No. 1667: King Rehoboam, Solomon's son, was "high in his own eyes" and did not care about being so!

No. 1667:

King Rehoboam, Solomon's son, was "high in his own eyes" and did not care about being so!

http://the-heavenly-blog.janchristensen.net/2026/03/no-1666-king-davids-mistake-and.html
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZZfeshJL6Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ai60mmg2mk

Illustrative image of King Rehoboam, Solomon's son.
As he might have looked.
It is almost 3000 years since he lived, so this is only an illustrative image.

 

2 Chron. 10. 1 Rehoboam went to Shechem; for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 1 Kings 12,1-20
2 When Jeroboam, Nebat's son, heard it (he was then in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from Egypt. 1 Kings 11,40
3 And they sent for him; Then Jeroboam and all Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,
4 Your father made our yoke heavy; but now make the grievous service and the heavy yoke that your father put on us lighter, and we will serve you.
5 He said to them, “Depart for three days, and then come to me.” So the people departed.
6 Then King Rehoboam consulted the old men who had stood before Solomon his father while he was still alive, saying, “What advice do you give me that I may return answer to this people?”
7 They answered him, “If you will be kind to this people and show them kindness and good words, they will be your servants forever.”
8 But he forsook the advice that the old men had given him, but consulted the young men who had grown up with him and who stood before him.
9 He asked them, “What advice do you give us that we may answer this people who have said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us?’”
10 The young men who had grown up with him answered him, “Thus you shall say to this people who have spoken to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but make it lighter for us,’ thus you shall say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins.’
11 Now whereas my father made your yoke heavy, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, I will chastise you with scorpions.”
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had said, ‘Come back to me in three days.’
13 The king answered them harshly. King Rehoboam did not listen to the advice of the old men.
14 But he answered them as the young men had advised, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to it; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”
15 But the king did not listen to the people; for it was a turn of events from God, that the word of the Lord might be fulfilled, which he spoke to Jeroboam the son of Nebat by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite. 1 Kings 11:29-31
16 When all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, “What portion have we in David? We have no portion in the son of Jesse. Every man to your tents, O Israel! Now therefore, David, see to your own house.” So all Israel returned to their tents. 2 Samuel 20:1
17 But as for the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
18 Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but the children of Israel stoned him, so that he died, and King Rehoboam himself had to quickly get up into his chariot and flee to Jerusalem.
19 Thus Israel fell from the house of David, and so it has been to this day.

Here we meet Solomon's son and heir, King David's grandson!

Solomon reigned for 40 years, so this is only 40 years after King David's death.
In many ways, Israel's heyday was relatively short.
When David reigned in Jerusalem for 33 years, before that 7 years in Hebron.

Solomon for 40 years.
After this, the kingdom was divided, into a North and a South kingdom.
It is in this event that is mentioned here in 2 Chronicles and in 1 Kings from chapters 12 to 14.
Rehoboam is mostly mentioned in 2 Chronicles 10 to 12.

The conditions for Rehoboam were very good despite his Father's sins and in many ways disobedience to the Lord and His word.
Even with relatively good conditions, it is not a given that things will go well.
Every day and every occasion is an opportunity to either succeed or fail.
It is not automatic, one needs God's grace, help and guidance all the way to succeed.
Start taking things for granted, and here like Rehoboam who was "high in himself", and did not care about the danger of being so!

Rehoboam was put to an election, where he could go two ways!

The choices were actually very simple, but at the time decisive.
Should he listen to the older men, or to the younger men with whom he had grown up?

We read the following:
“Your father made our yoke heavy; but now lighten the harsh service and the heavy yoke that your father put on us, and we will serve you.”

Taxes and the burden of taxes under his Father, Solomon.
It had become very demanding for the common people.
Then the choice was for Rehoboam whether to continue it, or to reduce it.
Here the King was to consult with his people, for three days.
Then they would get an answer.

As I said, there were two options.

Make the yoke, the tax requirements and what the people were to give back to the King.
Either lighter or heavier.
Where the older men were just as clear in their recommendation as the younger men were.

