Reheboam became king. As the son of Solomon, grandson of David, the shoes were big ones to fill. The people asked for a lighter tax load. Solomon, his father, in order to build the Temple, to expand Israel's borders, to commission a navy, to maintian the growing empire required great sacrifices of the people. Now that he was gone, the people approached Reheboam to request a lighter tax load. He knew he needed to get good advice. He went to a good source: his elders.
The elders are wise. They have lived longer. They have lived and learned. They have experience. They have first-hand knowledge. Its always wise to consider the counsel of the elders.
Their advice was that Reheboam should listen to the request of the people. He would strengthen his ability to lead by lifting the tax burden from off of the shoulders of the people they said. By displaying loyalty to the needs of the people, the people would in turn be loyal to him.
But Reheboam decided to also hear the counsel of his colleagues. Young men like him who he had grown up with, had good times with, and considered his best friends. They had something to say as well. Their advice was the opposite of the elders. They advised Reheboam to tell the people that not only would he not lighten the taxes, he would increase them. He would show the people that he was no pushover. If they thought Solomon was tough, Reheboam would show them his moxy. This request was an affront to his position and authority. The advice of the young men was compelling.
So Reheboam ignored the wisdom of the elders and he followed the counsel of his young advisors. The people revolted and the kingdom of Israel divided into two separate nations.
Many would say that the key point of this story is that we should respect our elders and listen to their advice, that young men are novices and need to respect the authoritative voices of senior men. And I would agree. I do believe that this is an important principle contained in this instance.
But what many overlook in the lesson is the actual advice that was given. The counsel of the elders was to lift the burden of people, to make life less taxing for them. The foolishness of the young men was that Reheboam should be harsher, wield his authority over the people and to raise the level of expectations and sacrifice on them all. The wisdom of the elders is this: leaders should use their authority to serve people, not vice versa.
God appointed and God anointed leaders have been granted great authority by Him. But that authority has great responsibility. Its a responsibility to lead people to God, to teach them the ways of God, to serve, to protect, to love. That authority is to never be used as a means to prove one's importance or position. It is not meant to be used as a device for control and authoritarianism. That kind of leadership ends up driving people away, and severing relationships. The elders understood that without people, there is no kingdom.
The elders of Jesus' day were unlike the elders of Reheboam's. They were more like the young men that advised Reheboam. They believed in authoritarian rule. They believed in heavy burdens on the people. They appreciated the many detailed rules and expectations that they themselves could afford and cherished, but many of the nation found difficult to embrace. Jesus, the young man, had a different view. It was more like the counsel of the elders of Reheboam's day. He sought to lighten the load. And He did. And the burden He lifted would give all men hope and peace.
The early church met and counseled together. Some said the burdens of the OT law were still needed and should be enforced upon new Christians. Others weren't convinced. Ultimately the wisdom birthed from that meeting in
Acts 15 was to not lay unnecessary yokes on people. It was important they concluded not to impose superfluous burdens on Christians.
Counsel from elders should be considered and weighed by the mere fact that it is coming from experienced and seasoned men. But the counsel itself should be the ultimate factor in determining whether that counsel should be adhered to or not. Decisions rooted in motives such as ambition, image preservation, peer approval, fear, power grabs, ego and politics should be avoided. Leading in order to grant liberty, freedom, peace, joy, to engender trust and mercy tend to produce right results.
Whether you lead within your home, in business, in ministry or in the community, leading to serve people and help their lives to experience freedom from unnecessary burdens and heavy loads will serve to bring unity, progress and great success. People yearn for freedom. People yearn for trust. People yearn for mercy.
And without people, there is no home, no business, no ministry, no community.
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