political worship

Good morning brothers and sisters

Now that Jeroboam and Israel are separate from Judah and Rehoboam, Jeroboam worries that worshiping in Jerusalem will lead his people back to their brothers and sisters. As a result, he builds new houses of worship for Israel, which is a problem. The author of 1 and 2 Kings will refer to this worship decision as the “sin of Jeroboam” throughout the story. Notice that Jeroboam makes the decision not based on religious reasons but based on geography and political power. The reality is that political rulers can’t control religion and stay faithful to God.

Blessings,

Sam

1 Kings 12:25-33

²⁵Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and resided there; he went out from there and built Penuel. ²⁶Then Jeroboam said to himself, “Now the kingdom may well revert to the house of David. ²⁷If this people continues to go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, the heart of this people will turn again to their master, King Rehoboam of Judah; they will kill me and return to King Rehoboam of Judah.” ²⁸So the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold. He said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”

²⁹He set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. ³⁰And this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one at Bethel and before the other as far as Dan. ³¹He also made houses on high places, and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not Levites. ³²Jeroboam appointed a festival on the fifteenth day of the eighth month like the festival that was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar; so he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. And he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made. ³³He went up to the altar that he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, in the month that he alone had devised; he appointed a festival for the people of Israel, and he went up to the altar to offer incense.

leadership conference

Good morning brothers and sisters,
Today we read about the transition of power from Solomon to his son Rehoboam. We know from what God said to the prophets to Solomon and to Jeroboam that this transfer of power won't go smoothly, but now we find out how it plays out.

Blessings on your day,
Sam

1 Kings 11:42-12:5

⁴²The time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel was forty years. ⁴³Solomon slept with his ancestors and was buried in the city of his father David; and his son Rehoboam succeeded him. Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had come to Shechem to make him king. 

²When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard of it (for he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), then Jeroboam returned from Egypt. ³And 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 that he placed on us, and we will serve you.” ⁵He said to them, “Go away for three days, then come again to me.” So the people went away.

Jeroboam on the scene

Good evening friends,
Two quick announcements: one is a reminder that Laurelton is hosting a chicken barbecue on Saturday, August 18 from 4:30-7pm. We could still use servers, so if you'd like to help, that would be wonderful. If you'd like to come eat, that's a big help too. This evening will be a great opportunity to support community and to raise some much needed funds for the church. Also, Robyn Fitzgerald has secured some free ticket to the Redwings game on Sunday, August 19th at 6:05pm against the Empire State Yankees. Talk to Scott or email me if you'd like a ticket.

On Sunday we talked about how Solomon was a wise king, following in David's footsteps, but that he also fell into temptation. Solomon worshiped other gods and so lost his reliance on God. In response, God warned Solomon that his descendent would loose the kingdom. We see the other side of that threat in our reading for today. This dynamic will set the tone for much of Israel's history between this moment and the exile.

God bless,
Sam

1 Kings 11:26-40

²⁶Jeroboam son of Nebat, an Ephraimite of Zeredah, a servant of Solomon, whose mother’s name was Zeruah, a widow, rebelled against the king. ²⁷The following was the reason he rebelled against the king. Solomon built the Millo, and closed up the gap in the wall of the city of his father David. ²⁸The man Jeroboam was very able, and when Solomon saw that the young man was industrious he gave him charge over all the forced labor of the house of Joseph.

²⁹About that time, when Jeroboam was leaving Jerusalem, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him on the road. Ahijah had clothed himself with a new garment. The two of them were alone in the open country ³⁰when Ahijah laid hold of the new garment he was wearing and tore it into twelve pieces. ³¹He then said to Jeroboam: Take for yourself ten pieces; for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, “See, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon, and will give you ten tribes. ³²One tribe will remain his, for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city that I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel.

³³This is because he has forsaken me, worshiped Astarte the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the Ammonites, and has not walked in my ways, doing what is right in my sight and keeping my statutes and my ordinances, as his father David did. ³⁴Nevertheless I will not take the whole kingdom away from him but will make him ruler all the days of his life, for the sake of my servant David whom I chose and who did keep my commandments and my statutes; ³⁵but I will take the kingdom away from his son and give it to you—that is, the ten tribes. ³⁶Yet to his son I will give one tribe, so that my servant David may always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen to put my name. 

³⁷I will take you, and you shall reign over all that your soul desires; you shall be king over Israel. ³⁸If you will listen to all that I command you, walk in my ways, and do what is right in my sight by keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, I will be with you, and will build you an enduring house, as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you. ³⁹For this reason I will punish the descendants of David, but not forever.” ⁴⁰Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam; but Jeroboam promptly fled to Egypt, to King Shishak of Egypt, and remained in Egypt until the death of Solomon.