Bad Advice

1 Kings 12.1-19 

Solomon’s reign brought unrivalled peace and prosperity to Israel. His father, David, would have marvelled at Solomon’s accomplishments. But much of it came at a high cost to God’s people. The works projects for the temple and his own house/palace took twenty years of intensive building.  After spending seven years on construction of the temple, Solomon spent a further thirteen on his own palatial dwellings. Labour was punishing, the need for materials exhausting, not to mention the riches it all required.  

There is no question, what Solomon accomplished was monumental, mind blogging – all of which was a potential problem to his successor. Solomon was credited with placing a “heavy yoke” on the people, and “demanding hard service”. It was hoped that by lessening the load of the past 40 years the people would willingly serve Rehoboam, Solomon’s son.

Rehoboam consulted with the older men who had worked with and for Solomon. They had been part of the massive public works projects Solomon instituted: the construction of the temple and palace, and expansion of the territory of Israel. They may well have been in awe of the final outcome, but they also knew the cost it had demanded of the people, so with the sagacity the aged possess they appealed to King Rehoboam to be a servant to the people, and to speak kindly to them, for which the people, they said, would happily serve the king. This was wise advice and would have established the throne and leadership of Rehoboam.

As it was, he disregarded their advice and went to the young men who had grown up with him and now attended him. They gave Rehoboam the advice his ego wanted to hear – bad advice. Their wisdom – Solomons whips will be nothing in comparison with Rehoboam’s scorpions. What they didn’t tell him because young men don’t know it, was, if you maintain a heavy load on people they will sooner or later become discouraged, crack and rebel. This happened sooner than Rehoboam’s advisors could have predicted. What the older men knew was a leader of the vision and productivity of Solomon can’t be followed by the same style – people need relief, not continued demands.

Jeroboam, who was the one who’d initially approached his brother, came back to Rehoboam for his answer, but Rehoboam answered harshly – the very thing the older men advised him not to do. “He disregarded the advice that the older men had given him and spoke to them according to the advice of the young men (who were eager to establish they own position and power with the king. In their mind kind words and servanthood were incompatible with strong leadership) ‘My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’ So, the king did not listen to the people …”

The impact was immediate. All Israel walked out on Rehoboam, and he was left to reign over Judah alone.  To add to his folly Rehoboam sent his taskmaster to the remaining Israelites to enlist them for more service. Their response - he was stoned to death. This was their emphatic no to Rehoboam’s leadership style.

Older people, in this case the elders of Israel, have lived long enough to see predictable patterns in human behaviour, as well as the unpredictability of life. They are only too aware of the follies of their own youth - even if only potential and not realised. They know people can’t take pressure to perform forever. Even great purposes can eventually stale. Years of working hard (whips) should not be rewarded by even harder work (scorpions).

Solomon, whether wittingly or otherwise, reduced the nation to being his personal servants/slaves, albeit in the name of vision, hence the wiser older men asking the new king to consider lessening the load. They knew this would win the people to Rehoboam’s reign. What he did caused the opposite.

Church leadership, which in the western church tends towards and is furthered by youth/younger, is in desperate need of sages – provided they are wise and not merely older. Age is no guarantee of wisdom, neither is youth a preclusion from wisdom. We all know some very smart younger leaders and some foolish older ones – people who have never been tempered and/or taught by their successes and failures.

Still, the principle stands – older people understand more, especially if they have been students of humanity (theirs and others) and scripture. Loss in church life can be caused by elevating and relying on younger people to lead and negotiate the difficulties that come with leading God’s church. Older and wiser heads should be sought out, their advice heeded. The losses Rehoboam faced could have been obviated by listening to people who had lived and learnt, rather than the advice offered by his ambitious peers – people blinded by unfounded idealism, an immature understanding of human nature, and their own hidden agendas.  

And, part of the problem is that kindness, something the older men appealed to, is largely the fruit of many years of learning people, giving them space to breath, and understanding that people have back stories we don’t always fully appreciate. Kindness is not the normal default of younger people, ambitious or otherwise.

A voice that tempers and challenges younger men and women may be one of the best investments they can make. If we pay (exorbitantly) for consultants (people rarely with skin in the game) we should pay for sages. They see what spread sheets, optics and numerical indicators don’t, can’t see.

What a difference the reign of Rehoboam could have been had he not heeded bad advice.