Tommy currently preaches at the Brandon church of Christ in Brandon, Florida and teaches Bible at Florida College. He can be reached at peelert@floridacollege.edu.

APPLYING BIBLE AUTHORITY

Jeroboam, the original agent of change, made wholesale alterations to the divine pattern of worship, and is remembered as the one who made Israel to sin.

After the death of Solomon, around 930 BC, Israel, which had been one nation in the days of Saul, David, and Solomon, divided into two nations. This happened because of disputes about taxes, but also to bring about God’s judgment on Solomon for his idolatry (1 Kings 12:1-20; 2 Chron. 10). Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, reigned as king in the south over Judah while Jeroboam became king in the north over Israel. 1 Kings 12:25-33 describes the alterations Jeroboam made to the pattern for worship that God revealed to His people under the covenant of Moses.

Changed Object

Jeroboam focuses on the wrong object for worship. He made two golden calves and said, “Behold your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt” (1 Kings 12:28). These calves and words should have instantly recalled Aaron’s sin of the golden calf (Exod. 32:4, 8). Aaron’s golden calf was not a shining moment in Israel’s history; rather, it was “Exhibit A” that Israel was a stubborn people (Deut. 9:7-21). It was a great blasphemy (Neh. 9:18) in which they forgot the God to whom they owed everything (Ps. 106:19-22). Now Jeroboam is imitating this disaster. Some writers have sought to defend Jeroboam’s actions by comparing his calves to the cherubim of the ark of the covenant (Gray, 315). However, 1 Kings 14:9 strongly condemns his actions as making “for yourself other gods.” Abijah, in 2 Chronicles 13:8-9, says the calves Jeroboam served were “no gods” (cf. Provan, 111-112, footnote on 12:28).

Changed Location

Jeroboam changes the place of worship. Deuteronomy states that God will choose a place from among the tribes to establish His name (Deut. 12:5, 11, 14, 18, 21, 26; 16:2, 6, 7, 11, 14; 17:8, 10; 18:6 etc.). When Ahijah spoke to Jeroboam, Ahijah twice spoke of Jerusalem as “the city which I have chosen for Myself to put My name” (1 Kings 11:32, 36). Jeroboam knew God had chosen Jerusalem and approved the worship in the Jerusalem temple. However, political concerns led him to fear letting the people worship in Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:26-27). He appealed to convenience and said, “It is too much for you to go to Jerusalem” (1 Kings 12:28). He set up golden calves in Dan in the north, and Bethel in the south, of his kingdom. He called the people to worship at these places. Bethel was only about eight miles north of Jerusalem. Bethel had a significant religious history (Gen. 28:11-19; 35:1-15; Judg. 20:26), and it seems to have become the main sanctuary of Israel (Amos 3:14; 4:4; 5:5; 7:10, 13). Interestingly, some of these people who found Jerusalem too far to go to worship, went as far south as Beersheba to worship falsely (Amos 5:5; 8:14). Beersheba was about 45 miles southwest of Jerusalem.

Changed Leaders

Jeroboam changes the people and the priests who lead worship. Jeroboam made priests from among the people who were not Levites (1 Kings 12:31; 13:33-34). This leads to a mass defection of priests and Levites from the north to the south (2 Chron. 11:13-17). Abijah tells Israel that in the Jerusalem temple proper worship goes on with the “sons of Aaron” serving as priests and the Levites attending to them (2 Chron. 13:9-11). It is God’s prerogative to decide who is to lead His people in drawing near to Him (Num. 16:5, 7, 9-10, 40; 17:5, 8, 13; 18: 7, 22; Deut. 18:5).

Changed Time

Jeroboam alters the time of worship. God established the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles to be celebrated beginning on the 15th day of the 7th month (Lev. 23:33-44; Num. 29:12-38). It was in connection with this feast that Solomon and the people had celebrated the dedication of the temple (1 Kings 8:1-2). Other notable celebrations of this feast are recorded in Ezra 3:4 and Nehemiah 8:13-18. It is emphasized on these later occasions that the people observed the feast “as it is written” (Ezra 3:4; Neh. 8:15). Jeroboam instituted a feast on the 15th of the 8th month (1 Kings 12:32-33). What was his authority? What Scripture did he appeal to? The text says it was devised “in his own heart” (1 Kings 12:33). Jeroboam had no authority higher than his own to which to appeal to in order to to defend his feast.

