Background
Jeroboam was the first king of Israel after Israel had become divided into two kingdoms; Judah to the south and Israel to the north. During his reign, Jeroboam had become brazen enough in turning away from following Yahweh that…
“…he made two golden calves, and he said to the people, ‘Going to Jerusalem is too difficult for you. Israel, here is your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt.’ He set up one in Bethel, and put the other in Dan. This led to sin; the people walked in procession before one of the calves all the way to Dan. Jeroboam also built shrines on the high places and set up priests from every class of people who were not Levites. Jeroboam made a festival in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month, like the festival in Judah. He offered sacrifices on the altar; he made this offering in Bethel to sacrifice to the calves he had set up. He also stationed the priests in Bethel for the high places he had set up. He offered sacrifices on the altar he had set up in Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month. He chose this month on his own. He made a festival for the Israelites, offered sacrifices on the altar, and burned incense.” (1 Kings 12:28b-33, HCSB)
Jeroboam continued this pattern all the way until the end of his life and 22 year reign.
What Struck Me
Towards the end of his kingship, we learn that his son Abijah has become sick. Jeroboam then reveals something about himself that I think we all know deep down inside: At the end of the day, when the chips are down, it’s all in God’s hands.
Why do I say this?
Look at what Jeroboam does in response to his son’s sickness…
“At that time Abijah son of Jeroboam became sick. Jeroboam said to his wife, ‘Go disguise yourself, so they won’t know that you’re Jeroboam’s wife, and go to Shiloh. Ahijah the prophet is there; it was he who told about me becoming king over this people. Take with you 10 loaves of bread, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy.’” (1 Kings 14:1-3)
For probably the first time in his life, Jeroboam now needs a real answer to a real problem. But in order to get it, he has to camouflage his wife and send her off to a prophet of the God that he had been turned away from for decades. Jeroboam now acknowledges what I believe that we all know deep down inside: that Yahweh is the God above all Gods.
Jeroboam’s End
Sadly, even though Jeroboam had this brief admission (demonstrated by his plan to disguise his wife and send her off for answers), he never turned back to Yahweh…
“Jeroboam no longer retained his power during Abijah’s reign [King of Judah]; ultimately, the LORD struck him and he died.” (2 Chronicles 13:20)
Turning to Romans
“God’s anger is revealed from heaven against all the sin and evil of the people whose evil ways prevent the truth from being known. God punishes them, because what can be known about God is plain to them, for God himself made it plain. Ever since God created the world, his invisible qualities, both his eternal power and his divine nature, have been clearly seen; they are perceived in the things that God has made. So those people have no excuse at all! They know God, but they do not give him the honor that belongs to him, nor do they thank him. Instead, their thoughts have become complete nonsense, and their empty minds are filled with darkness. They say they are wise, but they are fools; instead of worshiping the immortal God, they worship images made to look like mortals or birds or animals or reptiles. And so God has given those people over to do the filthy things their hearts desire, and they do shameful things with each other. They exchange the truth about God for a lie; they worship and serve what God has created instead of the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever! Amen.” (Romans 1:18-25, GNT)
Just like Jeroboam, we all know that God is God, even though we might not make golden calves as he did and beyond…
“Jeroboam appointed his own priests for the high places, the goat-demons, and the golden calves he had made.” (2 Chronicles 11:15)
However (just like Jeroboam), we all at times we “do not give him [God] the honor that belongs to him,” nor do we “thank him.” Instead, our thoughts sometimes can “become complete nonsense,” and our minds periodically become “empty” and “filled with darkness.” At such times, we occasionally say that we “are wise.” Yet in these moments… we “are fools.”
May we learn from Jeroboam’s story, so that we may not be “given over” to “do the filthy things” that our hearts sometimes “desire,” doing “shameful things with each other”; possibly exchanging “the truth about God for a lie,” by worshipping and serving “what God has created instead of the Creator himself, who is to be praised forever! Amen.”
Godspeed, to the brethren!
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