Jeroboam: a Revisionist Yahweh worship

 

1 Kings 11:31-39 [31]He said to Jeroboam, "Take for yourself ten pieces; for thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon and give you ten tribes [32](but he will have one tribe, for the sake of My servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel), [33]because they have forsaken Me, and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the sons of Ammon; and they have not walked in My ways, doing what is right in My sight and observing My statutes and My ordinances, as his father David did. [34]Nevertheless I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him ruler all the days of his life, for the sake of My servant David whom I chose, who observed My commandments and My statutes; [35]but I will take the kingdom from his son's hand and give it to you, even ten tribes. [36]But to his son I will give one tribe, that My servant David may have a lamp always before Me in Jerusalem, the city where I have chosen for Myself to put My name. [37]I will take you, and you shall reign over whatever you desire, and you shall be king over Israel. [38]Then it will be, that if you listen to all that I command you and walk in My ways, and do what is right in My sight by observing My statutes and My commandments, as My servant David did, then I will be with you and build you an enduring house as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you. [39]Thus I will afflict the descendants of David for this, but not always.'"

Solomon started well but didn't end well. He asked that God gave him wisdom to rule Israel well. But the love for women and the peaceful and prosperous reign takes his heart away from God. By the time his reign ends, nadala siya ng mga asawa niya sa pagsamba sa mga diosdiosan. Ito ay isang warning sa ating mga young people: be careful whom you choose as partner. They can take you away from devotion to God! Choose a fellow believer, and not only a believer but a faithful, growing, maturing believer!

The punishment? Take 10 of the tribes and give it to someone else. Ahijah is the prophet that God sent to appoint Jeroboam as the new king of the North (I always wanted to say that).

Jeroboam started well. He is a valiant man. A gibbor man. He is appointed head over the labor force of the tribe of Joseph. 

We can see that he has genuine care for his people. When Israel meet with Rehoboam, isa sa kanilang sumbong ay ang harsh physical labor na dulot ng building projects ni Solomon and they appoint Jeroboam as one of their delegates. This shows that they trust him to represent their cause. 

Dahil ang bagay ay mula sa Diyos (1 Kings 12:22-24), the northern kingdom was given to Jeroboam. God allowed the foolishness of Rehoboam to make this happen. Had Rehoboam been wise, the split might have been postponed to the next king. Henceforth he is the King that splits the kingdom, not a very good legacy. Foolish people always bring a split!

1 Kings 12:26-27

[26]Jeroboam said in his heart, "Now the kingdom will return to the house of David. [27]If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will return to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah."

Ngunit Jeroboam has a problem. He is insecure. Sa halip na pakinggan ang pangako ng Diyos na bagong dynasty IF siya ay maging faithful, he starts to walk on human viewpoint. Humiwalay siya sa revealed will of God and umasa sa kaniyang karunungan. At least si Rehoboam kumunsulta sa iba, siya kumunsulta sa kaniyang sarili, (v26 "Jeroboam said to his heart."). He reasoned out na kung susunod ang Israel sa sinasabi ng Kautusan (thrice ang mga adult male ay dapat pumunta sa Jerusalem para sumamba), darating ang panahong mababaling ang puso nila pabalik kay Rehoboam at papatayin siya at mawawalan ng kapangyarihan. Pinili niyang makinig sa kaniyang mga insecurities sa halip na makinig sa revealed will of God.

So he devised a plan. He will make a rival religion. Since nahulog si Solomon sa pagyakap ng mga foreign Gods (Ashtoreth, Chemosh and Milcom), kailangan niya ng native national God. 

The one time he consult others, it is the best way to establish a revisionist religion:

1 Kings 12:28-30 [28]So the king consulted, and made two golden calves, and he said to them, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt." [29]He set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. [30]Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan.

He made two golden calves! Why not? It has an ancient history going through the first high priest Aaron!

Exodus 32:4-6 [4]He took this from their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool and made it into a molten calf; and they said, "This is your god, O Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt." [5]Now when Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it; and Aaron made a proclamation and said, "Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord." [6]So the next day they rose early and offered burnt offerings, and brought peace offerings; and the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play.

