I Kings 12:1-20 — “And the king answered the people roughly… saying, My father made your yoke heavy, and I will add to your yoke: my father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.” When Solomon’s son Rehoboam went out to meet the people at Shechem he gave what was perhaps the most foolish speech in the Bible. He virtually guaranteed that the ten northern tribes would break away and form their own nation.
Rehoboam rejected the wise counsel he was given and instead followed the reckless advice of his peers. In this, the first sermon in a new series, we think about why Rehoboam behaved so foolishly and what we might learn from his example.