2 Chronicles 10:4,5
‘Your father made our yoke hard; but now, lighten the hard labor imposed by your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you. He said to them, “Return to me again in three days.” So the people departed.’
Rehoboam became king when his father Solomon died. Unfortunately Solomon didn’t appear to follow God. He seemed to be hedonistic and materialistic. He accumulated wives, concubines and riches. I wasn’t aware that he burdened the people. It makes sense though.
The people are coming to Rehoboam and asking for relief in exchange for their loyalty. It seems a reasonable request. Look at how rich the nation was. Tax relief would have made sense.
Rehoboam tells the people to come back in three days for an answer. This is wise. The people accept his request. This is a big decision. It’s the first of his reign.
He doesn’t make a snap decision which would be easy to do. We usually feel something in the moment. It would be natural to do that. Proverbs 14:12 says, “There is a way which seems right to a person, But its end is the way of death.” Our instincts aren’t always right. Rehoboam knows decisions are difficult, so he asks for time.
He is demonstrating the high biblical value of waiting. He is demonstrating patience. This is huge. The bible greatly promotes patience. The ability to put something off separates people from other mammals. To delay is usually very wise.
Where Rehoboam makes his mistake is that while he waits, he doesn’t wait for the Lord. There doesn’t appear to be any God in his life and his thought process. While the bible promotes waiting, I could find any passages that didn’t include God. The all said to “Wait for the Lord”. There may be some, I couldn’t find any.
Psalm 130:5 says, “I wait for the LORD; my soul does wait, and in His word I put my hope.” We wait for His Word, His presence, His power, His will and so on. Isaiah 40:31 may have the most famous verse on waiting, “But those who wait upon the LORD will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint.” Honoring and obeying God will produce a blessed life. The weak become strong, the simple become wise, the empty become full and so on. Ecclesiastes 3:11a says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”
Lord, thank You for Rehoboam’s example on waiting. Help us to be patient. But help us to go further and wait on You. Thank You for all the blessings You promise those who wait for You.