He asked them, "What message do you advise that we send back to these people who have spoken to me, saying, 'Lighten the yoke your father put on us'?" He asked themThis phrase indicates a moment of seeking counsel, a common practice among leaders in ancient Israel. The Hebrew root for "asked" is "שָׁאַל" (sha'al), which implies a request for guidance or wisdom. In the context of 1 Kings 12, Rehoboam, Solomon's son, is seeking advice on how to govern. This reflects the biblical principle that leaders should seek wise counsel, as seen in Proverbs 11:14, "Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety." What is your advice?
The word "advice" comes from the Hebrew "עֵצָה" (etsah), meaning counsel or plan. This highlights the importance of seeking godly wisdom rather than relying solely on one's understanding. In the biblical narrative, the quality of advice can lead to either prosperity or downfall, as seen in the contrasting outcomes of Rehoboam's reign compared to his father Solomon's. How should we answer these people
The phrase "answer these people" suggests a response to a collective request or demand. The Hebrew word for "answer" is "עָנָה" (anah), which can mean to respond or to testify. This reflects the responsibility of a leader to address the concerns of the people, emphasizing the biblical theme of servant leadership, where leaders are called to serve and respond to the needs of their people, as Jesus exemplified in the New Testament. who say to me
This phrase indicates direct communication from the people to the king. It underscores the biblical principle of accountability, where leaders are not isolated from the voices of those they govern. The people's request is a reminder of the covenant relationship between God, the king, and the nation of Israel, where the king is expected to lead according to God's laws and the welfare of the people. ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’
The "yoke" symbolizes the burdens or obligations imposed by Solomon's reign, particularly the heavy taxation and labor demands. The Hebrew word for "yoke" is "עֹל" (ol), often used metaphorically in the Bible to represent oppression or hardship. This request for a lighter yoke reflects the people's desire for relief and justice, echoing the biblical call for leaders to act justly and love mercy (Micah 6:8). Historically, this moment marks a pivotal point in Israel's history, leading to the division of the kingdom, illustrating the consequences of ignoring wise and compassionate leadership. Persons / Places / Events 1. RehoboamThe son of Solomon and the king of Israel at this time. He is seeking counsel on how to respond to the people's request to lighten their burdens. 2. The EldersOlder advisors who had served Solomon, offering wisdom based on experience and tradition. 3. The Young MenRehoboam's contemporaries who grew up with him, offering advice that aligns with their youthful perspective. 4. IsraelitesThe people of Israel who are requesting relief from the heavy burdens imposed by Solomon. 5. ShechemThe place where Rehoboam went to be made king, and where this consultation takes place. Teaching Points The Importance of Wise CounselRehoboam's decision to seek advice is commendable, but the source of that advice is crucial. We must discern between worldly wisdom and godly wisdom. The Consequences of Ignoring ExperienceThe elders' advice was rooted in experience and understanding of the people's needs. Ignoring seasoned wisdom can lead to division and strife. The Dangers of Pride and ArroganceThe young men's advice reflects a prideful and harsh approach. Pride can blind us to the needs of others and lead to destructive decisions. Leadership and ServanthoodTrue leadership involves serving others and considering their burdens. Jesus exemplified servant leadership, which contrasts with Rehoboam's approach. Seeking God's WisdomIn every decision, especially those affecting others, we should seek God's wisdom through prayer and His Word, ensuring our actions align with His will. Bible Study Questions 1. What can we learn from Rehoboam's decision-making process about the importance of choosing the right advisors? 2. How does the advice of the elders compare to the teachings of Jesus on leadership and servanthood? 3. In what ways can pride influence our decisions, and how can we guard against it in our own lives? 4. How does the account of Rehoboam illustrate the consequences of ignoring wise counsel, and what are some modern examples of this? 5. Reflect on a time when you sought God's wisdom in a decision. How did it impact the outcome, and what did you learn from the experience? Connections to Other Scriptures Proverbs 15:22Highlights the importance of seeking wise counsel, contrasting the outcomes of plans made with and without it. Exodus 18:13-27Jethro advises Moses on the importance of delegating responsibilities, emphasizing the value of wise counsel. James 1:5Encourages believers to seek wisdom from God, who gives generously to all without finding fault. People Adoniram, Adoram, Ahijah, Benjamin, Dan, David, Israelites, Jeroboam, Jesse, Levi, Levites, Nebat, Penuel, Rehoboam, Shemaiah, SolomonPlaces Bethel, Dan, Egypt, Jerusalem, Penuel, ShechemTopics Advice, Advise, Counsel, Counselling, Less, Lighten, Lighter, Opinion, Return, Saying, Somewhat, Spoken, Weight, YokeDictionary of Bible Themes 1 Kings 12:1-15 5010 conscience, matters of 1 Kings 12:1-17 7233 Israel, northern kingdom 1 Kings 12:1-19 7236 Israel, united kingdom 1 Kings 12:1-24 5366 king
7245 Judah, kingdom of 1 Kings 12:8-11 5692 friends, bad
5887 inexperience 1 Kings 12:8-14 5746 youth 1 Kings 12:8-15 8410 decision-making, examples 1 Kings 12:9-11 4696 yoke Library How to Split a Kingdom
And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king. 2. And it came to pass, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it (for he was fled from the presence of king Solomon, and Jeroboam dwelt in Egypt); 3. That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying, 4. Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy ScripturePolitical Religion
'Then Jeroboam built Shechera in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel. 26. And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: 27. If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. 28. Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of …
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture "This Thing is from Me"
"Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me."--1 Kings 12:24. IT IS VERY DELIGHTFUL to read a history in which God is made prominent. How sadly deficient we are of such histories of our own English nation! Yet surely there is no story that is more full of God than the record of the doings of our British race. Cowper, in one of his poems, shows the parallel between us and the house of Israel, …
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 42: 1896 The Hebrews and the Philistines --Damascus
THE ISRAELITES IN THE LAND OF CANAAN: THE JUDGES--THE PHILISTINES AND THE HEBREW KINGDOM--SAUL, DAVID, SOLOMON, THE DEFECTION OF THE TEN TRIBES--THE XXIst EGYPTIAN DYNASTY--SHESHONQ OR SHISHAK DAMASCUS. The Hebrews in the desert: their families, clans, and tribes--The Amorites and the Hebrews on the left bank of the Jordan--The conquest of Canaan and the native reaction against the Hebrews--The judges, Ehud, Deborah, Jerubbaal or Gideon and the Manassite supremacy; Abimelech, Jephihdh. The Philistines, …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 6 How God Works in the Hearts of Men.
