The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-07-08
THE SUNDAY BIBLE SCHOOL.
Lesson in the International Series
for July 10, 1eo4-"Jere-
boam's Idolatry."
the Highway and By

snail the Kingdom return 10 tne noe1o -
David:
"a. II this people go up TO do sacrifice In
the house OF the Lord at Jerusalem, then
shall the heart of this people turn again |
unto their lord. even unto Rehoooam:
king OF judah, and they shall Kill me, ana
go again to Rehoboam king of judah.
S. Whereupon the king took counsel, and |
made two calves of gold. and said unto |
them: 1t Is too much for you to go up TO |
Jerusalem; behold thy gods. o Israel.
which brought thee up out OF the land OF
Egypt.
~ And he set the one in Bethel and
the other put he in Dan.
20. And this thing became a sin; for the
people went to worship before the one, even
unto Dan.
81. And he made an house Of high places.
and made priests of the lowest of the peo-
pie. which were not OF the sons OF Levi.
81 And Jeroboam ordained a feast In the
eighth month, on the fifteenth day OF the
month, like unto the feast that Is in Judah,
and he offered upon the altar. So DID he
in Bethel. sacrificing unto the calves that
he had made: and he placed in Bethel the
priests of the high places which he had
made
80. So he offered upon the altar which he
had made in Bethel the fifteenth day OF
the eighth month. even In the month which
he had devised OF his own heart: and or
dained a feast unto the children of Israel;
and he offered upon the altar. and burnt
incense
THE LESSON includes besides the les
son text the thirteenth and fourteenth
| chapters OF Kings. wherein are recorded
Gods warning and retribution upon
| Jereboam- The fulhllment OF the prophe-
cies Of the prophet OF Judah against the
| altar at Bethel. and that OF Ahijah the
prophet against Jereboam and his family.
recorded in Kings 23:l5-16 and l Kings
| l5.2y-30. should be read.
| GOLDEN TEXT.-"Keep yourselves
| from Idols."-1 John 16:2
TIME.-Common Chronology s75 B. c.
| PLACES.-Jereboam;s capital. at first
Schechem, and later Tirzah. among the
| hills few miles north of Schechem: and
| Bethel. and Dan. where the two golden
calves were placed.
Events in Israel During Jereboam's
| Reign.
Prophecy against altar at Bethel.-l
| Kings l3
Ahijah's prophecy against Jereboam and
Jereboam's house-1 Kings 14:1-20.
Defeat OF Jereboam by Abijah. king of
| Judah-2 Chron L.
Events in Judah During Jereboam's
Reign.
Death of Rehoboam. in about the eight
| zenith year OF Jereboams reign.-l Kings
14:31
Abijam (called Abijah in parallel pas
| sages in Chronicles). son of Rehoboam,
made king-1 Kings l5:l-7
| Death OF Abijam in twentieth year of
Jereboam's reign and beginning Of reign
OF good King Asa.-l Kings ISIS.
Comparing Scripture with Scripture.
Jereboam said In his heart."-Com-
pare words in verse 33. Instead of TAX
ing counsel of God he searched in his
own heart for the solution of problems
of his kingdom.
Now shall the kingdom return to
the house of David. Comp. prophecy
Of Ahijah in 1 Kings 1871, 3s. Had Jere.
boam believed Gods word from what
sin would he have been kept and whai
punishment he would have beer
spared. Jereboam acted on expediency
but expediency is worse than folly Il
1t be at the sacrifice of Righteousness,
and truth. He who trusts In his owl
heart and takes his own way, is 1
fool. To run before God is to sinl
knee-deep into the swamp. We mus
make all things after the pattern
shown us on the mount, and take oul
time from Gods almanac. What i.
contrast to the course of Jereboam wal
that of the Son of Mani He would dt
nothing Of Himself. His eye was al
ways on His Fathers dial plate, ant
thus He knew when His time was no
yet fulfilled. He was always consult
ing the movement of His Fathers will
and did only those things which HI
saw His Father doing. Similarly max
Gods will and way thy pole-star. oh
to be able to say with our blesse,
Lord: 1 seek not mine own will, bu
the will OF Him that sent Me!'"-
Meyer.
Jereboam's Three-Fold Iniquity.
Made two calves of gold."-Idola
tory.
Made priests Of the lowest of tn
people. e.'-Sacrilege.
Ordained a feast"-Godless Pre-
sumption.
Idolatry.-Jereboam broke the sec
ond Of the ten commandments an
paved the way for the breaking of tn
first and third, under later kings, NOT
ably Ahab. In this day we need to re
member that covetousness rs idolatr
tCol 6:5, that idolatry is one Of tn
works of the flesh or the natural ma
4 NGdi- o.- -ols anu lldl we must nee TrOI
idolatry IL we would escape this si
Il Cor. 1914. and John 5:2D.
Sacrilege.-The Levites had been M
apart by God for the priestly ofac
(Num. $40. 12). and for Jereboam I
assign to the sacred function thos
from among "the lowest OF the pee
pie" was a great and awful sin.
Goddess Presumption. - Jereboa,
: changed the feast of Tabernacles frol
the fifteenth of the seventh to tb
fifteenth OF the eighth month. God
appointments cannot be lightly q,
aside.-See Nix. 7:13.
Seed Thoughts.
Unbelief lay at the root of Jereboam
mistakes. and 1t lies at the root of a
sin.
Jereboam's scheme OF worship W,
one he devised in his own heart" an
the very same thing may be said OF man
of the modern schemes of WORSHIP
God is a Spirit and they that worshI
Him must worship Him In Spirit an
In truth"
Jereboam sought self-glory rath,
than Gods glory.
A ministry purely man-appointed wi