Goodbye, Independence – 1 Kings 12:25-33

In the United States this is the day, July 4, that we celebrate independence from England and becoming our own sovereign nation. Jeroboam had led the northern ten tribes of Israel to independence from Solomon’s son Rehoboam and the kingship of David. But like our original 13 colonies, simply making a declaration of independence and maintaining independence were two different things. Jeroboam devises a strategy to establish independence that actually leads to slavery of a different sort.

Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. And he went out from there and built Penuel. And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of David. If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the temple of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.” So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. Then this thing became a sin, for the people went as far as Dan to be before one. He also made temples on high places and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites. And Jeroboam appointed a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month like the feast that was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he made. And he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made. He went up to the altar that he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, in the month that he had devised from his own heart. And he instituted a feast for the people of Israel and went up to the altar to make offerings. (1 Kings 12:25-33, ESV)

Jeroboam had Yahweh’s promise that if he obeyed Yahweh he would prosper as king and have a dynasty of heirs after him as king of Israel. But instead of trusting Yahweh he makes his own strategy for preventing people from resorting to the temple in Jerusalem. He makes worship in Israel competitive by having worship places nearer their homes, making a pilgrimage to Jerusalem unnecessary. But he leads Israel into idolatry.

Why do we think that our plans for protecting ourselves are better than God’s? What strategy have you been working of late to make sure, in your mind, at least, that you are covered in case God doesn’t come through? By doing so you are compromising your view of God, making Him something He is not, shaping Him in your own chosen image. Admit it, you want a God you can control and He won’t be controlled. We must either take Him as He is, the sovereign of our lives, or walk in ways devised from our own hearts.