1. Connection of this chapter with the preceding. Augustine's similitude of a good and bad rider. Question answered in respect to the devil. 2. Question answered in respect to God and man. Example from the history of Job. The works of God distinguished from the works of Satan and wicked men. 1. By the design or end of acting. How Satan acts in the reprobate. 2. How God acts in them. 3. Old Objection, that the agency of God in such cases is referable to prescience or permission, not actual operation. …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion Use to be Made of the Doctrine of Providence.
Sections. 1. Summary of the doctrine of Divine Providence. 1. It embraces the future and the past. 2. It works by means, without means, and against means. 3. Mankind, and particularly the Church, the object of special care. 4. The mode of administration usually secret, but always just. This last point more fully considered. 2. The profane denial that the world is governed by the secret counsel of God, refuted by passages of Scripture. Salutary counsel. 3. This doctrine, as to the secret counsel of …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion The Upbringing of Jewish Children
The tenderness of the bond which united Jewish parents to their children appears even in the multiplicity and pictorialness of the expressions by which the various stages of child-life are designated in the Hebrew. Besides such general words as "ben" and "bath"--"son" and "daughter"--we find no fewer than nine different terms, each depicting a fresh stage of life. The first of these simply designates the babe as the newly--"born"--the "jeled," or, in the feminine, "jaldah"--as in Exodus 2:3, 6, 8. …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life The Instrumentality of the Wicked Employed by God, While He Continues Free from Every Taint.
1. The carnal mind the source of the objections which are raised against the Providence of God. A primary objection, making a distinction between the permission and the will of God, refuted. Angels and men, good and bad, do nought but what has been decreed by God. This proved by examples. 2. All hidden movements directed to their end by the unseen but righteous instigation of God. Examples, with answers to objections. 3. These objections originate in a spirit of pride and blasphemy. Objection, that …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion The Twelve Minor Prophets.
1. By the Jewish arrangement, which places together the twelve minor prophets in a single volume, the chronological order of the prophets as a whole is broken up. The three greater prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, stand in the true order of time. Daniel began to prophesy before Ezekiel, but continued, many years after him. The Jewish arrangement of the twelve minor prophets is in a sense chronological; that is, they put the earlier prophets at the beginning, and the later at the end of the …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible Of Civil Government.
OF CIVIL GOVERNMENT. This chapter consists of two principal heads,--I. General discourse on the necessity, dignity, and use of Civil Government, in opposition to the frantic proceedings of the Anabaptists, sec. 1-3. II. A special exposition of the three leading parts of which Civil Government consists, sec. 4-32. The first part treats of the function of Magistrates, whose authority and calling is proved, sec. 4-7. Next, the three Forms of civil government are added, sec. 8. Thirdly, Consideration …
John Calvin—The Institutes of the Christian Religion Travelling in Palestine --Roads, Inns, Hospitality, Custom-House Officers, Taxation, Publicans
It was the very busiest road in Palestine, on which the publican Levi Matthew sat at the receipt of "custom," when our Lord called him to the fellowship of the Gospel, and he then made that great feast to which he invited his fellow-publicans, that they also might see and hear Him in Whom he had found life and peace (Luke 5:29). For, it was the only truly international road of all those which passed through Palestine; indeed, it formed one of the great highways of the world's commerce. At the time …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life The Figurative Language of Scripture.
1. When the psalmist says: "The Lord God is a sun and shield" (Psa. 84:11), he means that God is to all his creatures the source of life and blessedness, and their almighty protector; but this meaning he conveys under the figure of a sun and a shield. When, again, the apostle James says that Moses is read in the synagogues every Sabbath-day (Acts 15:21), he signifies the writings of Moses under the figure of his name. In these examples the figure lies in particular words. But it may be embodied …
E. P. Barrows—Companion to the Bible Kings
The book[1] of Kings is strikingly unlike any modern historical narrative. Its comparative brevity, its curious perspective, and-with some brilliant exceptions--its relative monotony, are obvious to the most cursory perusal, and to understand these things is, in large measure, to understand the book. It covers a period of no less than four centuries. Beginning with the death of David and the accession of Solomon (1 Kings i., ii.) it traverses his reign with considerable fulness (1 Kings iii.-xi.), …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links 1 Kings 12:9 NIV1 Kings 12:9 NLT1 Kings 12:9 ESV1 Kings 12:9 NASB1 Kings 12:9 KJV
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