On His Own
(1 Kings 12:25~33)
At the early stage of the American Civil War, President Lincoln sent troops to the battlefield, expanded the regular army, and ordered a naval blockade against the Confederate army despite the opposition of the Democrats. However, after the war, he appointed key Southern men and granted a general amnesty, making none of his political enemies law-breakers. At a glance, he looks like a dictator who acted on his own. Yet he is totally different from Jeroboam depicted in todays passage. Jeroboams way became an idiom, meaning the road to collapse on account of his evil institution that led the Israelites to fall. Even though his kingdom seemed to be a godly one based on worship, it actually was a human kingdom focused on Jeroboam. Lets see how Jeroboam acted on his own in his reign.
1. He was caught in his own thoughts. Jeroboam built a temple in Sheckem and Peniel, the places of political, historic, and spiritual meaning. However, unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Jeroboam thought that he became a king because of his assiduity, and kept promoting his construction projects. He couldnt stand doing nothing. He was a sort of self-made lord who cant accept any failure, the worst of which can drive him even to commit suicide. Yet in reality he was a man of servile spirit, always fretful and anxious about his masters arrival and scolding. He was always restless. Only faith dispels this servile spirit. God taught us how to rest to be recharged on Sabbath. True rest is Sabbath and salvation. By recognizing our inability, we have Sabbath, which makes us see what we can do in God. This is salvation. Jeroboam deluded himself, thinking if the Israelites go up to Jerusalem, they would give again their allegiance to Rehoboam and kill him. He didnt understand that the worship in Jerusalem would actually solidify the dynasty that God promised to him. Just as David passed through his 15 deserts, Lincoln had his 27 deserts, which made him spiritually strengthened, clothed in Gods perspective, and finally be devoted to Gods work, However, Jeroboam had no deserts till he became king as a self-made man, who didnt have any idea of Gods sovereignty. This self-made king had no faith community around him and became a model of evil, who misled Israel to fall.
2. He carried out his own evil religious policies.
1) He let his people worship golden calves. Jeroboam made a tempting suggestion to his people that they offer sacrifice three times a year in their own place to golden calves instead of going to Jerusalem far away from Israel. It was a sort of Worship-me campaign saying Look at me, my money and my skin! Ive cool tour packages even better than Gods! Attracted by their handsome and smart king, the Israelites undoubtedly chased Jeroboams prosperity gospel of golden calves. Thus our nature is biased to hold to earthly prosperity.
2) He built his own sanctuaries. He emphasized the efficiency of managing worship service by choosing Bethel and Dan, the historic sites of Israel as their worship places. Yet, it was actually to conceal his fear of losing his kingship. Meanwhile Rehoboam had the seed of Jesus no matter how petty and ineffective he might seem. So it is with our spouse whom we married on the basis of the Word. Jeroboams Bethel-and-Dan worship project became a sin. He misled his people into disobeying the law of the Lord that they should worship Him in Jerusalem. We need to cut off the golden calves of our Bethel and Dan in us.
3) He appointed priests from all sorts of people. He appointed those who had no calling from God yet suited his taste as priests in fear that genuine priests who knew the Word might criticize him. In short, he chose any one who had money and a nice background.
4) He instituted a festival like that held in Judah. He had pressure about the Feast of Tabernacles, which starts on the 15th day of July, at the end of harvest. So he instituted a festival a month later, which seemed to be a sort of rational policy for his peoples convenience. Thus with his liberal and radical ideas he seemed to have made more achievements than Rehoboam. Yet at the forked road of life and death, he took the way of Satan. He did was nothing but commit sins rooted in his greed and focus on his own kingdom.
Lincoln passed through his 27 deserts during his lifetime. Born in a poor family, he grew up without education in a small cabin, chopping firewood. He lost his mother, his fiancampeacutee, and three of his four children. Later he appointed his political enemies from South, who had tried to put him to death. These trials became Lincolns potential assets, with which he finally achieved the emancipation of slaves despite much opposition, Thus he is contrasted with Jeroboam. One of our small group leaders also had her trials worse than this because of her husbands alcoholism and affairs. Thats why she has stuck to her faith community, where she recognized her sins 12 years after her marriage and felt the fountain of her sinful blood was dried up. Enduring her trials with patience, she brought her husband to her faith community. God allowed the deaconess her deserts lest she should live in her own way. May God bless us to walk in faith with joy, knowing that our family is our temple environment, the very source of our healing herb for others!
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. (1Kgs 12:33)
