WHY WERE JEROBOAM'S ACTIONS A BETRAYAL OF GOD ?
King Jeroboam betrayed God. Additionally, we need to see the full depth of this betrayal from God's perspective. The Northern Kingdom was highly at risk. Why? His actions brought apostasy. What were the crucial elements in this betrayal of God? God told King Jeroboam thru the prophet Adanajah, that he would be given the throne of the northern ten tribes at the death of Solomon. Jeroboam saw that prophecy fulfilled.
1 Kings 11:34-35 NKJV 34 'However I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand, because I have made him ruler all the days of his life for the sake of My servant David,...35 'But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand and give it to you-ten tribes.
This happened just as God had predicted. Jeroboam therefore should have trusted God to maintain his kingdom. But instead he gave into his worse fears and probably bad ungodly advisers. He choose fear and trusting in human maneuverings-instead of faith in God.
1 Kings 12:26-28 NKJV 26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, "Now the kingdom may return to the house of David: 27 "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 king of Judah." Rehoboam
Jehovah's true religion was centralized in Jerusalem for quality control. All went to Jerusalem for the major feast the Feast of Tabernacles.
28 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!"
Religions are all about the God you worship. Jeroboam created a false God or counterfeit version of the God of Israel. The God of Israel that he created looked like a young bull. This fits in well with the pagan concepts of God that existed in the ancient world. The Commandments of God clearly prohibit such acts.
Exodus 20:3-5 NKJV 3 "You shall have no other gods before Me. 4 "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath,...; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God,...of those who hate Me,
God's greatness cannot be captured by any human art work. God is a spirit and must be worshiped spiritually. Unfortunately people want to use objects to aid their worship. God says an emphatic No! Again why was this counterfeit religion such a total disaster for Israel?
GOD'S INSPIRED HOLY DAYS ARE NEEDED FOR STABILITY
Believers must use Jehovah's Holy Days to remain spiritually healthy and safe. The history of the Churches of God that kept the Holy Days especially the most time consuming one, the Feast of Tabernacles, was growth and spiritual enlightenment. This can be seen from the Waldensians to the WWCG. Those that forsake the feast fall into apostasy.
1 Kings 13:2-3 NKJV 2 Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, "O altar, altar! Thus says the LORD:.. 3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, "This is the sign which the LORD has spoken: Surely the altar shall split apart, and the ashes on it shall be poured out."
God gave a dramatic sign that he did not approve. Jeroboam tried to save his image before the people by bribing the true Prophet of God and maybe draw him into his evil system. His shriveled hand and arm were a public rebuke from God.
1 Kings 13:5-8 NKJV 5 The altar also was split apart, and the ashes poured out from the altar,...6 Then the king answered and said to the man of God, "Please entreat the favor of the LORD your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me." So the man of God entreated the LORD,...
The king also presumptuously made himself high priest and his hand being cursed, added to his embarrassment at his need to ask the challenging true priest and prophet for help.
7 Then the king said to the man of God, "Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward." 8 But the man of God said to the king, "If you were to give me half your house, I would not go in with you; nor would I eat bread nor drink water in this place.
God would not let his prophet in any manner seem to approve of Jeroboam's counterfeit religion. He was forbidden to even eat in the land of the northern ten tribes of Israel. When Jeroboam abandoned the Holy Days starting with the feast of Tabernacles his people lost the vehicles they would need to repent. The way back to the true God was lost. The Holy Days of God help us to repent and stay with God. Note Paul used the Holy Days to help the troubled Corinthian gentile church to repent.
1 Corinthians 5:7-8 NKJV 7 Therefore purge out the old leaven,... since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
We know from second Corinthians that they did repent. The Holy Days all focus on Jesus Christ and the plan of salvation. Jesus is the true Passover Lamb and Pentecost and the wave sheaf first of first fruits are all about Christ. The fall holy days revolve around the Feast of Tabernacles the most time consuming festival of God. No doubt when Jeroboam replaced it with a counterfeit he had to soon also replace atonement. Trumpets and the day of Atonement are all about the second coming of Jesus in power and removal of the devil and man being at-one-men with God. He told people they did not need to go all the way to Jerusalem to keep the Feast.
1 Kings 12:29-33 NKJV 29 And he set up one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. 30 Now thisthing became a sin, for the people went to worship ...32 Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month,..., in the month which he had devised in his own heart. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar and burned incense.
No man can make a day holy only God can make a day holy. He arrogantly did this evil deed anyway and further removed the Bible from access to his people.
JEROBOAM REMOVED THOSE WHO KNEW THE BIBLE
Books did not exist so they needed informed teachers. The teachings of God were transmitted by the Levitical priest. Jeroboam replaced them with those who would teach anything he wished. They had no knowledge of the words of God.
1 Kings 12:31 KJV 31 And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.
Believers will thrive spiritually with the teachings of the Bible given at the Feast. Knowing the words of God are so vital.
2 Timothy 3:15-16 KJV 15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. 16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:
To keep the faith keep the Feast Of Tabernacles and Thrive.
