FROM FEAR TO IDOLATRY

• DAY 320
• FEAR FILE: JEROBOAM
• SCRIPTURES: 1 KINGS 12:25-28

Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and dwelt there. Also he went out from there and built Penuel. And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom may return to the house of David: If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah.” Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!”

The story of Jeroboam starts with Solomon. God told Solomon that because your heart went away from me, I’ll divide the kingdom into two. I’ll give ten to somebody else and I’ll reserve Judah for you because of the promise that I made to your father, David. So Judah and Ephraim are one kingdom and the generations of David remain kings on the throne there. But God chose Jeroboam as king over the other 10 tribes called Israel.

However, the place of worship was still Jerusalem and God wanted it so. They may have been divided in culture and language but they were still His people and in worship, they must appear as one. God has never wanted a divided church, our names, protocol, doctrine, and addresses may be different but we are still ONE BODY. As such, our worship protocol has to be the same, “In spirit and in truth.” So that when it comes to Him it is one sound because it comes from one spirit as one body.

Jeroboam didn’t see it this way. When he ascended the throne, he became afraid and saw united worship as a threat to his reign and dominion. He felt that if they obeyed God and worshiped in Jerusalem, they might return to Judah and kill him. But as always, that fear, though rational, was a lie. He forgot the incident of verses 17-24

And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord: “You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.” ’ ” Therefore they obeyed the word of the Lord, and turned back, according to the word of the Lord. 1 Kings 12:17-24

He let fear lead him to betray the God who defended him by setting up golden calves (remember this? Aaron made one for them in the wilderness and it cost most of them their lives) and the whole nation turned to idolatry. Someone prays for a job, only to get it and start indulging in sin to preserve it. A woman prays for a man and gets a boyfriend then goes to buy kayamata so he doesn’t leave her. People join cults to preserve a career.

Beloved, if God gave you something you cannot lose it if you continue to trust Him. You don’t need to do any kind of hanky-panky and create ways to preserve the thing. Because any step you take will be out of fear. If God didn’t want you to have it, he wouldn’t give it to you. Besides, would you not rather lose the thing than lose your soul or offend God? May fear not make idolaters in Jesus’ name.

Take a moment to pray for your heart right now. If you’re feeling some kind of threat and you feel like what you have might not last, or you’re afraid that it might be taken away. Ask God for peace and help you to continue to trust him. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Shalom.