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King Jeroboam: He Knew Not God

When we first read about Jeroboam, we are told he was an able and industrious man. Unfortunately, his competence did not compensate for his evil. God specifically gave ten tribes of Israel to Jeroboam to rule over, with the promise that if he listened to God’s commands and did what was right, then his reign would be secure. As if he never heard those words, there is no mention of Jeroboam ever honoring God during his rule. He was, however, very effective at honoring other gods and even made a few new bovine deities for Israel to worship. 

Jeroboam starts off his reign with significant insecurity. He is afraid the people will go back to Jerusalem to worship the true God and consequently turn against his rule. He devises a stupid plan: he decides to build not one, but two calves of gold for the Israelites to worship. He then revises Israel’s history and declares the calves to be the gods that brought Israel out of Egypt. He must have forgotten that it was that same type of golden god that Moses forced Israel to drink as a cocktail in punishment several hundred years before (Exodus 32). Indeed, Jeroboam even makes counterfeit temples with counterfeit priests and feasts in tow. [Anne McGr1] 

Like a desperate lover, he did all this so Israel would not leave him. Unfortunately, the blessing of God left him. More than anything else, all his striving and hard work[Anne McGr2]  succeeded only in turning Israel away from their God, a disaster for him and the nation. 

Lessons: 

If there was an award for kings who most explicitly shunned the word of the Lord, Jeroboam would be in the running for first place. Considering that God promoted him from obscurity into a position of tremendous power, his distrust of God’s word and promise is astounding. He never acknowledged God’s promise to establish his kingdom, and instead devised cheap and evil ways to keep power. He simply did not believe God’s word, and tried to forge the course of his own life. 

Like Jeroboam, we can easily be pushed by fear and insecurity into a place of not believing God’s word. We forget that God is close to us and desires a relationship with us. The fear of situations not going our way tempts us to create our own gods, ones that fit better into our plans and give us more control. Putting these shiny and attractive things in the place of God may give us the illusion of higher purpose, but such counterfeits, whatever they may be, always lead to misery.

Before he died, Jesus had no earthly security in which to find protection or solace, yet his relationship with God remained sure, and he was obedient to his word until the end. Hebrews 12:1-2 urges us to run with endurance the race ahead of us and look to Jesus, who starts and completes our faith. In Jeroboam’s insecurity, he refused to look to God.

May we always look to Jesus and remain faithful to him when the securities of life leave us. 

Prayer:

Lord, fear and insecurity can so easily overtake me. In those times, remind me of your closeness and love for me. May you always remain the Lord of my life, and may I never create or be led astray by any phony substitute. May you have all the glory in my life. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Limerick:

After his royal vows

Jeroboam worshiped two cows

From God’s ways did he sway

And led Israel astray

His whole rule does raise eyebrows