517
August 1927
T h e - K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
such conditions prevailed in Solomon’s home. In his actions toward his own sub jects he never gave evidence of wisdom or diplomacy. Someone has in comment ing upon Solomon called him “the wisest fool in the world.” The older counsellors who had been in the diplomatic service of Solomon were called in and consulted concerning the gravity of the situation. Their advice to the yoUng prince was to consider very favorably their demands and to relieve the situation which was unbearable. Turning from men of experience, knowl edge and wisdom,.the king consulted the young men among whom he had grown UP, for their advice. According -to the custom of oriental countries of that age the prince was allowed to associate very intimately with the youths of certain families of the nobility in order that he might engage with them in contests of every kind and might become superior to them. This training was- excellent. Fur thermore, the counsellors of the incoming regime were usually selected from these youthful associates of the prince. It was doubtless this group of young counsellors whom Rehoboam consulted. They, with out experience of government, and unac quainted with the hard conditions of the people, encouraged the prince in his selL- Ishness and urged a negative reply. The condition of the laboring class in Israel at: this time was similar to that which was in Russia ih pre-war days when the peasants ihad no opportunity of relieving their situation. Similar condi tions likewise have prevailed in all coun tries more or less and prevail even today in our country, however in a modified form, appearing-in the conflict between labor and capital today. The ruling class wished to keep the masses in poverty and to live off of their labors. - Such oppres sion, of the poor and inequality among men is abominable in the .sight of God, for the- cry of the laborer shall enter the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.and He will avenge those, who keep back the hire of those, who are working for them, accord ing to the inspired statement of James. There is but one rule that is necessary in order to adjust al l ! social and labor problems, namely, let each one do unto all others as, he would have them do unto him. The adoption of this one principle in heart and in practice is a panacea for the solution of such problems. On the third day, Jeroboam, a malcontent who was banished from the country because of bis. seditious speech and actions during the' reign of Solomon, reappeared with the people to receive the decision of the king. Following the counsel of the young men who advised him to say to the people, “My little finger is thicker than my fa ther’s loins/’ Rehoboam answered, “My fath er made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your y o k e; my fath er chastised you with w htfs, .but I will chastise you with scorpions.” The people immediately understood the king’s meaning, which was that instead of relieving the situation, he intended to make the laboring condi tions-even more .intolerable than his fa ther had made them. This reply was like a match placed to a powder keg,—the ex plosion came with a mighty chorus from the assembled multitude—1 “What portion have we in David? Neither have we in heritance in the son o f Je s s e ; to your tents, O Israel: how see to thine own house, David.” Whereupon the ten northern tribes revolted 'from the house
pressed nation .arose and appealed for their rights. According to the custom from the days of the conquest on, all the national assemblies met at Shechem for the consideration of national affairs. Many and important'historical events are connected with this portion of the coun try, which was located about twenty-nine miles north of Jerusalem, in the tribe of Ephraim, and is close to Mounts Gerizim and Ebal where Joshua builded an altar upon which the law was inscribed. At that time certain ones of the tribes stood upon Mount Gerizim and blessed the people while others stood upon Mount Ebal and pronounced curses upon those who violated the law, which curses ended with the following: “Cursed be he that confirmeth not the words of this law to do them.” The law referred to is a law. which was. given through Moses. At the reading of the blessings and the curses the people responded with hearty amens. At the time of our ..lesson the blessings and curses which;'had been proclaimed and accepted by the people about 590 years prior, had faded to a certain extent from, their memory.1 Under the-f galling yoke of forced labor conditions to satisfy the unreasonable demands of an oriental monarch, the people had become ; embit tered toward the house of David. Instead of being greeted with an