LITTLE FINGER … FATHER’S LOINS

The advice given by the young men to Rehoboam contains the hyperbole, ‘My little finger shall be thicker’. The visual contrast was easy to imagine - loins are much thicker than little fingers. The burdens pressing down on the people are very light in com­parison with the massive weight of those they are going to bear. The further words they suggest: ‘chastised … with whips … scorpions’, v. 11 - powerfully reinforce the contrast, this time appealing to the sense of touch; scorpions being whips contain­ing metal pieces, usually reserved for slaves. The words sound fine; they are succinct, witty, and imaginatively forceful. The threat was powerfully expressed. Rehoboam followed their advice and the people certainly got the message.

However, did any of them, most of all Rehoboam, foresee the outcome? How remarkably unwise he is, the son of the wisest king! He fails to see the consequences of his action and decision. How did it come about? The request or demand of the northern tribes places him in a difficult position. So what does he do? He asks the older men, the experienced counsellors of his father, ‘How do ye advise that I answer?’ v. 6. Then, he asks his peers, ‘What counsel give ye that we may answer?’ v. 9. The change of pronoun indicates his preconceptions and general attitude; his peers are his ‘in group’, the older are disregarded, v. 8. The divi­sion between older and younger, however, will give way to a far greater one - that of Israel and Judah.

Rehoboam sees leadership in terms of rights rather than responsibilities; he is confrontational and arrogant, and he suf­fers the consequences. But those consequences are far-reaching and long lasting, affecting thousands of people. A division is caused which became seemingly irreparable, which will only be healed by the Lord Himself at the outset of His earthly reign, Isa. 11. 12, 13; Ezek. 37. 16-22. How true that history repeats itself! Are there sad, painful lessons here for us?

How did it come about? One rather minor point in his esti­mation it would appear: he did not seek help from the Lord, either from the scriptures, nor from a prophet, nor through prayer. An amazing omission!