When Ego Trumps Wisdom
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Text: Proverbs 12:1-15
Scripture gives us an account from the life of Rehoboam in 2 Chronicles 10. In fact it is the defining point in the life of this son of Solomon. I remind you that the book of Proverbs is written for the clear instruction of Solomon’s “my son” – Rehoboam. Scripture records for us the transfer of power that took place in the life of Solomon’s son as he came from Son of the King to King. The bible accounts for us that a certain delegation representing the people of Israel get an audience with the king and come to seek his grace.
The People’s Request…
Their request was simple. They asked something like this. Rehoboam we have just seen your father our king Solomon pass away and will miss him dearly. But, meaning no disrespect he was, at times difficult to live under. Some of the concerns that we have is that the taxes are high, and the workers are being ran thin and ragged.
So we wish to make a deal. If you will lighten the taxes and give us a day off each week and paid vacation we will serve you as king forever. You will be in charge, you will have our devotion. NO protests, NO flash mobs, Nothing you are in charge.
Time to think…
Now to his benefit he had learned that it is best to take time to think. His father had great wisdom, but wasn’t perfect. There could have been a great reason, and could have been a blind spot of the previous administration. Either way the new king should take time to figure it out. He ask for three days.
During these three days Rehoboam does some pretty smart things.
1) He seeks counsel.
2) He seeks from wise men.
As it turns out these former advisors of his father agree with the people.
And king Rehoboam took counsel with the old men that had stood before Solomon his father while he yet lived, saying, What counsel give ye me to return answer to this people? And they spake unto him, saying, If thou be kind to this people, and please them, and speak good words to them, they will be thy servants for ever.
And really Scripture leads us to believe that if this is where Rehoboam had stopped all would have been well. But this is not the case. Scripture says,
“he forsook the counsel which the old men gave him.”
Wrong move…
Scripture says that he sought the counsel of young men as well. These men were undoubtedly men that had recently made their way to the kingdom. And were up and comers. Classmates, or friends of Rehoboam. He ran what the people had said by this group, and they said
“NO, you know that these people are going to complain, no matter what and your going to make wimps out of them. How do you think Solomon became the richest king, by giving taxes back? No you need to get out from under your daddy’s shadow and set a course for greatness, if other countries thought your dad was rich they are going to make a new bracket to measure you by. If they thought your dad could throw a party they are going to see how you changed the definition of party and the good things in life won’t come if you give their money back.”
“I mean all the smart guys know that if you want job creation take business owners money away.” (The top 10% don’t pay their fair share anyway.)
As you have guessed Rehoboam made the wrong choice, He raised the taxes, put more labor on the workers. In fact he quotes the young counselors with this description.
For whereas my father put a heavy yoke upon you, I will put more to your yoke: my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
From here things simply fall apart. The kingdom is torn, and the nation of Israel will never be the same again. From this point on God’s people will be two nations, Israel, and Judah.
So what…
Where did it all go wrong? I am guessing that most everyone here would agree that it all went south about the time he forsook the old men’s counsel. That’s not what I am asking.
What is it that made Rehoboam forsake the counsel. Why when he fit our text verse so well. I mean, I was kinda cheering for the guy when he brought in the wise men that counseled his dad. Good first move, new king. I mean we all thought about the text verse didn’t we?
“he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.” Prov 12.15
So how do you go from seeking counsel and proving wisdom to blowing up the kingdom?
The problem with Rehoboam was that he wasn’t looking for counsel he was looking for agreement. He was looking for people to tell him what he wanted to hear. The old men gave counsel, but not the counsel he wanted. He wanted to the counsel that his friends would give.
Scripture says,
“young men that were brought up with him, that stood before him.” II Chronicles 10.8
This is referring to men that he had already fettered out as being “like minded.” He wasn’t looking for counsel he was looking for his way. That doesn’t make him wise it makes him a fool.
The way of a fool is right in his own eyes:
But he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise.
His problem…
He was stupid. That was his problem he was stupid, Don’t look at me like that, His daddy said he was stupid.
Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge:
But he that hateth reproof is brutish.
Solomon warned his son, If you don’t take instruction you won’t gain knowledge. But more importantly if you don’t take reproof you will be stupid.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Profitable for
Doctrine
Reproof
Correction
Instruction
We have a number of ways to learn. It can be taught through instruction and we grasp it. Or it is ran against our grain and we are reproved. Either way if the student refuses to learn he will be in the presence of instruction with no regard for it. The very description of stupid.
When someone teaches us and with a teachable spirit we grasp it. Or someone loves us enough to point out a mistake or error and with a teachable spirit we change our thinking along with our behavior. If we lack the proper spirit we fail to gain knowledge.