en thusiastic audience shouting “Long live the king!” Rehoboam was met by a howling, angry mob asking for an alle viation of the hard, miserable conditions under which: they were living. To their reasonable demands the king asked for -three days’ respite, at the end of which he would reply to their request. To us who. are in America'and whp! have had the advantage of the expe riences of the past, it/ggfms that no reasonable person with sound judgment would have had to delay the answer to such obviously reasonable- demands, but wheh we take our position ..in the midst of an- oriental world where the kings were considered as the anointed of God, who were reigning because of having been appointed by divine authority, the situa tion appears quite different. The young king, having been taught all his life that his person was inviolate and his. will law, and having lived in, luxury and ease far removed from the actual living conditions, of the downtrodden people, was unable to grasp the seriousness of the situation. He, however, understood that the people were dissatisfied and probably were try ing to “rpn a bluff over him;” hence, he wished a little time.-,to consider the mat ter. It seems rather strange, at , first gla-nce, that he had failed' to learn les sons of diplomacy from his father, who was indeed a real diplomat, as is seen from the fact that he formed and cement ed alliances with all the surrounding na tions by taking princesses of the royal houses as his wives.- It is, however, quite probable that though Solomon used, di plomacy abroad he did not use it in his own home ; hence, the young prince, emu lating his father’s home example, took the same despotic attitude towards .his sub jects.. In connection with this fact, it is a very regrettable fact to note that even among. Christians there are many who are very diplomatic and kind toward strang ers, hut towards those of their own home they are very unkind and unreasonable. Someone has said that “home is the place where one is treated the best and grum bles the most.” It is quite possible that
P ith and P oint We need not to ask anybody’s advice about a perfectly plain duty (v. 5). The road of humble service is the road to true greatness (v. 7). Agreeable companions are not neces sarily safe counsellors. Overbearing answers always s p e l l “blunder.” The way to catch a horse is with oats, not a whip. We cease to reign as soon as we rebel against God’s reign over us (v. 19). “I f Rehoboam’s father’s example had been as good as his teaching, Rehoboam might have been different” (Torrey), When a people’s protest is against the dishonor done to God, rather than to se cure easier times for themselves, there is hope for a nation (v. 4). —o— ■ ■ S uggestive Q uestions What kind of a man was Jeroboam? (V . 3; cp. 11:28.) Are aged men usually to be found lined up on the side of evil? (V. 6; cp. Jer. 6:16.) : What is the sure way to win the chief place in the hearts of a people? (V. 7; cp. Mk. 10:43-45.) What should settle the conflicting counsels of men? (Ps. 119:104; Jas. 1 :5.) What lies at the bottom of most of our mistakes? (Prov. 1:25; Isa. 3 0 ;1.) . Because: Rehoboam’s rough treatment of the people was the .carrying out of God’s purpose to chastise them, did this) lessen Rehoboam’s folly, and guilt? (V .’ 15; op. Acts 2:23). ; In so far as the complaints .of Israel were concerned, were they reaping what they had sown? (1 Sam. 8:7, 11-19.)/ —o— ’ G olden T ext I llustration “P ride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." When Severus,, Emperor of Rome, found his end approaching, he cried out, “I have been everything;; and every thing is nothing.” Then, ordering the urn to be brought to him in which his ashes were to be enclosed, he said: “Little urn, thou shalt contain one for whom the world was too little.” Thus Rehoboam, puffed up with .pride by his youthful companions, soon discovered.-that every thing is nothing, for it was not held sub ject to God’s counsel. Alexander the Great, knowing ,that he was dying, gave command that he should be carried through public places with his ' empty hands held up so all might see that the conqueror of the world had nothing in the end. “Blessed are the poor in spirit: fo r theirs is the kingdom o f heaven." —o— TN many respects Solomon’s -reign was -*•indeed an illustrious one,' when it is judged by outward appearances of splendor and glory. Underneath, and hid
den by the strong powerful h a n d of Solomon, were disin tegrating forces at work destroying- the vital forces o f the kingdom. Upon his death his son Reho boam ascended the throne. The people had been biding their
time; hence, when the psychological mo ment came, the downtrodden and op
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