Evening journal., 1910-12-31
| OLDTE$fAMENT TIr1ES
1>t5BROKEYN j
'GlABER1NACEE q
lMl BIBLE. STUDIES.
THE YOUNG MANS ERROR
WHICH LOST HIM A KINGDOM
| Kings i2;6-16-January 1

"He that walketh with wise men
shall be wise; a companion Of fools
shall be destroyed. - (Prov 1929
"Wherewithal shall young man
cleanse his way? BY taking heed there
to according to thy word. Psalm
1879.
The opening of the New Year with
all the possibilities thereof for good
opening of lifcs maturity TO young
man or a young woman. To the
thoughtful and experienced there is
something very pathetic in the life
start of bright boys and girls. Their
hopes and anticipatiOns run so high,
their ideals arc 50 grand, they have so
many air castles. Experience shows
that, alas, the great majority of these
result disastrously and usually from
unwisdOm How often would loving
counsels from their seniors assist
them aud save them from wrecks and
oalamities, We may well thank God
that in his Providence the mistakes Of
youth, while serious, do not necessar-
il spell eternal disaster.
King RehObOam's UnWiSdOm.
When the great king, Solomon, died he
left the kingdom TO his sou Rehoboam
IA kingdom extending from the Wild
erness on the South TO the lfuphratcs
ON the North, in all nearly as large
as England and Wales Il was Gods
Kingdom; as we read Solomon sat
upon the throne of the Kingdom Of the
Lora'
Rehoboam was about twenty-one
years OF age when he came to the
throne at the death OF his father Solo
mon. King Solomon, although revcrent
toward God, was evidently much less
Jealous, much less religious than his
father David. His heathen wives. the.
riches of the kingdom aud his political
intercourse with the surrounding ma
tions made him what might be termed.
bright-minded man rather than a re-
ligious one. This was reelected upon
his son and successor and also upon
the people he governed.
The Crisis and the Error.
Besides this SOlomons great enter
prises, palatial buildings. etc. brought
the revenue and glory TO his capital
city, Jerusalem, and did not evenly
distribute it throughout the nation. IN
deed. following the custom OF other
kings, wealth was gathered largely
from the enforced labor of his sub
iects. who were compelled 10 labor at
cut pay. They were drafted and put
uudeR task-masters. In SolOmOn's day
this was borne. though sometimes re-
sentfully, but when his son came TO
the throne the northern tribes deter
mined that they would not acknOwl-
edge him as king unless he gave them
what might be termed.a bill of rights
"a Magma Charta.
They sent to Egypt for one OF their
leaders, whom Solomon had eXiled for
his outspokcn criticisms Through him
the ten tribes had a general confer
ence of tribe leaders and informed
Rehoboam that they were not satis-
fed with the way they had been treat
ed 10y King solomon.
Rehoboam and all realized that a
crisis IN the affairs of the kingdom had
come. The matter was TOO weighty to
be decided hastily. He called for the
secretaries OF the kingdom, his fathers
counscllors, elderly men, 10 kno7
their advice. Their recommendation
We're good. They recommended that he
he servant Of the people; that in
stead of accumulating wealth at the
capital and being personally great he
should serve the entire nation, looking
cut for all OF its interests and for
warding the same exactly what the
ten tribes desired.
The GrieNOHs Decision.
Next. Rehoboam called the young
men, his friends and acquaintances.
his schoolmates. whom he was dis
posed more and more to bring into
powcr with himself. Their advice was
that the one way for a monarch TO be
successful is to intimidate his sub
iects and rule them with heavy
hand The young king had not been
rightly taught the principles OF justice
! in human affairs. Wise as his father
was. he had neglected 10 prepare his
son for a proper decision in the crisis
upon him.
The king followed tho advice OF the