1 Kings 12:25-33 (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is 1 Kings 12:25-33. As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first. See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below. Let’s go!
1 Kings 12:25-27 (NIV)
25 Then Jeroboam fortified Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built up Peniel.
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.”
On verses 25-27: Jeroboam is now king of Israel (i.e. all the tribes of Israel other than Judah and Benjamin). King Jeroboam goes to Shechem, the very place where Rehoboam had been crowned king and sets up his house there. Jeroboam fortifies Shechem to make it as secure as he can. But despite fortifying his house, Jeroboam still feels insecure. Verse 26 says that “Jeroboam thought to himself”. Here’s a pattern: when the Bible describes a person as “thinking to themselves”, it’s often a bad sign, suggesting that their thoughts are poisoned by fear or by pride. In this case, Jeroboam “thinks to himself” that if the Israelites go to Jerusalem to worship at the temple that David had dreamed of and that Solomon had built, the Israelites would eventually have a change of heart and serve Rehoboam, who was David’s grandson and Solomon’s son (v26). Jeroboam had to weigh this fear against what God had already promised Jeroboam, namely that God would be with Jeroboam and establish his kingdom forever as long as Jeroboam obeyed God (1 Kings 11:38). In the end, Jeroboam listens to his fears more than he trusts in God’s promises. Ultimately the result of this is him making some decisions that would lead both him and the entire nation in a disastrous direction.
What can we learn from this? From time to time we will face situations where we must make a choice: will I listen to my fears or will I listen to God’s promises? Will I pray to God or will I just keep thinking to myself? When you’re scared and not sure what to do, don’t just think to yourself. Go into God’s presence and ask for His help. Let your thinking be empowered by God’s wisdom and promises.
1 Kings 12:28-33 (NIV)
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.
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.
On verses 28-33: Verse 28 says that Jeroboam sought advice and then set up two golden calves, telling the Israelites that these calves are their gods who brought them out of Egypt and that they are to worship them. He puts them in convenient locations so that the Israelites would be tempted to worship them instead of going to the temple in Jerusalem to worship. In addition to making up new gods for the people to worship (v28), Jeroboam also appoints new priests among people who were not qualified to be priests (non-Levites) (v31) and makes up his own new religious festivals (v32-33). Jeroboam effectively creates a new religion for the Israelites to follow, all out of fear that he would lose control of his kingdom. The result is rampant and widespread idolatry across the nation of Israel.
What can we learn from this?
1. Whenever anyone gives you advice that is contrary to God’s Word, beware. Don’t follow such advice blindly, but ask for a second godly opinion. Check the advice you receive against two questions: First, is the advice consistent with Scripture? Second, is the life and character of the person giving you the advice worth emulating, at least in the area that you’re concerned about? If the answer to either of those questions is no, then be careful with the advice they give.
2. Jeroboam’s actions were fueled by fear. Here we see how Jeroboam’s fears led to him taking actions that were sinful and that would lead both him and an entire nation astray. Whenever we act on our fears, the result is often idolatry; we end up worshiping something other than God.
3. The enemy’s agenda is to take all the energy that you would otherwise use to worship God and direct that energy to the worship of something else. Be vigilant against such temptations and schemes. Like David, resolve that you will not give to God worship that costs you nothing. Don’t give God convenient or compromised worship. Fight to give God your best worship.
Father, may my thoughts not be fueled by fear but by faith in Your promises. May I be careful and discerning when receiving advice. May I not settle for giving You worship that is convenient, but worship that is costly. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
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