A Walk with the Kings of Israel Wednesday

A Look at Jeroboam-Part Two

Now Jeroboam makes the worst decision of his career. He is still living in fear and does not realize he is God’s appointed servant. He doesn’t realize that he can make a great kingdom for the people of Israel if he does it God’s way. God hand-picked him for an amazing task, he should have known whose he was.

Maybe deep down he did realize this but his actions tell us differently. Jeroboam chooses to turn from God’s way and establish his own way. This is where any one of us could so easily fall. This is why we must always be on guard. Jeroboam will end up making one of the worst decisions of Israel’s history. These decisions have an impact that causes generations to follow the way of sin by moving away from the one true God.

The people of Israel were required to make regular pilgrimages to the house of God. God established this sanctuary in the city of David. In Jerusalem was where God wanted this place to be. This was His holy place. The only place to go to God’s house.

Read 1 Kings 12:26-27
“26 Jeroboam thought to himself, "The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. 27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam."

Jeroboam should have known better. Remember what God spoke to him, “37 However, as for you, I will take you, and you will rule over all that your heart desires; you will be king over Israel. 38 If you do whatever I command you and walk in my ways and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and commands, as David my servant did, I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you. 39 I will humble David's descendants because of this, but not forever"(1 Kings 11:37-39).

How easy it is to forget the promises that God gives us. That is why it is so important to read the word of God daily. God’s promises are in His word. We must live by those in complete confidence or we will go our own way. God’s ways are best. Jeroboam was told to keep God’s statutes and commands. He was told God would be with him.

Fear creeps in again or maybe it is pride. Either way he does not want to lose his kingdom to Rehoboam. He thinks that when the people make their pilgrimages to the temple in Jerusalem that God requires in His law they will turn against him and return their allegiance to king Rehoboam. Yet, he had a promise from God. How is it that we so easily forget? God is forever with us. He establishes our works. He is in control. Yet, we like to intervene and help God where He clearly does not need help. When we step in for God we create problems.

Read 1 Kings 12:28-30
“28 After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." 29 One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. 30 And this thing became a sin; the people went even as far as Dan to worship the one there.”

Now I would like you to look at a map here-http://www.bible.ca/maps/maps-divided-kingdom.htm

Make a note of where Dan, Bethel, and Jerusalem are in comparison to one another.

Jeroboam took it on himself to make gods and place them in two cities in the Northern Territory to make it “easier” for the people to worship “God”.

What in the world? He was not seeking advice from God even though it was God who established His kingdom. He did not trust God to protect his kingdom though God promised this as well. He decided to rule his way instead of God’s. He made the kingdom his own instead of God’s. He lost sight of God. This was a very dangerous place to be.

Jeroboam’s influence leads God’s people to sin. Though we are each personally responsible and accountable for our own decisions, it is important we have a leader who leads us in the right direction. This situation is very similar to when Aaron made a golden calf for the people to worship in Moses time. Jeroboam had to have known the stories. Yet he did not learn from the past. Instead, he did what seemed right to him. Even though the stuff that Jeroboam did to this point was against God, he did things far worst.

Read 1 Kings 12:31-33
31 “Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites. 32 He instituted a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the festival held in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. This he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. And at Bethel he also installed priests at the high places he had made. 33 On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a month of his own choosing, he offered sacrifices on the altar he had built at Bethel. So he instituted the festival for the Israelites and went up to the altar to make offerings.”

Now Jeroboam has fallen way out of line. He is now “helping” the people worship even more conveniently by establishing shrines on various high places. He starts appointing priests from whoever he wants which God only reserved for the Levites. He also appoints a festival different from the ones that God has already appointed. It seems that Jeroboam is playing God.

It is important to note that all of these things spiraled from the emotions of fear and pride. Things are now completely out of control. These events lead the people of Israel into great sin. God’s appointed went bad. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord. How grieved this must make God yet God is sovereign and patient with us. He never gives up on us as far gone as we get.

Though sin abounds in the northern kingdom, there were still some God-fearing people. Some people who believed God and took a stand.

Read 2 Chronicles 11:13-17
13 The priests and Levites from all their districts throughout Israel sided with him. 14 The Levites even abandoned their pasturelands and property, and came to Judah and Jerusalem because Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them as priests of the LORD. 15 And he appointed his own priests for the high places and for the goat and calf idols he had made. 16 Those from every tribe of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the LORD, the God of Israel, followed the Levites to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices to the LORD, the God of their fathers. 17 They strengthened the kingdom of Judah and supported Rehoboam son of Solomon three years, walking in the ways of David and Solomon during this time.

Now I want you to note the importance of these events. The priests and Levites took a stand. They refused to stay in the place where true worship of God did not exist. They left everything they had to come and stay in the southern kingdom. The lay people who had their hearts set on God followed the Levites and priests example. They too came down to the southern kingdom. Land was a big deal during these times. God gave this land of promise to each tribe. These tribes willingly left their God-appointed land to be in the place where true worship of God was happening. This is a big deal.
It makes me ask myself, how much am I willing to give up in order to truly worship God? I admire their stand.

1-Have you ever tried to “help” God in a situation but your “help” just made the situation worse?

2-Name one promise from the Bible that you need to cling to this week. Write it on a note card and carry it with you this week as a reminder.

3-Are you easily influenced to follow people even if they are leading you in the wrong direction? Why or why not?

4-Has God given you a responsibility to lead anyone? Perhaps it is a family or children or workers? If God has given you this position then it is important you are aware of your influence and how you use it.

5-Like the godly left in Israel, have you ever had to leave something dear for the sake of following Christ?

Copyright 2008-Refresh My Soul Ministries-Angela Parsley