2026-10-03
1 Kings 12:6-8 Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?” And they said to him, “If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be your servants forever.” But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him.
King Solomon had drafted forced labour out of all Israel (1 Kings 5:13) to build the Lord’s temple and his own palace. When he died and his son Rehoboam had been made king, the people requested for clemency through Jeroboam and an emissary: “Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father, and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.” (1 Kings 12:4) But rather than follow the sagacious counsel of the old men who had asked Rehoboam to answer these men gently and to serve them, Rehoboam instead conferred with his age-mates, the young men he had grown up with and who stood before him, and following their ill-counsel, he answered Jeroboam and the assembly of Israel harshly, promising to be even harder on them than his father Solomon had been.
Leadership, kingship or other, often justifies us in thinking that we could treat and answer our subjects however we please. It’s been said that to know a person’s real character, you only have to watch how they treat people who can do them no good. ‘Distinguished’ people often look down on men who are not as important as they are. They are often condescending, harsh, unkind, and impatient, as though they were dealing with animals and neanderthals and not not human beings with dignity as they. But we only have to look at Jesus Christ and see how radically different he acted and taught. God though he was, he humbled himself and took the likeness of men (Philippians 2:3-8), and though worthy of all honour and glory, he, unlike the self-righteous and hypocritical pharisees who would not associate with sinners, was a friend with them, ate with them, and let them touch him, to the pharisees great chagrin.
Jesus taught his disciples, saying: “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:25-27)— thereby discouraging and condemning the style of rulership among the gentiles, and in our context, we would say, among secularists. Being Christians then, the standard of behaviour ahs been shown and taught us by Christ: to lead through service, with love, and an ever present consciousness that we too have a Master in heaven, just as Paul puts it in Colossians 4:1, “Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.” There’s some comfort too in the Preacher’s words: “If you see in a province the oppression of the poor and the violation of justice and righteousness, do not be amazed at the matter, for the high official is watched by a higher, and there are yet higher ones over them.” (Ecclesiastes 5:8)
We should not expect or hope for better treatment from God other than that which we have dealt our subjects, for judgement is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy (James 2:13). Nor should we, like Rehoboam, expect to keep the kingdom after being so inconsiderate, harsh, and ruthless.
Prayer:
Merciful Father and Good Lord, thank you for the example of love, kindness, and patience that we have in your Son Jesus Christ. Thank you for the subjects whom you have committed to us in whatever capacity. You have told us what you require of us: to act justly, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with you God. Teach us, and help us by your grace, not to exalt ourselves, nor to do anything for our glory and self-aggrandizement. May we serve you as we serve those who you have put in our charge to lead. In Jesus Name. Amen.