1 Kings chapter twelve records the beginning of
what is commonly called "the divided kingdom" period.
While the unity was not always perfect, nor peaceful, there had
been a prior period of 120 years when God's people were united.
This was, of course, under Saul, David, and Solomon.
While Solomon lived, God revealed to him that
He would "surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give
it to thy servant." The Lord said, "Notwithstanding
in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but
I will rend it out of the hand of thy son." (1 Kings 11:12-13).
God revealed this fact also to Jeroboam in a unique way. (1 Kings
11:28-40).
1 Kings 12 reveals how these events providentially
unfolded. Rehoboam's unwise decisions caused ten tribes to rebel
and follow Jeroboam. God's people were divided; split north and
south.
Jeroboam, afraid if the people would go up to
Jerusalem to worship they would abandon him and follow Rehoboam,
set up a different kind of worship for those in the ten northern
tribes. He did not stop them from worshipping; he only changed
it "a little." He built altars with calves of gold at
Bethel and at Dan. Jeroboam also built a "house of high places"
and established a priesthood with men from all tribes. Remember,
God had ordained that the priesthood must come only from Levi.
Jeroboam even "ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the
fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah
..." He, himself, offered up sacrifices unto the calves he
had made!
As we read 1 Kings 12:25-33, we see that Jeroboam
allowed and even encouraged the people to worship, but his was
counterfeit worship. It was very much like the worship God had
ordained, but the most dangerous counterfeit is the one that is
most like the genuine!
Furthermore, all of Jeroboam's actions were heart-felt.
He did what he felt was right in his heart. (1 Kings 12:26, 33).
However, Jeroboam's actions were sinful because they were a transgression
of God's law. (1 John 3:4). Because they were sinful, they served
to separate him and all who followed him from God and from all
true followers of Jehovah! (Isaiah 59:1-2; Proverbs 14:12). From
this time forward, these things became known simply as "...the
sins of Jeroboam" (cf. 1 Kings 12:30; 13:33, 34; 14:16; 15:25-26;
22:51-52; 2 Kings 3:3; 13:2, 11; 15:23-24; 17:21; etc.)
Some years later, Amaziah ascended to the throne
of Judah. He prepared to go to war, and the Word reveals he had
300,000 "choice men, able to go forth to war ..." However,
he seems to have thought these were not enough, so he hired 100,000
mercenaries out of Israel. "But there came a man of God to
him saying, O king, let not the army of Israel go with thee; for
the Lord is not with Israel, to wit, with the children of Ephraim."
(2 Chronicles 25:5-7).
This record is interesting in light of current
efforts among us, by some, to re-unite with those of the "Christian
Church" denomination. A split occurred one hundred and one
years ago between the churches of Christ and the Christian Church,
primarily as a result of a change in the worship. The Christian
Church digressed from God's will and added musical instruments
to Christian worship. Today, there are calls from some to see
these erring ones as sincere and dedicated servants of God, and
that we should have some sort of fellowship with them. "After
all," they will say, "they are our brethren ..."
Romans 15:4 teaches that we can learn a great
deal from the record in the Old Testament. Israel and Judah were
brethren, too. Amaziah seems to have wanted to have some kind
of fellowship with his erring brethren. I am sure he would not
have worshipped with them after the "sins of Jeroboam,"
but he does seem to have tolerated false worship. (cf. 2 Chronicles
25:2; 2 Kings 14:3-4).
Those among the "Christian Church" are
actually guilty of "...the sins of Jeroboam..." in that
they, too, have changed the worship. Oh, it is similar to true
worship, but it is counterfeit! We need to heed the words of the
man of God: "...for the Lord is not with Israel, to wit,
with the children of Ephraim."
An interesting thing also is the fact that when
Amaziah did tell these mercenaries to go home, they had "great
anger" and did all they could to destroy the property of
Judah. (2 Chronicles 25:10, 13). Let us beware and learn from
this divinely recorded example from God's Word. -P.O. Box 285,
Crum, WV 26559. preechkrum@suddenlink.net