The St. Louis Republic., 1904-07-02

| pleSt pan was TO change the natolial re-
| due consultation with the state officials.
! 1t was resolved to return to the religion
| of Egypt. By SO doing they would be
would moro easily gain the sympathy of
the Egyptian court, forming an alliance
of great value. The religion of Egypt,
moreover, appealsd to the lsraeiites, be- so
worshiped. The fathers had returned to
ii (EX. xxi; a. in the time Of Moses
A pretext was also made that the jour
ney to Jerusalem was too great; To save
the time two places were appointed and
| calves :: gold were set up one In Bethel
| In the southern part Of the kingdom and
make all this acceptable the royal procla-
| nation declared that these were the gods
that brought Israel cut OF Egypt, an ap-
peal that would be likely to meet popular
response.
APoSTASY-Verse so) Jeroboam evil
IDENTIFY expected his people would follow his
advice and example, and he had good rea-
son to expect it. There was the dispoS-
ton of the multitude. then as always in
all lands to regard those in authority on
which he might count. Besides. the re
bellion was popular movement, resulting
in new government q Kings XII, ls-0l,
and every new measure In that interest,"
would find favor. And 30 Israel turned
away from Jerusalem to worship at Dan:
making pilgrimages northward instead of
southwark. abandoning the affairs set up
by divine direction In the city of David
abandoning also the hopes long cherished
and the sweet memories Of the years long
past 1t is probable that a few Of the
more pious souls adhered to the ancient
faith and worship q Kings xix. 1s,. but
first ruler Of the northern kingdom went
into history as the cause OF the apostasy.
QI Kings xvii, 21.)
PRIEsTHooD-Verse s19 By divine
order of the sons Of Jacob and his poster i,,
pursuits. The sons of Levi were appointed
to the priesthood. Whatever other pur-
pose was served by this method. two ends
were gained-the men knew and all knew
who should fill these positions. and they
were trained accordingly. That did not
prevent a prophetic office and ministry
Qsa. ii, 1.) It merely provided for those
stated and uniform services which were
appointed In connection with the sacri-
fees. The priesthood continued In Judah
as II had been established centuries pc
fore, but Jeroboafn. In harmony with his
purpose for a national religion. instituted
est Of the people, those of humble origin
and of less repute. This action on the
part Of the King led the Levites, who were
In Israel to go to Serusaiem,, ,cd "a ontcv nIicv
Jeroboam erected temples for the new
worship ne had set up.
SACRIFICES-Verse s2) The origin of
sacrificial worship Is unknown. There are
some who think that 1t was Instituted by
the Almighty, while others be.ieye that
1t came through the natural impulse of
the human heart. One thing Is certain,
that it appeared very early In the history
Of the race. (Gen. iv. ~ 1t was contin-
ued all through the patriarchal dispense
tion and became a prominent feature IN
the institutes of Moses. Gen. xxi, Ii, TX
xxx 49, 1t was also common in the Pa
gan world. q Kings xviii, 2s) Jeroboam
therefore introduced sacrifices into the
system of religion which ne sci up. he
1, hat
in order to retain his hold upon the people.
The golden calves at Bethel and Dan, Wis,
ible signs of divinity toward which all
been accepted as worthy objects Of wor-
ship, had there been no offering made
to them.
RoYALTY-Werse ss, It appears that
on this great feast day Jer3boam fd m 1Ilia tba
time being the priests whom he had ap-
pointed. who were his servants ana tools'
and assumed the functions OF the holy Of
fee. Had that occurred in Judah 1t would
have been a serious offense, for God de-
signed that the priestly and kingy Of
fees should be separate, and he was DIS
pleased with Saul, who in his trouble took
the same liberty. q Sam. xviii, 81 But
In this case Jeroboam was merely acting
out in detail his whole policy of turning
his Kingdom away from the service OF
Jehovah. And In this act he gave an eX-
hibition of the new royalty. There was
no longer on the throne q man VINO re,
to keep the law of God, but an absolute
monarch who, without any respect to the
Divine will, acted according to his pleas,
ure in all things, whatsoever he devised
in his own heart, in religious and ecciesi,
astical affairs. as well as in civil and
state affairs.
CONCL.USIoN-Here we have the Sc
cret of Jeroboam's conduct. the formative
principles of his character. He was CEN
tered in self He built around the one
dominating thought Of his own interests.
What he desired wae-not faithfulness In
office, not the welfare OF the people VINO
had called him to rule, not the advance
ment Of the cause Of truth and righteous.
ness in the earth and the overthrow OF
oppression and wrong, but the establish
nient Of his own power. the preservation
of the government in his own hands. In
order to do that he was willing to psrvert
the faith, to change the customs and man.
ners, to appoint unworthy persons to min
lister in a degrading form of worship. to
take to himself the dignities Of the holy
Office and so by his own example to lower
the standards and ideals of his subjects
In those matters that are eminently sa-
cred Selfshness and egotfsm clothed It.
self in idolatrous forms and heather prac-
tees and turned back the civilization OF
the world for centuries. Woe unto the
wicked and ambitious rulers.