We read:
“King Rehoboam did not listen to the advice of the older men, but answered them as the young men had advised: ‘If my father made your yoke heavy, I will make it "And it is even more difficult; if my father disciplined you with whips, I will discipline you with scorpions."

That King Rehoboam let the younger ones and neglected the advice of the older ones.
Was fatal for both himself, the kingship itself and Israel which became a divided kingdom after this.

How could Rehoboam really believe what the young people said and seduced him?

Unfortunately, he is not alone. There is a proverb that says that children play best.

Here the younger ones were just as naive and self-centered as the King was. Therefore, their advice and guidance fit him.

We all make wrong choices so many times, which have major and negative consequences for ourselves. And many others.
The scripture says, among other things, this:

Prov. 18. 1 The stubborn one only follows his own desires; against all wise counsel he shows his teeth.
12 Before a fall a man’s heart is haughty, but before honor is humility.

Prov. 16. 18 Before destruction is pride, and before a fall a haughty spirit.

Rehoboam was the son of Solomon who wrote this.
But it is obvious that this has not happened to him.
When he really has not listened or lived by these Bible verses.
If he had done so, not only been a hearer of the word.
But also a doer of it, then he would never have ended up in this situation.
Where Israel was divided into a North and South kingdom.

Rehoboam had to flee for his life, so serious was the situation for him!

We read:
“15 The king did not listen to the people;
Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king and said, What portion have we in David? We have no portion in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel, every man! Now look to your own house, David! Then all Israel returned home.
Only over the children of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam became king.
Then King Rehoboam sent Hadoram, who was in charge of the forced labor, but the children of Israel stoned him, so that he died, and King Rehoboam himself had to quickly get up into his chariot and flee to Jerusalem.”

He barely escaped with his life.
He had to flee to Jerusalem with his head held high.
His close associate who was in charge of the forced labor died by stoning.
A truly terrible and cruel way to die.

There are consequences when we are not on the Lord’s side in our decisions!

Among other things, the Law of Moses prescribed how one should seek God for guidance.
I wrote an article about this a few years ago.
Here it is and a little excerpt from that article:

With this breastplate were the Urim and Thummim

The breastplate was to be folded in two. Why? Because something was hidden in it, it is called the Urim and Thummim. Most likely these were precious stones, and the words mean light and perfection.

When someone had to make an important decision, but did not know exactly what God wanted them to do, they went to the high priest. He was able to tell them what God’s will was by means of the Urim and Thummim. Through them God gave his answer, and the inquirer received perfect light on what he should do.

Perhaps some are thinking, ‘I wish we had a high priest who could always show us the way!’ Well, that is exactly what we have, but fortunately not on earth where we might have to travel far to get help! Our high priest is in heaven, and through prayer we have direct communication with him.

We can approach our high priest with all our problems. He is there for us. He lives for his people. He does not leave us in doubt. We can tell him everything, and then we must calmly wait for his answer. In due time he will make it clear to us which way to go.

Here we read about this in the Old Testament:

Deuteronomy 33. 8 About Levi he said:
Your Thummim and Urim
shall be with your faithful man,
whom you tested at Massah
and with whom you contended at the waters of Meribah.

Exodus 28. 30 You shall put the Urim and Thummim in the breastplate. They shall be over Aaron's heart when he goes in before the Lord. Aaron shall bear the judgment of the children of Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually.

http://the-heavenly-blog.janchristensen.net/2015/02/no-882-gods-guidance-through-urim-and.html

When the kingdom was divided, King Rehoboam, Solomon's son, ruled the Southern Kingdom or the Kingdom of Judah. ​​Jeroboam became the first king of the northern ten-tribe kingdom of Israel after the division of the kingdom around 931 BC.

Final comment:

In many ways, one can say whether King Rehoboam, Solomon's son, was so "high in himself". Thus, he did not consider it dangerous to be so!
And had to pay a very high price for this.
There is not much to indicate that King Rehoboam, Solomon's son, learned from his mistakes. But continued as he had always done.
Not learning from his mistakes is also part of the overall picture here.
May God, through the Lord Jesus Christ, be able to teach us all not to give in to our own flesh.
But listen, learn and move forward in the Spirit's new life with Jesus,
Not least of where we have gone wrong. and lost God's Blessing!