The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-01-07

Lesson Text: "Idolatry in II
Kings, Kill, 2S-33-Goldeh
Text: Exodus TX, A..
Commentary.

'Er ~ = - = - ,
25. "Then Jeroboam built Shechem in
Mount Ephraim and dwelt therein" Re-
hoboam having been warned by Shemiah,
the man Of God, not to go against tbs revolt
ing tribes to subdus them. returned homo
with his army and contented himself to be
King of Judah only, according to tie word
Of the Lord VS. 22-24). Thus the twelve
tribes became two nations, not to be united
again till the coming OF the son Of David In
power and glory (Ezek.S xxxvn., 21.29.
ShechemS became for time the capital OF
the kingdom Of the ten tribes.
"And went out from thence and built
Penuel." Here the angel of the Lord wrestled
with Jacob and changed his name to Israel.
Jacob called the name Of the place Penuel
tthe face OF God, for, said he, have seen
God face to face, and my life Is preserved
(Gen. Xxx, %, 3U.
90. "And Jeroboam said in his heart, now
shall the Kingdom return to the house of
David" evidently did not know in his
heart anyt hg Of the meaning Of either Shec-
hem (shoul4 or Penuel (the face Of God).
Hisheart had not received the precious prom
ise Of Deut 0xiif 8 IL, nor did he know Him
of whom it Is written the government shall
God had promised to build him q sure house
il only he would hear and obey and doright
in HIS sight (xi., 3D.S 1t Is evident that he
knew not the face OF God nor cared TO walk be-
fore Him.
!. 81. s.If this people 60 up to sacrifice in the
house Of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall
the heart Of this people turn again unto their
Lord, unto Rehoboam, king Of Judah, etc.
There is no gratitude to God In this nor any
confidence in Him, but there Isl thought Of
direct disobedience: for Jerobosm knew that
o. ILL D. - -..IA n
offered only in the city and at the place
which he had chosen (Deut xii. 81 14). The
Lord God had chosen Jerusalem and put His
name there, that there, and there only, Israel
should worship Him (Deut xii, IL; Kings
ix, 81 as he manifested His glory in the Holy
of Holes above the mercy seat, between the
cherubim. Had Jeroboam been obedient to
God 1t would have been well with him, and
he would have been stranger to this fear Of
losing his kingdom and his life.
%. "Whereupon the king took, counsel and,
made two calves Of gold" ~ was. not the
counsel Of God ifmnst have been the coun-
sci of the ungodiy.s Hes,nusts have known
the story Of the golden cali ID the wilder
ness and of the thousands who fell because
Of that sin. He had the spirit Of Cain, who
preferred his own thoughts and ways to
those Of God; and feared not to disobey.
g2o.s.tAnd he set the one In Bethel, and the
other put he In DAM What desacrator
Of holy places! Bethel (house Of God, where
God gave to Jacob such glorious vision OF :
heavenly things and such promises for the
future IIen. myiiiSS lilo twhera God set
upon ladder that reachedeto heaven and
Jacob dedicated pillar to God, here this
rebel sets rpan idol and establishes tdolatry.
Hadhsthoughtof tof the meaning Of Dan (Gen,
XXX; y92judgment-he might perhaps have
foor IN COTS oy,i 1O1 - tIf ia
have thought Of nothing except the fear Of
losing his kingdom.
80. "And sthis thing became SIM Not
,onlya sin against God, but sin against him
self and all his house to cut it of, and to de-
stroy 1t from of the face Of the earth tzdh, ;.
34. He that sinneth against God wrongeth
his own soul, and all they that hate Him
love death prov. viii. 36). - ~
r 1.-THE people went to worship before the
one, even unto Dam" Itwould be such wor-
ship as Cain offered the worship Of disobedi-
ence, and therefore hateful TO God They were
breaking the first and second commandments
Of the law, besides all the other commands
which God had given concerning the only
place Of worship. There Is no particular
place now where we are to worship God, but
as Jesus taught the woman Of Samaria, God
seeketh true worshipers who will worship
Him in spirit and in truth. -
81. "And he made an house Of high places,
and made priests Of the lowest Of people
which swerenot Of the Sons Of Eeyi" Not
withstanding the command: "Thou shalt give
the Levites untoi Aaron, and to his sons, =
- and the stranger that cometh nigh
shall be put to DEATH Num. ILL.,, 8, 10, this
man takes any one and sets him apart as 9
priest. It Is not enough to despise the only
true God, the God of Israel, and the Holy
City, and the Temple, the only appointed
place OF sacrifice, but he also despises Gods
chosen priesthood and sets up one OF his own.
We do not need to seek far, even in our own
day, for man-made priesthood, many OF
whom, to Judge by their conduct, are among
the lowest Of the people, and il they do not
worship calves they certainly do worship
golden eagles Nor need we step outside the
Protestant church, nor even enter the Epis-
copal church, to find them, for they may be
found In all denominations.
SO. "And Jeroboam ordained feast
and he offered upon the alter" Moses did
not ordain feasts; everything connected with
the tabernacle and temple. and worship and
feasts was appointed by God; but this man
takes the place of God and initiates God. he
reminds us Of one described in II Thess. IL,
4. ''who opposeth and exalteth himself above
all that Is called God, or that is worshiped;
80 that he, as God, stteth in the temple OF
God, showing himself that he is God"
aSacrifdng unto the calves that he had
made, and he placed in Bethel the priests OF
Che high places which he had made" God
was the architect of tabernacle and temple,
but these places Of worship were made by
this man, to whom God had been so kind,
and who was now so vigorously setting him.
self and his people against God.
3S. $50 he offered upon the altar" Notice
this expression three times in this verse and
In the last, and also the phrase "Vhich ne
had made" the same number OF times. ltls
ali his doing, and God Is excluded. \.
stIn the month which he had devised OF
his own heart" It was all. the devising OF
his own heart an unbeieving, hateful heart,
lust like yours and mine before we we're born
rom above. Naturally we are away ftom
God and against God, yet He loves US and IS
Kind to the unthankful and the evil His
owe and His goodness should lead us to re-
pentance Rom. H., A., but many like Jero-
5oam only despise it.-Lesson Helper.
Ftne walters are IN earnest IN deter.
L L L