Rationalizing Rebellion

What were motivations for Jeroboam’s actions? The inspired writer reveals Jeroboam’s motives in 1 Kings 12:26-27. He is afraid that if the people return to the temple at Jerusalem to worship that they will turn back to Rehoboam and kill him. However, the Lord has already told Jeroboam through Ahijah that, if he walks in God’s ways and obeys His commands, the Lord will establish His dynasty just as He has established David’s (1 Kings 11:37-38). Jeroboam failed to trust God and His promises. His failure to trust God led him to take things into his own hands and substitute His ideas for God’s word.

Consequences of Apostasy

The changes that Jeroboam makes in worship led to great disaster. The sins of Jeroboam brought disaster on his house (1 Kings 15:29-30). His sins also brought disaster on succeeding kings. Almost all of the kings of Israel are said to walk in the sins of Jeroboam: Baasha (1 Kings 15:34; 16:2, 7), Zimri (1 Kings 16:18-19), Omri (1 Kings 16:25-26), Ahab (1 Kings 16:31), Ahaziah (1 Kings 22:52), Jehoram (2 Kings 3:1-3), Jehu (2 Kings 10:29, 31), Jehoahaz (2 Kings 13:2, 6), Jehoash (2 Kings 13:11), Jeroboam II (2 Kings 14:24). Zechariah (2 Kings 15:9), Menahem (2 Kings 15:18), Pekahiah (2 Kings 15:24), and Pekah (2 Kings 15:28). In many ways, the sin Jeroboam introduced becomes the sin that most characterizes the nation through their history.

Jeroboam’s sin brought disaster on the entire nation. 2 Kings 17 explains why the people of Israel went into Assyrian captivity. The sins of Jeroboam were a big reason for the utter demise and captivity of God’s people (vs. 21-23). Little did Jeroboam imagine that the seeds of disobedience that he sowed over 200 years before would lead to many of his people being murdered or taken into captivity. “Few people cast a shadow over history as much as Jeroboam does… He does not sleep with somebody else’s wife and kill the husband, as David did. He does not have a thousand wives like Solomon. He is neither adulterer nor a polygamist, but he does tinker with how and where God is to be worshiped and with the fundamental concept of who God is” (Hamilton, 420).

Current Application

Worship by its very nature should be done to glorify and praise the One we worship. Therefore, in worship we must seek to do what pleases God. His will reigns supreme. It is God’s privilege to decide who is to draw to Him in worship. Is this unfair? Korah, Dathan, and Abiram thought so in Numbers 16:1-3. However, Numbers 16 shows the disastrous consequences that result when God’s people try to usurp positions of leadership by their own authority. God, who loves us, has chosen who is to lead His people, and we must bow to His will.

Women play a vital part in our world and among God’s people (Luke 2:36-38; 8:1-3; 24:1-12; Acts 1:13-14; 12:5; 16:14-15, 40; 17:4, 12; 21:9; 2 Tim. 1:5), but that role is not as the public preachers and proclaimers of God’s word (1 Tim. 2:11-14). God chose men to be the public preachers of His word and the shepherds of His flock (1 Tim. 3:1-7). This is not, and was not, ever meant to humiliate women or to undermine their importance any more than men’s inability to bear children is to undermine their importance. Rather, it is to say that God has in many cases chosen specific roles for men and women to fulfill and we must respect His judgment.

It is always serious when we choose to disobey God in anything (Gen. 3). It is serious whether it involves individual or collective actions. Throughout history, Catholic and Protestant leaders have often chosen to pay little attention to God’s plans for the organization of churches. Where is there authority for the organization of God’s people beyond the local church? Sometimes these groups have not emphasized the New Testament in arranging their worship services. Where is the evidence that churches in New Testament times used the instrument in worship services? Even churches associated with the Restoration Movement and the plea to just go by the Scriptures have gone beyond the Scriptures in planning the work of the local church. Where is the biblical authority for churches to build gyms and recreational centers?

Conclusion

One warning on which I often reflect is that sin will take one further than he is willing to go. Would those who long ago disregarded what the Scriptures say about the organization, worship, and the work done by the local church be surprised that some of their descendants are wrestling with women preachers and same-sex marriage? As Jeroboam found, sin does indeed take one further than they are willing to go.

Sources

Gray, John. I and II Kings. Second Edition. Westminster: John Knox Press, 1970.

Hamilton, Victor P. Handbook on the Historical Books: Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra-Nehemiah, Esther. Baker Academic, 2008.

Provan, Iain W. New International Biblical Commentary: 1 And 2 Kings. Hendrickson Publishing, 1995.