JEROBOAM'S TWO RELIGIOUS BLUNDERS AND THE DEMISE OF ISRAEL
Jeroboam was given the northern ten tribes of Israel. God promised him that his dynasty could be lasting like that of King David if only he would obey. However he feared the unified religion of the true God built around the Temple in Jerusalem. Therefore he made two enormous blunders. First he altered the Holy Days and built them around pagan representations of God.
1 Kings 12:32-33 NKJV 32 Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, …. which he had devised in his own heart. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel,...
Jeroboam had the gall to alter one of God's Holy Festivals into a pagan counterfeit. This led the northern ten into perpetual spiritual downfall. God has his Holy Days and it is spiritually weakening for his people to indulge in counterfeit Holy Days. The lost ten tribes of Israel have lost their identity to this day because they forsook the sign of God, his Holy Days.
Exodus 31:13 NKJV 13 "Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: 'Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the LORD who sanctifies you.
One of the counterfeit days is Christmas. The book of Luke's proof of Jesus Fall birth, is based on the courses of the priest. A second proof of this that the sheep were outside the barns at night when Christ was born inside, in the manger. It would be too cold to have sheep outside at night in the winter. It is clear Christ was not born on December 25 on a cold winter night, that date choice was a pagan date The Saturnalia. It is obviously part of SUN worship.
Luke 2:7-8 NKJV 7 And she brought forth her firstborn Son, ... 8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night.
The early Christian Church did not celebrate Christmas. The Bible does not mention Christmas. Early Christians did celebrate God’s Holy Days. The early American colonists, the Puritans did not celebrate Xmas. Christmas was outlawed in most of America in those days as not biblical. That is why George Washington was able to win turning defeat into victory with a Xmas day attack. The Christmas victory at Trenton, New Jersey, was a vital key to American Independence. Not keeping Christmas may have saved the American Revolution. Evil king Jeroboam made an even bigger blunder than counterfeit holy days in the process.
THE DEBASING OF THE CLERGY REALLY UNDERMINED THE PEOPLE
Jeroboam's biggest theology poison was the abandonment of the knowledgeable priesthood. He replaced the Levitical priests who knew the Bible, with the lowest of men who knew NOT the teachings 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.
How did he end up with a degraded clergy. He forced out those who knew the bible. Why? So he could teach any doctrine he devised!
2 Chronicles 11:14-15 NKJV 14 For the Levites left their common-lands and their possessions and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had rejected them from serving as priests to the LORD. 15 Then he appointed for himself priests for the high places, for the demons, and the calf idols which he had made.
Some translators take the word demon and change it to 'goats'. Either way, the evil king was removing the Bible from his people. Printed Bibles did not exist and scrolls were very expensive. Therefore removing the Levites was the same as removing the Bible. Therefore the northern ten never had a revival or a good king and were taken into captivity 722BC. This is what God said of this power first, insecure, faithless king.
2 Chronicles 13:9 NKJV 9 "Have you not cast out the priests of the LORD,...s, and made for yourselves priests, like the peoples of other lands, so that whoever comes... may be a priest of things that are not gods?
Jeroboam probably never intended to have clerics who were the lowest of men. But since he required no knowledge of the true God and sold this very lucrative position cheap to anyone, that was the result. He chose the way the surrounding pagan nations chose their pastors.
Malachi 2:7 NKJV 7 "For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, And people should seek the law from his mouth; For he is the messenger of the LORD..
The true priests of God were to be full of knowledge about God's spiritual laws, health and justice ordinances. He struck the nation HARD WITH UNGODLY knowledge.
Hosea 4:6 NKJV 6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priests for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.
Lack of knowing God's ways is a real impediment to worshipers of God.
GOD'S PASTORAL STANDARDS ARE HIGH
God required biblical knowledge of the Leviticus priesthood. They were the teachers, the walking words of God among his people. God has high standards that is why he insisted on major religious services at a central location for quality control. Problems did arise in both Israel and Judah. God, of course, demands even higher standards for new covenant believers. They will be greatly needed because the times will be full of deceptive teachers.
1 Timothy 4:1-2 NKJV 1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of, demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared...,
Note the standards the Apostles Paul demands of his church Pastors.
1 Timothy 3:1-3 NKJV 1 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous;
Unlike the lowest of the people who made up Jeroboam clerics they will be men of honor and able to teach the word of God and not be greedy for money. Jeroboam's clerics were in it for the nice life, and were bible illiterates. They taught whatever they were told no matter how pagan it seemed.
1 Timothy 3:4-6 NKJV 4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission....5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); 6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.
Paul instructs his Evangelists to weed out false teachers and those that love money instead of loving service to the brethren.
1 Timothy 6:3-5 NKJV 3 If anyone teaches otherwise and does not consent to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to the doctrine which accords with godliness, 4 he is proud, knowing nothing, but is obsessed with disputes and arguments over words, from which come envy, strife, reviling, evil suspicions,...men of corrupt minds and destitute of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain. From such withdraw yourself.
Believers are to respect and honor good Pastors and teachers they are a blessing to a congregation.
1 Timothy 5:17 NKJV 17 Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.
Paul warns the Evangelist to use the highest of standards before ordaining a Pastor or teacher.
1 Timothy 5:22 NKJV 22 Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people's sins; keep yourself pure.
The goal of the New Covenant ministry is to produce wise mature brethren that withstand the wiles of the Devil and persevere. Line Upon line is helpful in this process, keep viewing please!
Ephesians 4:11-15 NKJV 11 And He Himself gave some to be... pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; 14 that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men,... 15 but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ--
