Last week I talked about an Israelite king: Jeroboam II. This week I’ll talk about another one, one who reigned earlier.
It is king Rehoboam, son of Solomon. Rehoboam seemed to have it all, born with the proverbial silver spoon in his mouth. He came into the throne during the best of times–Israel had expanded to its greatest territorial size; the nation was rich and was at peace. What could go wrong?
Well, there was something wrong with Rehoboam’s character. His background was kind of the opposite of his grandfather David. David fought in the trenches and paid his dues every step of the way. Then David’s son Solomon had it easier, and Rehoboam much easier. I remember reading in a book: “If Solomon was raised for the purple, how much more Rehoboam!”
When Rehoboam was crowned king the people came to him with a reasonable request: lower our taxes. Solomon had put quite a burden on them with high taxes and conscripted labor. The people understandably wanted relief. The new king asked for three days to think it over. He consulted with the wise, older advisers. They replied, “If today you will be a servant to these people and serve them and give them a favorable answer, they will always be your servants,” (1 Kings 12:7). But instead the king consulted other advisors, the privileged youth that he grew up with, who advised telling the people: “‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. My father laid on you a heavy yoke; I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge you with scorpions’,” (vss. 10-11). That’s the advice the king went with. So the answer was, “You think taxes are high now, just wait!”
Rehoboam’s answer revealed his shallow character. He and his friends had probably not done hard labor in their privileged lives. Their hands were rarely dirty. They seemed glib and casual about the hardships to the working man. They acted like privileged spoiled brats.
The result was a disaster: 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel rebelled; breaking away to form a separate nation. Not only did Rehoboam not get the higher taxes he wanted, but he got less–a lot less. His arrogance cost him five-sixths of his kingdom.
Now, admittedly, there were bigger forces at play. The scripture tells us that “this turn of events was from the Lord,” (vs. 15). The Lord was punishing the nation for Solomon’s sins and using Rehoboam’s arrogance as a tool to do it with. Still, this does not detract from Rehoboam’s free-will decision. Rehoboam’s foolish choice was his own; the Lord simply used it. It reminds of Pharoah’s hardening of heart during the time of the Exodus. Pharoah hardened his own heart enough times; God decided to use that sin to accomplish an ultimate purpose.
After the 10 tribes seceded, Rehoboam made things worse by foolishly sending his chief of forced labor up to them. This was provocative to say the least. They stoned this man to death. Rehoboam had apparently accompanied the man on this trip (another sign of overconfidence) and to escape back to Jerusalem to save his own life. They say that when you’ve made a hole for yourself, quit digging. Rehoboam kept digging. His arrogance and sense of entitlement got him nothing but disaster.
It’s not just him. There seems to be an entitlement mindset going on in America in recent years, mainly among young people. One could say they are afflicted with Rehoboam-itis. There’s a sense of expectation. People feel like they deserve things. Some examples:
Expecting government to pay for your student loans that you willingly took on. A student might get an unmarketable degree and take on loans to pay for it. They might foolishly go into massive debt. Then they expect taxpayers to pay the debt–no military service, no national service required. Joe Biden tried to pander to this when he was president. This kind of entitled behavior would not have even entered the minds of previous generations. Back then if you took on a debt; you paid it.
Expecting free health care as a right. Health care may be, next to housing, the second largest expense for the average person. And people expect it for free? Where is the money going to come from? Our nation has a nearly $40 trillion-dollar national debt already.
Expecting to be shielded from hearing opinions you don’t like. Universities now offer safe spaces for students who feel triggered. This emotional triggering is caused merely by hearing opinions, usually conservative ones, that are found disagreeable. It used to be that universities were a place of ideas, all kinds of ideas, out of which you could form a worldview and graduate with a lens for viewing life. What happened to that?
I started the three previous paragraphs with the word “expecting” because that is the attitude Rehoboam showed, and what many are showing today. I cannot help but think they this was caused by living in a prosperous society. What should have produce gratitude and patriotism has instead degenerated into expectation.
Where is the healthy toughness that used to be hallmark of our culture? Has success and ease made us soft? Are people enticed by “the warmth of collectivism” (to use a phrase from the socialist mayor of New York City)? Apparently, many have. This does not encourage people to become contributing members of society; instead it encourages envy, resentment and a sense of deserving more.
An attitude of entitlement is also bad for the spiritual life. It is not a good fit for anyone, especially for a Christian. Christians should be humble, not entitled. Their faith should give them courage, not a deflated weakness. Christians have been given much; it should result in worship and service rather than sulking and resentfulness. “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others,” (Philippians 2:3-4).
An entitled person is never satisfied, never happy, will always be aggrieved, always feeling that they are owed something. This ugly attitude is easier to spot in others than ourselves. Perhaps we’ve all slipped into it from time to time–hopefully we got out of it quickly. If we are made aware it in our own hearts, we should repent–the sooner the better for everyone’s sake.