Psalms 111:10 says “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.”. A truly wise person is one who fears God, seeks Him, and obeys His will. In this chapter, we see two kings: Rehoboam and Jeroboam. Both are capable and shrewd, yet neither governed with the wisdom of God. One contributed to the division of the kingdom of Israel, while the other led the people of Israel into a spiritual decline.
The kingdom declined from prosperity towards the end of Solomon’s reign because he had fallen away in faith and had also placed heavy burdens of labour upon the people. In God’s sovereignty, the division of the kingdom had already been foretold and could not be changed. However, the resentment that had accumulated among the people because of their heavy labour could have been eased through a wise response. When Jeroboam came before Rehoboam with the support of the people and said, “lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.”, Rehoboam did not first pray and seek God’s wisdom. Instead, he consulted the elders of the kingdom and then the young men who had grown up with him.
The elders said to him, “If you will be a servant to the people today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be your servants forever.” This is precisely the lesson on how to govern that was taught to Rehoboam: a king ought to serve God’s people with the attitude of a servant. Perhaps Rehoboam wanted to establish his authority as the new king through harsh measures, but he lacked the wisdom of the kingdom of God: “Whoever wishes to be chief among you, let him be your servant.” If Rehoboam had treated the people with kindness and responded reasonably, he could have temporarily resolved this crisis that threatened the nation. Instead, he misjudged the situation and rejected the advice of the elders.
Furthermore, a soft answer turneth away wrath. When our speech is gracious and seasoned with salt, we can know how we ought to answer each person. Yet Rehoboam chose the most unwise course of action: He responded with an oppressive attitude and harsh words. His greatest folly was not that he followed the advice of the young men, but that he failed to seek God’s wisdom and will.
As for Jeroboam, God promised him: “If you walk in My ways, keep My statues and My commandments, then I will be with you and build for you an enduring house” (1 King 11:38). But Jeroboam did not have the faith to hold firmly to God’s promise. Because he feared that his throne would not remain secure, he changed what God had commanded.
He upheld the outward appearance of worshipping God while changing the very foundation of the faith. His errors included establishing his own altars, making golden calves, appointing priests improperly, and changing the appointed festivals. In order to secure his own political interests, he replaced absolute obedience to God with human methods. Ultimately, this led the Israelites into spiritual decline.
Colossians 1:28 teaches us that we should use all wisdom to warn and teach every man, that we may present every man perfect before God. For those who are in leadership roles within the church whether as parents in the family, church leaders or religious education teachers, our teaching should bring people completely before God, rather than drawing them to ourselves. Just as Jeroboam made the golden calves, we must also be careful that we not allow ourselves to become idols whom others follow instead of God.
Let us seek God’s wisdom so that, at every critical moment, we may submit to His will and make the right decisions. Let us also understand that the wisdom He grants us enables us to be watchful over ourselves and our teaching, and to lead others into His presence.
