“But Rehoboam rejected the advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him and were serving him.” (2 Chronicles 10:8, NIV)
The passage of time and the limits of my personal scholarship make it difficult to know precisely why Rehoboam rejected the counsel of the men who had served his father Solomon when Solomon was king; but I suspect that it was what the Bible calls the “pride of life” that led Rehoboam to consult instead his contemporaries.
The bible is an old book that challenges our ways. The traditions of the faithful are tested, but weathered and too-familiar. The counsel of the ages often seems way out of step with what is being promoted as the latest and the greatest discovery.
We prefer new to old. We choose fashion over substance. We do, as Rehoboam did: We reject the advice that established the ways of our successful predecessors, and take instead the advice of those who are more like us in our preferences; or who give us more attractive options.
When tempted to make changes for the sake of establishing our independence; or for raising our profile; or feeding our ego; we should call a time-out. Is the course we have chosen reflective of the “pride of life,” or is it supportive of a higher calling? – Luther
