Charles Spurgeon Commentary 1 Kings 12

And Rehoboam went to Shechem: for all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king. 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; ) that they sent and called him.

It was a sure sign of great discontent when the people sent for a rebel to be their spokesman.

And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying, Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee.

This was a very natural request; these Eastern monarchs took their thrones as if by a kind of divine right, and there was a tendency among the people to demand something like a constitution—some regulations by which they should not be so heavily oppressed.

I do not know whether they had been oppressed by Solomon or not; certainly, the realm as a whole was greatly enriched under his government. However, the wisest ruler must not expect that he will have the uniform love of the people, for there will be some discontented ones in every community.

One commentator says that it is the only sign of wisdom in Rehoboam that he took three days to consider the answer to this question.

Perhaps, if he had answered it rightly, it would have been better if he had answered immediately. Still, it is a good rule, when there is an important question before you, to take time to consider it.

The unfortunate point is that Rehoboam did not wait upon God for guidance in this emergency. Had he been like his grandfather David, those three days would have been spent with God in prayer, and he would have come back, with a greater wisdom than even his father Solomon possessed, to answer the people in this matter.

We often blunder in very significant matters when we speak without asking guidance from God; but in the most intricate circumstances, our course will be perfectly clear if we commit our way to the Lord.

He was probably a man forty years of age, and therefore no longer young; but he had all the while been playing the part of a young man. He had not been old in wisdom when he was young in years; it would have been well for him if he had been.

Old men are not always wise, and young men are not always wise; he who consults with men only will yet learn the truth of this verse: Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the Lord.

Among Rehoboam's counselors, the old men had no real principle to guide them; they said to the king, in effect, "Just butter these people with soft words, delude and deceive them with the idea that you are going to yield to them, and then, when you once get the reins into your own hands, you can govern the nation as you like." This was a wicked policy.

But the young men said to the king, "No, no, no; do not pretend that you will listen to the people. There is nothing like putting a bold face on it and just letting the people know that you will not yield to them. They will be startled by what you say. Have you not the authority and example of your father Solomon? Nobody ever dared speak a word of this kind to him, so put it down at once, and be bold."

There is no principle, you see, about the advice in either case; it is all policy, but the latter policy is sure not to succeed. I counsel you, brother—no, I will give you no counsel except that I counsel you to take counsel of God. Wait upon Him, for He knows what you should do in every difficulty that may arise. If Rehoboam had only had sense enough and grace enough to lay this case before his God, He would have given him some of the largeness of heart and the wisdom which He gave to his father Solomon.