Rehoboam is the new king of Judah and he has a choice to follow the advice of his elders or his peers.  He chooses to listen to his peers above the wisdom of his elders.  This first big decision as king, cost him greatly.  As a young person, your peers are very influential.  As he became king though, he needed to now look to his elders for advice.  In fact, it would have been great if he had learnt this lesson earlier in his youth.  Consequently, the kingdom split, as was God’s plan, and he was only left ruling the tribe of Judah.

A smart young person will heed the sage advice of those in authority, and value the voice of experience and wisdom.  Rehoboam’s example is a great reminder of this important key.  The youth spoke out of arrogance, the elders spoke out of wisdom.  Although as a young person, there is a strong pull towards following the advice of those in your peer group, this can really affect your destiny and a smart youth will learn this quickly.

Below is an excerpt of this account from 1 Kings 20:6-13

6 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, and he said, “How do you advise me to answer these people?”   7 And they spoke to him, saying, “If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”   8 But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.
9 And he said to them, “What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, “Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?”
10 Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you should speak to this people who have spoken to you, saying, “Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us’–thus you shall say to them: “My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s waist!
11 And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!”‘
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had directed, saying, “Come back to me the third day.”
13 Then the king answered the people roughly, and rejected the advice which the elders had given him;