After the death of Julius Caesar, the Roman Empire was mainly ruled by Augustus Caesar and Mark Anthony. Augustus ruled in Rome and Mark proceeded to rule the eastern empire from Egypt. On reaching Egypt, Mark was attracted by the beauty and seduction of Cleopatra, Julius Caesar’s protégé and ex paramour. So attached was Anthony to Cleopatra that he could not leave Egypt to attend to matters of the Empire in Rome.
After falling out with Augustus Caesar, Anthony was accused of trying to separate the Empire by taking the Middle East and ruling with Cleopatra from Egypt. In a war that he could have easily won, Anthony lost bitterly and died an inglorious death because of his blind affection for Cleopatra over his generals’ advice and common sense.
But for the bad advice of his ministers and parliament in passing the Stamp and Tea Acts, after other unpopular taxes on the American colonies, the young and inexperienced King George III and Great Britain would still be in control of the United States today! A little empathy and common sense, and the American revolution and independence would have been unnecessary!
When Rehoboam ascended the throne of Israel after Solomon’s demise, the elders approached him and asked for a reduction in taxes. On consulting the counsellors of the nation, he was advised to ascent to the demands of the elders, so they serve him forever.
His youthful friends however, advised him otherwise, and rather gave him a cheeky response for the elders of the nation. As inexperienced and unwise as he was, he followed the counsel of his peers and gave the elders an insulting response. The die was cast, and he lost 10 of the 12 tribes to Jeroboam. Israel was then divided into two: the Northern kingdom of 10 tribes and the Southern kingdom of two tribes under David’s descendants.
But for Jezebel and her Baal prophets, Ahab might have been a more obedient and godlier King, and Israel might have been spared. However, he chose the companion of fools! Zedekiah chose to listen to his princes instead of to Jeremiah, and he perished, alongside the whole nation, at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar.
These stories are but a reflection of many in this day and age, who lose their lives, wealth, glory, health, and success to poor decisions made through the influence of bad company. Bad influence through Facebook, WhatsApp, YouTube, Tik-tok, peers/friends, movies, TV programmes, parents… How many youth have not destroyed themselves through a company of fools!
My heart is burdened with sorrow as I pen down these mournful biographies. For I shiver at the outcome of the actions of many a youth today, who gamble away their lives for a momentary pleasure. Or who, in order to please friends or to belong to a peer group, barter away their independence and morality, until too late, they realize their irrevocable blunder.
In this day of social media influencers and “followers,” how many people fail to make wise and independent judgments! Even Solomon, the wisest of Monarchs and men to ever live, failed to withstand the influence of heathen women, who lured him to bow to and sacrifice infants to idols. He who saved a child and advised that “He who walks with wise men will be wise, But the companion of fools will be destroyed” (Prov. 13:20), fell into debauchery.
Not only did he fail to yield to his counsel, but that of His father, David: “Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful…” (Psalm 1). May God keep us from the companion of fools, that we may learn to walk uprightly, even unto everlasting peace and life. Happy Sabbath dearies!!