How do I love instruction?
1. Nurture a teachable Spirit,
Recognize my knowledge is incomplete and therefore, when I am in a disagreement with someone there is the slight possibility that I might be wrong.
A Teachable Spirit frees us from the burden of always having to be right.
Ask ourselves (silently in the heart) what can each person I come into contact with teach me? (even if I think they’re crazy)
Recognize that God isn’t finished with me yet.
2. Seek counsel from those who are already seeing biblical results in their life.
In II Chronicles 10 there is a point of focus on the fact that Rehoboam spoke to the wise counselors and they are described as “old men” I want to remind you that Scripture doesn’t look at the term old with the same disrespect as our world today.
I had a professor in school who said, “I have respect for any man how is in the ministry one day longer than I have.”
And I have been a young leader and stand in many cases this morning before young leaders but I believe that a wise young leader will cherish the opportunity and seek out counsel from men that have accomplished something before they will be so blind as to claim victory.
TRUELY, Age has no claim to wisdom I’ve known very wise young men and plenty of foolish elderly men. The key is Biblical counsel and experience in the values that matter.
This is why we put men and women in front of the church. So that you can see a bible example.
Adult Bible Class Leaders
Children Education Leaders (they’re not just good examples to children)
Deacons & Trustees
Ministry Leaders
3. Listen to counsel, especially when it is not something you really want to hear.
Why because there are three truths to grasp.
There is much being hidden
We live in a world that opperates what it does in the dark. They want you to live in the fake and fantasy. They desire you to live outside that which is true.
We live in the culture that has bought the lie that a baby in the womb is not a human and is just a clump of cells.
They want you to believe that you merely evovled to the state where you are in time and space and there is no great purpose to your existence.
They want you to believe that men and women are interchangeable
That global warming is our greatest enemy
That marriage is unnecessary
That selfishness leads to happiness.
The thoughts of the righteous are right:
But the counsels of the wicked are deceit.
What is important for you to remember is that these lies are only good until they run up against the truth.
The lip of truth shall be established for ever:
But a lying tongue is but for a moment.
You can see this collapse
If you live long enough you will see that lies have a way of becoming the vail of reality.
Christian leaders, Political figures, Spiritual Mentors are found out as covering a lie and people are devastated. It is not the pain of losing someone.
It is the villany of being lied to and placed in an environment where everything you thought was true turns out to be a lie.
Spouses have experienced this when their mate is found unfaithful.
Partners experience it when they find out the other has been stealing.
the vail is torn from their eyes and all that was true a whole environment where their was loyalty and sureness is exposed as a hologram.
Our world is playing this same game all the time.
John Phillips points to this from this passage; when considering vs 5-9 says, We consider it insanity to count:
1. Villainy Better Than Virtue (5)
2. Violence Better Than Virtue (6–7)
3. Vindictiveness Better Than Virtue (8)
4. Vanity Is Better Than Virtue (9)
John Phillips, Exploring Proverbs 1–19: An Expository Commentary, vol. 1, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp., 2009), Pr 12:1–28.
Counsel is what helps us see the game from all angles. Godly counsel does not take you into the experience of the counselor it takes you into the Bible to see the situation clearly.
There is much we don’t know.
I belabored this point earlier and won’t rehash it here but there is much we can’t see without a teachable spirit we may never see it.
There is much at stake.
This is why we should be so thankful for the Word of God.
Sometime back I heard someone espouse the idea that since “the Word was made flesh” we don’t need the Bible. Because we have Jesus.
They are quoting John chapter 1.14
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Never mind that this isn’t the point of what John was teaching here.
I think John of all people would have been shocked to find out that Scripture was no longer needed since he was the one being used to write Scripture.
There was no doubt in Peter’s Mind or Paul’s Mind or Johns Mind that they were in fact being used by God to write Scripture.
So the only reason that this false teacher knows that they no longer need the Bible because Jesus has come to replace the Bible is the Bible itself.
FACEPALM
The Gospel gives us the invitation to live in the truth.
You are a sinner
You are suseptable to deception and prone to ignorance.
But the God of heaven has sent his son that we might have everlasting life and that you might have a relationship with him.
Because of this missing simple truth
Our faith will suffer
Our marriages will suffer
Our children will suffer
They will have less of a disciple in their lives and therefore less of Christ’s impact in their life.
A. Pray for Wisdom
• Ask God to help the congregation seek and value godly counsel.
• B. Pray for Humility
• Ask for a spirit of humility and openness to correction in all who are present.
