Monday, June 1, 2009

June 1

The Divided Kingdom - Division Between Israel and Judah - 1 Kings 12:1-33; 2 Chronicles 10:1-19, 11:1-4, 11:15, 11:13-14, 11:16-17; 1 Kings 13:1-32


"...The king [Jeroboam] made two gold 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." 1 Kings 12:28

So this guy, Jeroboam, is the same guy who Ahijah, the prophet of Shiloh, had given a word from the Lord that he would be made king of Israel.  God went so far as to remind him: "If you do whatever I command you and walk in my ways and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statues and commands, as David my servant did, I will be with you.  I will build you a dynasty...." [1 Kings 11:26-40]

So what's he doing making idols for Israel to follow? Has he forgotten?  Is he rationalizing?  And the irony of having the people worship two gold calves who he says "brought [them] out of Egypt" when it was worshiping a calf that caused them to wander in the wilderness once they got out of Egypt.  What is he thinking?  

But then what are we thinking when God promises us so much if we only follow Him and then we turn around and worship stuff, money, things, status, whatever?  When Jeroboam does it, it's so obviously sin.  When we do it, it's, well, because of culture or our desire to "take care of our families" and God wants us to fit in and take care of our families, right?

Lord knows.

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