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710 changes had taken place in the foreign alli ances of the nation, the dynasty of priestly Pharaohs, with which Solomon had been brought into alliance by marriage, had been overthrown, and the son and successor of Hiram, king of Tyre, Solomon’s inti mate and faithful friend, had been assas sinated. The ultimate outcome of the split between Judah and Israel recorded in this lesson was the captivity and dispersion of both nations. On his mother’s side Reho- boam was of thoroughly bad stock (ch. 14: 21). The people who came to Rehoboam with their petition for more favorable treat ment were headed by Jeroboam (vs. 2, 3) ; this fact shows that they were unfavorably disposed toward Rehoboam from the out set (cf. 11:26-40). Their complaint was that Rehoboam’s father, Solomon, had made their yoke grievous, and their request was that Rehoboam might lighten this griev ous service and heavy yoke that his father had put upon them (v. 4.) Their complaint was not altogether just (cf. ch. 4:7, 20, 22, 23, 25 ; 9:15, 22, 23). There was, however, an element of j’ustice in the complaint. In so far as the complaint was true, Israel was only reaping what they had sown, and re ceiving what they were told tney might ex pect if they persisted in having a king (1 Sam.' 8:7, 11-18, 19). The yoke of most’ human monarchs is “grievous” : there is but one king whose yoke is truly light (Matt. 11:29, 30). It is not likely that the offer that Israel made on condition that Reho boam would lighten their yoke (v. 4) was made in the deepest sincerity. Rehoboam was wise in the outset in “taking counsel with the old men” (v. 6). They have had long experience with his father, vyho vvas a wise king, and old heads are usually wiser than young heads, anyway. The question that Rehoboam put to these old and wise men was a good one, “How do ye advise that I may answer this people?” v. 7. “And they spake unto him, saying, I f thou wilt be a servant unto this people this day, and wilt serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will 'be thy servants forever" This
TH E KING’S BUSINESS
counsel of the old men was good. The road to real greatness is the road they advised, that of service (Mark 10:43-45). If we will serve others, they in their turn will serve us. The man who wishes others to minister to him, must first of all minister to them. We never lose anything by serving even the lowliest of men. In this as in everything else “whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” < v. 8. “But he forsook the counsel of the old men, which they had given him, and con sulted with the young men that were grown up with him, and which stood before him.” Rehoboam in this certainly played the fool. It is never a wise plan to seek counsel only of those of like position and prejudices with ourselves. .The young men who had “grown up with him, and stood before him” would be under great temptation to flatter him even if they had been wise enough to give him wise .counsel. As it was, they were no wiser than he. v. '9. “And he said unto them, What counsel give ye that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, Make the yoke which thy father did put upon us lighter?” There is a significant difference in the' wording of Rehoboam’s question as he puts it to the young men and as he puts it to the old men (cf. vs. 6, 9). In speaking to the old men he has asked “How do ye advise that I may answer this people.” In speaking to the young men he said “What counsel give -ye' that ive may answer this people?” v. 10. “ And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people, etc." Neither Rehoboam nor the people had any thought of God’s plan or purpose in their plottings; it was pure selfishness on both sides from start to finish. The people had no complaint to make of the idolatry that was beginning to flood the land; they were wholly occupied with their own wrongs. Reform along that line was of little value. But all 'the while, Rehoboam in his pride and fplly, and Jeroboam in his cunning plotting, were both carrying out the
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