Jeroboam can rightly claim that these are not foreign gods (foreign inspired maybe- Egyptians worship a cow goddess). In fact he can claim an "apostolic succession." Si Aaron mismo, ang unang Punong Saserdote ang nagtatag ng pagsambang ito. Nevermind na ito ay labag sa nasusulat na Kautusan ni Yahweh (the first and second commandments, Ex 32:7-8), ang mahalaga ay ang unang "papo" ang may tatag nito at masusuportahan ng "sacred history."

Not only did Jeroboam went back to history, he also made innovations. Yahweh worship is very restrictive so he open the priesthood to all! He is very inclusive. He even make new festivals because Yahweh worship is not enough:

1 Kings 12:31-33 [31]And he made houses on high places, and made priests from among all the people who were not of the sons of Levi. [32]Jeroboam instituted a feast in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast which is in Judah, and he went up to the altar; thus he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves which he had made. And he stationed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made. [33]Then he went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised in his own heart; and he instituted a feast for the sons of Israel and went up to the altar to burn incense.

All of this has no divine warrant but he "devised in his own heart." It is a variant if Yahweh worship. An idolatrous variant and many churches today claim the name of Christ or apostolic authority but against the written Word of God!

Kinakantiyawan natin ang ibang relihiyon sa kanilang pagsambang hiwalay sa Kasulatan but we do the same when we embrace "another gospel that is not a different gospel.

Most Christians will avoid any religion that teaches a different savior. If someone approach you teaching Allah, Buddha or Confucius, most will be able to say, "Sorry but Jesus alone is Savior."

But how many will be just as discerning when approached by people who claimed salvation by grace through faith but with a plus? 

Sino ang mga ito? 

Faith plus...

... good works.

... baptism.

... faithfulness.

... Law.

The problem with the Galatians is they exchange the freeness of God's grace for the Law in justification and sanctification. They didn't embrace another God. They just ignore God's grace and fall towards the Law. 

This is not a different faith. It is the old but not the same as the old. 

It is a revisionist, variant faith. 

Many grace preachers unwitting become Jeroboam when they recast grace as law abiding.  

It is not as simple as saying believers started well then ended well because they start ignoring Church. Remember Jeroboam is very "spiritual." In fact he created a new religion that is similar to the Yahweh worship. But it is changed enough not to be the same. 

The Jeroboams of today replace grace with law. In this they have a strong "succession" from of old. They can claim history and tradition for support. But they can't claim Scriptural support. 

So they created laws that regulate external behavior. Adherence to these laws is spirituality. Non-adherence is "worldliness." Maturity is no longer Christ-likeness but "faithfulness in attending church."

Serving foreign gods is idolatry and wrong. But worshipping the true God in legalism rather than grace is just as wrong. 

We are saved by grace. We are to live by grace. 

(Kung gusto ninyo ng karagdagang impormasyon, bisitahin ninyo kami. May pagtitipon kami sa Dahat, kada Linggo, kada 1:00-3:00 pm. Sana manampalataya kayo at kita-kita tayo.

Isang mahalagang paalala: ang mga blogs na ito ay personal kong opinyon at eksposisyon; hindi ito opisyal na pananaw ng Partido Christian Bible Church. Kung nais ninyong malaman ang kanilang opisyal na posisyun, magtanong kayo sa mga matanda ng simbahan. Ang Nieto Bible Page ay isang hiwalay na ministri mula sa PCBC at independiyente rito. Nakikipagtipon ako sa PCBC, pero may personal akong kumbiksiyon sa mga bagay. Bagama't miyembro (muli) ako ng teaching and ruling leadership ng PCBC, anumang mabasa ninyo rito ay hiwalay sa kanila. Anumang nasusulat ay aking pananagutan. 

Kung nakatulong sa inyo ang mga blogs na ito, mangyaring pasubscribe at pashare sa iba. Ibahagi natin at ikalat ang mga Salita ni Cristo at ang libreng biyaya ng Diyos sa lahat ng dakong Filipino ay lenggwahe. Salamat po.)

Download for free: https://faithalone.org/ebooks/santiago/