The Bible contains a few things so vulgar you may never hear them in a sermon. This is one of them. And yes, I have misgivings writing about it.
After Solomon’s son Rehoboam became king, the people of Israel came to him complaining Solomon had worked them too hard. They had built the temple, the palace, and an extensive collection of vineyards, gardens, orchards, horse farms and cattle farms, silver and gold mines, and more as described in Ecclesiastes 2. They told Rehoboam that if he would only ease the burden they would serve him. Rehoboam told the people to return in three days for his answer.
First, the young king asked the older counselors for their advice. They told him to be kind to the people and “and speak good words to them” and they would serve him forever, 2 Chronicles 10:7.
Then, Rehoboam asked a group of younger counselors for their advice. He “took counsel with the young men that were brought up with him,” and immediately the conversation became vulgar. Rather than encouraging Rehoboam to “speak good words,” his young friends said this:
“Say unto them, ‘My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s loins. For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions!’” 2 Chronicles 10:10-11.
Imagine giving such advice to a king. Only the buddies he grew up with would dare to say such a thing:
Yeah, tell them your little finger is bigger than your father’s ______! Say, ‘I’ll be a bigger ____ than he was!’
I can imagine the hand gestures and facial expressions that went along with this conversation. Rehoboam’s high-school buddies and college frat bros had suddenly made it to the king’s palace and they were enjoying themselves.
But being king is a serious business. And this is where Rehoboam made a mistake. He listened to his foolish friends. When the nation returned to him on the third day, he said the wrong thing. Though Rehoboam had the discretion not to discuss the thickness of his father’s loins, the young king insulted the people nevertheless:
“My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it. My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions” 2 Chronicles 10:14.
Immediately, the nation deserted Rehoboam, complaining “What portion do we have in David? What inheritance do we have in the son of Jesse? Every man to your own tents, O Israel!” 2 Chronicles 10:16. When Rehoboam insulted the people, he lost control of them. Quickly eleven tribes lined up in support of a new king, Jeroboam, and only the tribe of Judah remained loyal to King Rehoboam. In other words, Rehoboam’s insulting words about beating the people with scorpions cost him almost his entire kingdom. Why? Because Rehoboam listened to foolish counselors.
He was wise to take his questions to counselors. But when his counselors did not agree, to whom should he have listened? He should have listened to those with the most wisdom.
How do you know who has the most wisdom? As a general rule, those with the most experience have the most wisdom. They have the benefit of decades watching decisions being made and decades seeing the long-term results of those decisions. Younger counselors may have a sense of the pulse or mood of the people. But set against the wisdom of elders, that may not be worth much.
And by the way, were the older counselors better men than the “frat bros” Rehoboam grew up with? Not necessarily. They may have laughed at the comments about Solomon’s loins, even if they would never have said them. Older men can be shockingly foul-mouthed. They have heard it all, and have often grown quite desensitized. It’s not that the older men were better men or less vulgar or more moral or ethical.
The key is that for whatever reason, the elders had the wisdom to recognize that the situation called for kindness.
Where the young men told the king to “answer roughly,” the old men told him to “speak good words.” The old men gave wise advice. But Rehoboam listened to his young friends and spoke roughly.
“A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger” Proverbs 15:1.
“With the ancient is wisdom, and with length of days comes understanding” Job 12:12.
Dear Lord, teach us to speak kindly, to give a gentle answer. Show us to whom we should listen. Draw us to the wisdom of the aged. May we honor those who offer us the hard-won wisdom of experience. Please give us more wisdom every day.
AΩ
Household Words: 