Living in His Father's Shadow

II Chronicles 10 - 12

Rehoboam lived in his father and grandfather's shadow.  He had been raised in privilege and at his father's death he aspired to his father's greatness.  But we all know, it's never easy to follow a successful parent. Sibling rivalry is bad enough, but competing with a parent...you can't win.  Rehoboam didn't have much of a chance with Solomon as his father.  He tried his best, but ego got the best of him and he made many mistakes.  His first was thinking that he didn't need the counsel of his father's advisors and the second that he didn't need his faith.  It also didn't help that made it more difficult for his people.  There was something pathetic about the way he tries to make the best of things when all is falling apart around him.  In the end, it would have been better had he just lived up to what he had done.