1 Kings 12:6

Jeroboam and others with him asked Rehoboam to lighten the heavy service Solomon had laid on them. If he did, they would gladly serve him (v.4). This was a reasonable request. At the time Rehoboam wisely asked them to come back in three days for an answer (v.5). It was right that he should discuss this suggestion with his council.

Rehoboam consults the old men who had stood before Solomon to drink at the source of wisdom. Their counsel is that of Jesus to His disciples: "Let the greatest among you become as the youngest, and the leader as one who serves" (Luke 22:26)... Rehoboam turns away from this wise counsel and follows the young men who had grown up with him and who stood before him (v. 8). They could only mirror and reflect their master's thoughts. If he had stood before his father himself, hearing the wise proverbs from his lips, he could have passed some of that wisdom on to others... The counsel of the young men, in the end, is only that of his own heart.

His father had forced the people into labour, and this caused deep dissatisfaction. Rehoboam might have calmed it, if he had wisely and humbly listened to the aged men who had been his father's honoured counsellors. Long experience had taught them the mood of the people. And in asking for lighter burdens, the people were only doing what any people not reduced to slavery might have asked.

It was not the noblest ground, it is true. It was not the ground that would have left him in both liberty and responsibility... it ought to have been the ground if he would be a servant of Jehovah — if he would serve Jehovah in watching over the best interests of Jehovah's people. But they said, as far as their measure went: "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." It was prudence, it was good policy. I could not say there was faith in it, but there was good policy in it, as far as that went.

Where Rehoboam ought to have been firm he was loose, and where he ought to have been yielding he was obstinate; and these two things unfit any man to govern. The great secret of governing well is always knowing when to be firm and when to yield. A ruler must do this in the fear of God. He must be perfectly certain what is a divine principle, and there be as firm as a rock. He must also know what is only an indifferent thing, and there be as yielding as possible.

The old men are rich in experience. They tell Rehoboam that all will be well if he will "be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them" (2 Chron. 10:7; ESV: "be good to this people"). Does not this carry our thoughts to Romans 15:1-4? In the first verse we have the "kindness" that bears "the infirmities of the weak" instead of putting heavy yokes on them. In verses 2 and 3 we have pleasing one another for "good to edification," instead of pleasing ourselves. In verse 4 we have the "good words" of Scripture for our comfort and hope.