Wasn’t Jeroboam the one God chose to oppose Solomon’s son, the new king, Rehoboam? Now we see him making some bad choices. Just when we thought maybe he was going to be the hero! Looks can certainly be deceiving.
We can all think of a time when we were duped in some way. As Christians, we tend to be a bit gullible and want to believe the best in all people. I suppose that’s partly why we weren’t expecting anything bad from Jeroboam.
Jeroboam let his fear of losing credibility with the people following him. So much so, he took matters into his own hands. ‘So on the advice of his counselors, the king made two gold calves. He said to the people, “It is too much trouble for you to worship in Jerusalem. Look, Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt!”’
Jeroboam made idols and had the gall to tell people that those objects had brought them out of Egypt! Seriously? It was God, and God alone, who delivered the people from their bondage in Egypt. As we recall the story, those same people grumbled and carried on like spoiled children a lot of the time.
Those inanimate golden cows wouldn’t have done much to keep them safe while they acted out in rebellion. On the other hand, God did protect them despite how his anger burned at their disrespectful behavior. God had also put Moses in place to help govern the situation. Don’t these examples make you think of what happened in Exodus 32?
The golden calves were only the start of Jeroboam’s crash down the slippery slope. He built buildings for the gods at the pagan shrines, and he appointed priests not from the Levitical line. What was he thinking? He also felt it was his duty to appoint a special day, similar to the Jewish “Festival of Shelters,” as a religious festival offering sacrifices to the idols he had built.
And we thought he was going to be the “good guy” because God was instrumental in raising him up. That just goes to show you how easily people can be overtaken with the rush of power. He obviously wasn’t prepared to be king. His divine appointment, to distract the people from Rehoboam, had definitely worked.
Being the first “Northern king,” Jeroboam was setting a less than stellar example. I heard it said he was a paradigm of wickedness by which all future kings would be measured. That is certainly not the kind of remembrance I’d want to claim.
Again, Jeroboam is a prime example of how looks can be deceiving. We do well to take care in going about our daily lives. We can ask for discernment to see deception clearly. We can look around our world today and see individuals “looking good,” but are they really? Remember, God can see the heart.
Interesting how the story played out between these two kings. The oppressive King Rehoboam ends up being the obedient one. The people seeking freedom from oppression end up being blinded by a king who couldn’t care less about Israel’s true God. King Jeroboam departs from reality and the approval of God when he lets fear overtake him. And God’s sovereignty will be worked out through all the struggles.
Let’s pray …
Lord, give me your eyes to see the dangers in this world I should avoid. Help me, too, to see the needs that I can fill on your behalf. Forgive me for taking your grace for granted. Forgive me, too, for all those times that I am fearful of what “might” happen. Make my heart steadfast and true. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
