1 Kings12:10-11 ESV
10 And the young men who had grown up with him said to him, “Thus shall you speak to this people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you lighten it for us,’ thus shall you say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s thighs.
11 And now, whereas my father laid on you a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.’”
Booker T. Washington said, “Associate yourself with people of good quality, for it is better to be alone than in bad company.”
Foolish friends, bad friends, in whatever shape they come and however long you’ve known them are still not people that will positively shape or sharpen you or have your best interest at heart.
Rehoboam’s friends gave him foolish advice, as opposed to the counsel given by the wise elders. They told Rehoboam to refuse the people’s request and assert his authority over them by threatening them with worse labour conditions than those they experienced under his father, Solomon and Rehoboam foolishly heeded the advice of his friends.
I tell my children daily from when they were toddlers never to go to their friends or peers for any meaningful advice because they don’t have any more experience of their life than them, they may be secretly envious of them and they may not have a godly perspective to the situation.
Often, out of jealousy, envy or sheer wickedness, our “friends” may advise us to do the opposite of what we should but occasionally, they may give advice based on just how much they know.
We must endeavour to surround ourselves with wise, cautious, and compassionate friends who genuinely want the best for us and will sharpen us as proverbs 27:17 says.
We learn to know who our real and true friends are when we find ourselves in unexpected situations.
1 Corinthians 15:33-34 call any communication from foolish or bad friends evil, you might see it as false doctrine as well, because it leads to wickedness. Rehoboam’s friends knew the implication of their counsel and what it would mean to the nation but they were not troubled over the outcome of their advice.
Who do you turn to when you need advice?
Foolish friends often use their reasoning skills to make wrong decisions.
Proverbs 19:3 says that foolishness is counterproductive: “A person’s folly leads to their ruin.
Wise friends will build you up, help, and bring wisdom. Foolish or bad friends will lead us to sin, encourage ungodly traits, and would rather see us fall than succeed and prosper.
Choose your friends carefully!
You don’t need many friends, just friends that you can trust and be certain of.
We must learn to Surround ourselves with only people who are going to lift us higher, stand with us, celebrate us and with us, encourage, support, help and love us without ulterior motives or hidden agendas, and friends who will be happy for us in our winnings and sad in our losses as prescribed by Proverbs 12:26. Weare not to make friends with foolish people will according to Proverbs 18:24 lead us astray and destruction.
Proverbs 11:14 says without wise leadership, a nation is in trouble, but with good counsellors there is safety. This fully played out in Rehoam’s days, the kingdom was divided because he listened to the bad advice of his foolish friends.
Foolish and bad friends are a bad and negative influence. They say one thing when they mean something else, don’t hang about with them and heed 1 Corinthians 5:11-12 saying, stop associating with any so-called brother if he is sexually immoral, greedy, an idolater, a slanderer, a drunk, or a robber.
Respect yourself enough to walk away from anything that no longer serves, grows, or makes you happy.
Shalom