Advanced Level, Block 7—Idolatry and Division
Week 64
Rehoboam—Not Listening to Wise Counsel
Point to Emphasize: Who will you listen to? The wrong counsel often results in loss.
Reference Reading: 1 Kings 12:1-33, footnote 41
Memory Verse: A wise son hears his father’s instruction… (Proverbs 13:1a)
Story Sample
In chapter 12 of 1 Kings, there is a record of a king named Rehoboam. He was the son of King Solomon. When Solomon died, Rehoboam inherited a glorious and splendid kingdom from his father. Not long after he began to reign, he was faced with an important situation. Today, we will see what the situation was, how he responded and the outcome of his choice. Learning from his choice and the outcome of his choice can save you from many troubles as you become a young person.
When Solomon was king, he overworked and overtaxed the children of Israel. The twelve tribes of Israel took turns to provide all the daily necessities for him, his court, officers, and his huge family. This was a terrible demand upon the children of Israel. Now, with Rehoboam as king, would this continue? A man named Jeroboam, along with others, came to Rehoboam and asked him to lighten their tasks. If he agreed, they promised to willingly serve him. Rehoboam heard their plea and asked them to come back in three days for an answer.
Rehoboam then took counsel with these older ones (the elders) who had counseled Solomon his father. To take counsel is to receive advice, to take consult or instruction. So, Rehoboam went to these older ones to see what he should do. These older ones counseled him to listen to the people and to lessen his demands on them. They knew that if Rehoboam did this, all the twelve tribes would willingly serve him. How do you think Rehoboam received this advice? [Let the children answer.]
Rehoboam should have listened to the older ones and followed their advice. But instead, he rejected their counsel and went to take counsel with the young men whom he had grown up with. He went to his peers, the ones who were his age. Do you think the young ones gave him better advice? [Let the children answer.] Why do you think Rehoboam went to get advice from his peers rather than taking the advice from the older ones? [Lead the children into a discussion as to why they often times go to their peers.]
When I was your age, there were times that I didn’t like the advice that my parents gave me. One time, I wanted my hair straighter than what it was. My mom told me to be happy with the hair God had given me and not to try to change it. I didn’t like what she told me. I thought her advice was old-fashioned and I really wanted to hear something different. So I asked the girls in my class. They told me I could iron my hair. I went home one day and when my mom was not around, I got the clothes iron out along with the iron board and attempted to straighten my hair. The result of not taking my mother’s advice but instead, making a foolish decision to do what my classmates advised me to do, was that I burnt my hair. My mom had to cut off the burnt hair and I had to wait a long time for it to grow back. [Storyteller, please share your story of not taking your parent’s advice and taking the advice from someone your age resulting in loss.]
Let’s see what counsel Rehoboam’s peers gave him. Their advice was to tell the people, “And now whereas my father laid a heavy yoke upon you, I will increase your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions” (1 Kings 12:11). Aren’t those harsh words his peers used? Don’t you get the feeling that they took a demanding and unyielding stand with the people? Their advice was completely different from that of the older ones.
Rehoboam was foolish. When Jeroboam and others came back after the three days, Rehoboam told him that the demands upon the people would become even heavier. He used the exact words from his peers’ counsel, “Whereas my father laid a heavy yoke upon you, I will increase your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.” He was the rightful king of the twelve tribes. But, the outcome of his choosing to follow the wrong counsel resulted in his losing the kingdom. This caused a division among the children of Israel. He ended up reigning over the tribes of Judah and Benjamin and the rest of Israel made Jeroboam their king.
Now let us come to our case. Why is it that after your parents gave you the best advice, you still go and ask your peers? The truth is that you usually don’t like the advice your parents gave you. So, you go and ask your friends, knowing that they will give you the answer you want to hear. These days, it seems you can even get advice looking on social media.
But I want you to know that the advice from your parents and older ones around you is what you should take. They are the ones who truly care about you. They often spend time with the Lord before they give you the advice. You all should take their advice and you should never even think of seeking advice anywhere else. Remember, the outcome of listening to the wrong advice and acting on it, often results in loss.