counsel was very different. They told him he should increase their load and strike fear in the people. Rehoboam heeded the advise of the young men rather that the elders who served under Solomon for the past 40 years.
When the people heard this, they told the house of Israel basically to bug off. Only the tribe of Judah was left that still had loyalties to Rehoboam. Israel, now divided, gets two kings. One named Rehoboam over Judah and a renegade who grew up in Egypt fleeing from Solomon named Jeroboam.
The Bible says that a house divided against itself will not stand and history would soon prove this in the years to come. Rehoboam had a choice to make; listen to the elders or listen to the friends he grew up with. We know he forsook the elders and took the advise of his friends. The Bible does not record the conversation after the house of Israel split up that day, but I will bet Rehoboam looked around for his friends after that and I bet he could not find them.
If one nugget of wisdom comes from this story it is this; wise counsel most often comes from elders, not friends. Elders, in this case, knew the heart of the people and how to win them over. The friends, well, they only saw selfish ambition and greed.
If you are facing something looming over you and don’t know what to do then try seeking the elders. These are the people who have been there and done that before. Proverbs 15:22 says ” Without counsel, plans go awry, But in the multitude of counselors they are established.” Rehoboam chose counsel from “young friends” rather than the elders in his life and it cost him dearly.
Pray today that the Holy Spirit would show you wise elders to counsel you with and be on guard taking the advise of friends. That advise just might cost more than you think.
Prayer: Father, your Word tells us that a grey head is a crown of wisdom. I pray that we would all seek wise elderly counsel from men/women of God and not from someone who is wise in their own eyes. Father, put people in our path whom we can learn the ways of the Lord from and be wiser because of it. Help us to discern the voice of truth and follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance in all things. In Jesus name, amen.
Let It Go 
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