10:7 老年人對他說:「王若恩待這民,使他們喜悅,用好話回覆他們,他們就永遠作王的僕人。」
10:8 王卻不用老年人給他出的主意,就和那些與他一同長大、在他面前侍立的少年人商議,
10:9 說:「這民對我說:『你父親使我們負重軛,求你使我們輕鬆些』;你們給我出個甚麼主意,我好回覆他們。」
10:10 那同他長大的少年人說:「這民對王說:『你父親使我們負重軛,求你使我們輕鬆些』;王要對他們如此說:「我的小拇指比我父親的腰還粗;
10:11 我父親使你們負重軛,我必使你們負更重的軛;我父親用鞭子責打你們,我要用蠍子鞭責打你們。』」
7 They replied, “If you will be kind
to these people and please them and give them a favorable answer, they will
always be your servants.”
8 But Rehoboam rejected the
advice the elders gave him and consulted the young men who had grown up with
him and were serving him. 9 He asked them, “What is your advice?
How should we answer these people who say to me, ‘Lighten
the yoke your father put on us’?”
10 The young men who had
grown up with him replied, “The people have said to you, ‘Your father
put a heavy yoke on us, but make our yoke lighter.’ Now
tell them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist. 11 My father laid on you a heavy yoke;
I will make it even heavier. My father scourged you with whips; I will scourge
you with scorpions.’”
*************
從這段記載中讓我們看見年長者的智慧與年輕人的無知,尤其是面對百姓的抱怨時,應該以得人心為重,而不是耍權威。因為國王是要靠大家支持,而不是自以為偉大!
雖貴為一國之君,對待百姓更是要展開恩慈的心,不可以自以為是,認為自己高高在上,以凶暴對待人,只是讓人更遠離,而不是有順服與跟隨的心志。除非這個王肯放下自己,肯傾聽百姓的心聲。就像我們肯跟隨主耶穌,就是因為主耶穌肯為我們的罪死在十字架上,讓我們感受到祂的愛,以致願意跟隨。
做領袖的人要得權柄,就是要肯犧牲自己並義恩慈和憐憫來對待自己所要領導的一群人!因為做領袖是要服事人,而不是被人服事!主耶穌也是這樣教導門徒的,我們更是要這樣來行。正如主耶穌說:「來跟從我,我要叫你們得人如得魚一樣。」(馬太福音4:19)