Be Slow to Argue with Old Men

I was reading about a debate between two older men, both of whom are a little more than twice my age. Both have taught me some good things, but I prefer one more than the other. I have learned more valuable things from him and I trust him. He's helped me to make sense of some difficult things, and I respect his life. I tend to avoid listening to the other man, because he mostly frustrates me. I also don't get along very well with other younger people who listen to him a lot.

All of this got me thinking about how often I take up a critique or an argument against an older man, even if  it is just in my mind. I will hear a man teach something and I disagree with either his method or his message and my tendency is to want to avoid having to listen to him or anyone else who starts referencing him. For some reason, after thinking all of those other things, it hit me. These guys have lived twice as long as I have. They know so much more than me because they have experienced more, studied more, lived more.

I'm making a commitment from now on to listen more to men who are much older than me. I will listen more and wait longer before I begin to critique or judge the words they say. I will listen less to men who are slightly older than me, and I will seek out counsel from people my own age least of all. I'm not saying that I can't learn from these others (or even people younger than me). I'm just making a decision to actively pursue the wisdom that comes from having age and experience.

A gray head is a crown of glory; It is found in the way of righteousness. -Proverbs 16:31

This longer story is also good example of damage that was done when someone listened to his young friends instead of his wise old counselors.

1 Kings 12:1-20

 ¹ Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. ²And as soon as Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard of it (for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), then Jeroboam returned from Egypt. ³ And they sent and called him, and Jeroboam and all the assembly of Israel came and said to Rehoboam, ⁴ “Your father made our yoke heavy. Now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke on us, and we will serve you.” ⁵ He said to them, “Go away for three days, then come again to me.” So the people went away.

 ⁶ Then King Rehoboam took counsel with the old men, who had stood before Solomon his father while he was yet alive, saying, “How do you advise me to answer this people?”⁷ And they said to him, “If you will be a servant to this people today and serve them, and speak good words to them when you answer them, then they will be your servants forever.” ⁸ But he abandoned the counsel that the old men gave him and took counsel with the young men who had grown up with him and stood before him. ⁹ And he said to them, “What do you advise that we answer this people who have said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put on us’?” 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.’”

 ¹² So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king said,“Come to me again the third day.” ¹³ And the king answered the people harshly, and forsaking the counsel that the old men had given him, ¹⁴ he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke. My father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with scorpions.”¹⁵ So the king did not listen to the people, for it was a turn of affairs brought about by the LORD that he might fulfill his word, which the LORD spoke by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.

The Kingdom Divided

 ¹⁶ And when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, “What portion do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Look now to your own house, David.” So Israel went to their tents.¹⁷ But Rehoboam reigned over the people of Israel who lived in the cities of Judah. ¹⁸Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was taskmaster over the forced labor, and all Israel stoned him to death with stones. And King Rehoboam hurried to mount his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. ¹⁹ So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. ²⁰ And when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had returned, they sent and called him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. There was none that followed the house of David but the tribe of Judah only.