The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-07-05

The Feast Instituted ......-...-.I Lev. xiii 1914
punishment for Sin. -.........1 Kings xiii, l. 10
1t is easy for good men to oe led into idolatry
The strong natural instinct to worship may be
so controlled by reasons originating in human
selishness that whole peoples and churches may
be led into gross forms of idolatry The sin is
an Old one, but is being constantly repeated. The
external symbols of the Deity may not be as low
and sensuous now as of old, but its spirit is I'M
changed. The lesson to-day is practical.
The children of Israel living for hundreds of
years in Egypt were deeply impressed with
their religious services and the honor they paid
to sacred bulls and calves On their way out
from bondage, while Moses is in the mount
celving the law from God, Aaron makes golden
calf symbol of their God and the people wor-
ship it, and now, centuries after, this new king
of the ten tribes. Jeroboam who had been for
many years In Egypt, brings in this form of
idolatry.
The tribes of Judah and Benjamin possessed
Jerusalem and the temple. These two tribes
are hereafter known as the kingdom of Judah,
as the other ten are known as Israel RehO-
beam was not allowed to bring on a civil war
between the two kingdoms The ten tribes,
under their king, Jeroboam, build or build up
and greatly enlarge, Shechem, and make it their
capital He also built Penuel, on the other side
of Jordan. The people would naturally long to
go up to Jerusalem to the great religious feasts,
and Jeroboam, fearing that if they did this they
would be won over to the house of David, and
he lose his kingdom and his life, took counsel
how to prevent it.
He made two calves of gold and declared that
these were the gods which brought them out of
the land of Egypt: Kings K, 90 xvii, 16;
EXod. xxi, As. These are symbols of the god
they adored 1t was too much for them to 90 up
to Jerusalem. 1t would answer just as well to
worship their golden calves; SO they were set up,
one In Bethel and the other in Dan, the south
ern and northern extremites of the kingdom.
The people worshiped them, and they went to
worship before the one unto Dan. There
was already a sanctuary and an irregular priest
hood at Dan, and so the peOne focked there
first very naturally. The house of high places
was probably erectedon at Bethel, where
there was none, the phrase meaning
house in a high place, the shrines and
places of worship being chosen from high
hills and groves. He made his own priests in
stead of selecting them from the sons of Levi.
He changed the time Of the great feast of tab
ernacles, putting it month later, as the har-
vests ripened later in northern Palestine.
He offered sacrifices upon the altar he had built,
and burnt incense.
TEACHING THE LESSON.
/. RELIGION DESIRED BY MAN-Eow sharp
the contrast between the plans of Jeroboam and
those OF God! lie assumes to change the place,
and time, and forms of worship, as though these
were not essential. But there are diviney ap-
pointed forms that are as important as the
banks of the flowing river, as the wire
along which the electric current courses
There is great deal of that spirit in
our times that undertakes old and sacred forms,
and they press the point SO far that it becomes
lie In this spirit men say II can worship
God at home we'll as at church" 1T will
do me as much good to sleep as to worship" Il
can give my money to some other cause than the
Church. Il can get as much good singing ard
thinking at home as in the Sunday school,.
There are great forms like the sacraments and
the Sabbath sanctuary, that we neglect or change
at our peril They could worship God at Dan or
Bethel in Jerusalem, but they did not.
places and in other ways than we do them in the
house of God, but the changes of our devising
end in idolatry or neglect
ii. RELIGION MADE EASY-It was a spe-
cious attractive, plea. ut is too much for you
to go up to Jerusalem to worship and will
make you place nearer by that will answer just
as we'll There are many ways now of making
religion easy, that it will take less time, less
money, and far less sacrifice. Self sacrifice for
the sake OF money, power, glory, is common, but
not much so for religion. The dividing line
between the church and the world is often obit-
Grated. The dance, the theater, the various
forms Of worldly amusement, are for Christians,
and it costs very little in many places to be a
church member. The gate has been widened,
the way broadened
III. RELIGION THAT Is SIN.-These forms
did not please satisfy God. These were the
plans of men, and their worship was idolatry,
and this thing became sin. And to-day there
may be a great deal of so-called worship and
service of God that is no better.