The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-09
STUDIES IN THE OLD TESTAMENT.
FOR JULY 10, 1904.

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Fl CONTENT The division Of the king
( dom into two parts. Israel OF, tho north
and Judah or, the south. effected under
circumstances described last week. pre-
scented two sovereigts who naturally felt
Jealous OF each other RhehoboaIn. the
Siiinr Of Judah. considering himself the
successor OF Solomon. his father, was dis
posed to claim all the country. aud he
assembled the chief men and proposed TO
recover By force tho ten tribes who mad
rebelled But this was contrary to the
Divine Will as announced by Shemaiah,
the man Of God. Hence. the preparations
for war We're abandoned and the people
returned to their homes to engage again
In the ordinary pursuits OF peace 1hen
began new career for the chosen people.
Each nation had opportunity to display.
Its loyalty to God and to work OUT us
destiny.
Observation-Disclosures c5).-The first act
OF j eroboam, King OF Israel, was to fix his
capital. Jerusalem continued to be the
seat OF government for Judah Shechem
was built or rather rebuilt for the north
crn Kingdom. This lay between Mount
Ebal and Mount cenizin, near the place
where Joshua encamped after the inva-
sion preparatory to the conquest shech-
en- had been a very important place IN
}patriarchal history, lying midway be-
tween the Jordan and the great sea. II
was utterly DESTROYED by Abimelech IN
1906 B. G. Judges Ix:45) and so remained
In ruins until Jeroboam's time Crossing
The Jordan, Jeroboain selected a second
residence In the tribe OF Cad on the site
of a city in the time of Jacob. Gen.
. NxXII :3o-3L which had been DESTROYED
by Gideon. Judges NlII:17.) This he re-
built, and 1t is probable that IN both cit
les he erected palaces. BY this method
he expected to gain favor With the peo-
5ple in both the eastern and western por-
lions OF his Kingdom. All this was wise
and proper.
x 4 STRATEGY vcrscs 90 and eD.-Jero-
boam was shrewd, but worldly states
man; he knew how to manage the affairs
OF public interest so as to strengthen him
self IN the Kingdom. His two residences
being established, he next reflected that
the item Of religion was of great moment.
The people had become accustomed on GER
tain occasions to go UP to Jerusalem
from all parts Of the land. There stood
the temple and there were observed the
various religious ceremonies. All this
tended to national unity. With pious re
gard for the religious customs of their
fathers, all men had faithfully repaired
wear after year to the place dearcr than
all others. There they had comlntngled.
talked freely of their common origin ana
destiny. (Deut. XII:5-6.) All this. more
over was by Divine command. 1croboarl
saw plainly that I'll would be impossible
for him to maintain the Kingdom which
lad been set mp II this practice continued.
Sooner or8tlater the people would return
TO their old allegiance and he would be
put to death.
EXPEoIENT-C verses Is and Cole
did not take long to find why out OF
this embarrassing condition. The simplest
plan was 10 change the national religion
ana that course was adopted after due
consultation with the state officials 1t.
was resolved to return to the religion OF
Egypt By SO doing they would be who'll
lly separated from Judah and they would
more easily gain sympathy Of the EgSp-z
tan court. forming an alliance Of great
value. The religion of Egypt. moreover.
appealed to3the Israelites, because " pre-
sented something visible to be worshipped,
THE fathers had returned to 1t. CEN.
XXXIII:4) in the time of Moses. A pre-
text was also made that the journey 10
sJerusalem was too great 10 save me
time two places we're appointed and calves
of gold were set up one in Bethel, In the
southern part Of the kingdom. and one at
Dan, In the northern part. To make all
this acceptable the royal proclamation de-
clsred that these were the Gods that
brought Israel out Of Egypt, an appeal
that would he likely to meet popular re-
sponse.
APosTAsY-CveEse 3ol.-Jeroboam evil
IDENTIFY expected, his. people would follow
his advice and example, and he had good
reason In expect it. There was the dis
position Of the multitude, then as always
st,,e a,,,
on which he might count Besides. the
rebellion was. popular movement, result
ing in a new government, Il Kings S1l:l?.
%, which every one would be glad TO
support, and every new measure in that
interest would find favor. And so Israel
turned away from Jerusalem to worship
at Dan. making pilgrimages northward
instead of southwark. abandoning the al
,ars set up by Divine direction In the
rity of David, abandoning also the homes
long cherished and the sweet memories
8of the years long past, 1t is probable
that few of the more pious souls adj
tthered 10 the ancient faith and worship,
IN Kings xIx:ls>. but the detection was
quite general This first ruler of the
northern kingdom went into history as
the cause of the apostasy. e Kings
e xNII:21l
X PRIESTHOOD-(Ve S).-By Divine
order one of the sons Of Jacob and his
posterity were separated from secular 10
holy pursuits. The sons Of Levi were
appointed to the priesthood, Whatever
other purpose was served by this method,
two ends were gained, the men knew and
all knew who should Ill those positions.
and they we're trained accordingly. That
did not prevent n prophetic office ana
ministry regulated by tho call of the
Holy Spirit. Elsa, I'D It merely provided
for those stated and uniform services
which We're appointed in connection with
the sa crifices. The priesthood continued
in judah as II had been established cen
4 turtles before, but Jerohoam, In harmony
with his purpose for a new national re-
ligipn, instituted new ordGr,-he mada
priests of the lowest of the people, those
Of humble origin and of less repute. This
action on The part of the king led the
4 J,evites who We're IN Israel to go to Jeru,
salem, e Chron XI:14-l5) To complete
his wicked policy Jeroboam erected tam
PIES for the new worship he had set
IN.
SACRIFICE Verse SO, The origin Of
sacrltcial worship IL unknown There arc
some ~ho think that II was instituted By
the Almighty, while others believe that
~ came through the natural impulse Of
the human heart, One thing Is certain
that II appeared very early IN The history