JEROBOAM'S COMPROMISE WAS A HORRENDOUS CURSE UPON ISRAEL
Israel and Judah became two separate nations because of Solomon’s sins. The northern ten tribes became Israel while the southern three became the nation of Judah. Note I Kings 14:8-9, the two nations are at war with each other. How did Jeroboam curse the northern ten, Israel?
1 Kings 12:26-27, “And Jeroboam said in his heart, ‘Now the kingdommay returnto 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 Rehoboam king of Judah.’” (NKJV)
Jeroboam demonstrated no faith in God who had given him the northern ten tribes. He choose instead to be motivated by power politics and worldly advisors.
1 Kings 12:28, “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 areyour gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!’”
Probably a male calf or a young bull, which were common in the pagan world, was used. But he said that it was this young bull-god that had rescued Israel from Egypt. He was not going fully to Baal worship but what he thought was a politically smart compromise. Then he compounded the sin by making a horrible mistake, altering a crucial Holy Day.
1 Kings 12:32, “Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made.”
Jeroboam dared alter the major Holy Day gathering for God's people, the Feast of Tabernacles. Woe! The king undermined the Feast for political reasons and thereby cursed the northern Ten Tribes.
WHAT DID GOD THINK OF UNDERCUTTING THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES?
During the entire 250 year history of the northern Ten Tibes, Israel never repented and never had a Godly king. Why? They were caught in a spiritual trap which started with undermining the Feast of Tabernacles. Note just some of God's reactions:
1 Kings 14:16, “And He will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who sinned and who made Israel sin.”
1 Kings 15:30, “…because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he had sinned and by which he had made Israel sin, because of his provocation with which he had provoked the LORD God of Israel to anger.”
1 Kings 16:31, “And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him.”
2 Kings 17:22, “For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they did not depart from them,”
God was clearly outraged at the changes in His feast. How do people and nations repent of idolatry and various sins? One item is to learn what sin is and why it is detrimental. This knowledge is especially learned during the eight days of teaching at the Feast of Tabernacles. The group celebration also helps motivate people to follow and enjoy the ways of God.
WHY DIDN'T THE COUNTERFEIT FEAST & OTHER ITEMS WORK?
For one thing, Jeroboam took the role of high priest for which he was not chosen, called or qualified. Further, he abandoned the teachers who knew the Bible, the Levites. Also, he watered down or abandoned many of God's other laws and ways.
1 Kings 12:31, “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.” (KJV)
Written Bibles were unavailable to all but a few, but the information was instilled in the Levites. He removed the knowledgeable teachers so he could install any doctrine He thought would strengthen his hold on power. The people never really repented because most of the time they never knew the true God. They did have a chance to repent when Elijah the prophet was at work or Jonah, but they did not come back to God. Why? They might have but it seems that much of the blame for going into captivity and losing God's protection is due to not attending the real Feast of Tabernacles all those years. It is that important!
WHY IS THE FEAST SO IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE ACCEPTING THE TRUE GOD?
All of God's Holy Days are important and probably Jeroboam's religion, though claiming to represent the God who delivered Israel, weakened many aspects of the truth. The path for Israel to return to God was primarily blocked by this counterfeit religion. Note what God is going to do when the Messiah returns to bring order and true worship to this entire planet:
Zechariah 14:16, “And it shall be, everyone who is left of all the nations which came up against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.” (MKJV)
One of the first things all the nations with many varied religions will be forced to do is come to the Feast of Tabernacles. They will be shown the truth –– all nations.
What about nations who wish to cling to their false beliefs and refuse to keep the Feast of Tabernacles?
Zechariah 14:17-19, “And it shall be, whoever will not come up from all the families of the earth to Jerusalem to worship the King, Jehovah of hosts, even on them shall be no rain. 18 And if the family of Egypt does not go up, and nor come in, they shall have no rain…”
Christ, who will be reigning at this time, will not just persuade and encourage the nations to keep the Feast. It will be enforced. All will know what is to be celebrated –– not human, pagan traditions.
“…but the plague with which the LORD shall strike the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 19 This shall be Egypt's offense, and the offense of all the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.”
If along with other things we learn to keep the Feast of Tabernacles now, we can also rule with Jesus to make this a better world. Paradise cannot come to this planet except by force.
Revelation 2:26-27, “And he who overcomes and keeps My works to the end, to him I will give power over the nations. 27 And he will rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of a potter they will be broken to pieces, even as I received from My Father.”
Helped through the Feast of Tabernacles, Christ with help from the saints will bring paradise to planet Earth. The Feast of Tabernacles is like a spiritual anchor; when cut, we humans will be adrift in a sea of sin. Christ preached at the feast while in danger and said it was a factor in worldwide salvation.
John 7:30&37, “30 Therefore they sought to take Him…37 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.’”
During the Feast everyone and anyone on planet Earth will be educated in Godliness and called to salvation.
