The Arrogance of Rehoboam.
“How shall I answer these people” asked the young king as he looked about the veteran faces of the men who had counseled his father before him. The king, you see, was in a bit of a pickle. He had just been confronted by a group of men angry about his father’s policies of heavy taxation and forced labor. They had demanded a rollback of these unpopular policies, and the new king, wanting to start off his reign on the right foot, had sent them away, asking that they return in three days time for his answer.
The king’s father, a man famous for his wisdom in his own day, was not a lone ranger. He had assembled a group of able men who served as his advisors. Today, we might refer to them as his cabinet. And these cabinet advisors were now faced with a history making question. “How do you advise me to answer these people?” That was what the king wanted to know. Upon their answer, and the king’s response, hung the fate of the nation.
The atmosphere, no doubt, was pregnant with anticipation. What would the counselors say? Perhaps taking a moment to consider their words, the men gave their reply. Their answer was this, “If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” Good words, these. The nation was at the breaking point. My way or the highway was not going to work, and they knew it. What was needed was wisdom, prudence and a gentle spirit.
Lux Lucet 