The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1915-08-13
INTERNATIONAL
LESSON
By E. O.. SELLERS. Acting Director of
Sunday School Course. The Moody Bible
Institute OF Chicago.)
LESSON FOR AUGUST IS
JERoeoAM LEADS ISRAEL INTO
SIN.

SIN.
LESSON TEXT Kings 12:5-0.
GOLDEN TEXT-Thou shalt not make
into thee a craven image. nor any like
ness Of anything that Is in heaven above.
n that IL In the earth beneath. or that Is
n the water under the earth: thou shalt
not bow down thyself down unto them.
nor serve them. Elk. 0:4. ga
Whether Jeroboam melted Israel's
rebellion or was summoned home be-
cause of his being known as an OPP
ponent to Israel. we n say. He
have remembered Ahijah's
prophecy (~11:29-40) and he had anoth-
er prophet on his side. Shemaiah
though Ahijah afterwards
deserted him Q4:1-1S). In Egypt.
had learned of the worship
OF the bull Apis and upon setting up
his kingdom, saw at nee the need OK
centering the religious life Of the peo-
pie elsewhere han in Jerusalem.
I. "CaIves Of Gold" Wv. $3.50. Given
these ten tribes by God (11:31) the
people had chosen Jeroboam without
seeming consultation with God. and
GA0 XCoulL q O SAoSAS NJ ~
Hebrews. David's monarchy lasted
scarcely two generations. Rehoboam's
second attempt at coercion (l2:2124)
u rebuked and he settles down 1 n
Judea but fortifies many cities I'll
Chron. 11:5-12; l Kings 1924: 14:1D.
Jeroboam likewise built cities. She.
chem and Penuel. but the result of the
schism was a weakened people ana
Israel was the first to be carried into
captivity and to extinction as a ma
ton. Defensed cities are not adequate
safety for a nation (11:3S; 2 Chron.
20: 20; Zech. Ia. 81. Witness Liege
and Antwerp. As q matter of political
prudence Jeroboam's scheme OF re-
moving the center of worship from Je
rusalem succeeded admirably. h
center of gravity of a man and OF a ma
ton is that place where he centers
his worship. The temple had no I'M
age, and his setting up of his images
of bulls was a backward step,
doubtless it was regarded as best Tor
the nation. Jeroboam's fatal error
was in DETECTING the people from the
invisible Jehovah to the visible crea-
lions of their own hands. Mankind al
ways prefers to trust to their own de-
vices and to plan their own deliver
ance rather than to trust in God. The
evidence Of our trust in God Is to obey
him. Note Jeroboam took counsel. not
as did Rehoboam, Of the aged or the
young. but "in his heart" We are not
to lean to our own understanding u
upon the Holy Spirit John 1919.
Man is slow Of heart" and that one
at all familiar with Hebrew history
| should repeat the mistake Aaron made
is scarcely to be understood eek. 32:4-
81, The errors and "isms" of today
are but a repetition Of the false teach
| ings of former days dressed in q new
garb, labeled with a new name; such
is the deceitfulness of he human
heart Ger. 1870. Jeroboam's excuse
was plausible enough ". 2S) and ap-
pealed to the ever-present weakness OF
the human heart to seek some easier
way Of serving God. But mans way al
ways becomes the hardest way. Jero-
boam today would be classed as a
liberal and held up as a broad
minded man" Note his cunning ap-
peal to sacred memories ". 2S).
~. "Priests Of the Lowest" Wv. 1888.
Jeroboam's real concern was not that
of the people but the permanency OK
his kingdom. Jeroboam was not intro
ducing a new God but a new way or
worship. One step always leads TO
another, and to fully establish this
new way, and at the same time en-
tirely to control the situation, he sc.
lected from among "all the people
priests who were to carry on Jeho-
vah's worship. roc had selected the
sons of Levi and specially ordained
them for this service (Num. 3:lO),
When the devil introduces a new re
ligion. or any false idea OF Christ. OF
the Bible, he always appeals to sa
cred memories, or else claims a mod
ern expression Of the truth" Zero
boam not only chose those who would
be beholden to himself. but he also
selected positions in his kingdom. al
either end, each of which was easily
accessible. Thus to build and thus to
select others than the sons Of Aaron
as priests was expressly forbidden
But such is the natural ~perversity and
stu~bbornness of the human heart thai
it readily follows its leaders into al
sorts of apostasy and error (Rom
SD. Jeroboam also changed ". 81
the feast ordained of God on the 15tf
day of the seventh month CLev
1898, 34) to one occurring in tn
eighth month. Nc possible appeal o
local interests warranted any suct
substitution; to obey is better than t.
modify Matt. 1876; Mark 7:13). Thu
last verse (v. 33) tells US whence al
of these changes originated, 'of hi
own heart"-hence it is not surprising
r that he finally assumed to himself thu
priests office Il Sam. 1912, ID;
Chron. 2:16), a browning act Of apps
! tasy and presumption.
f III. The Main Teaching. Jeroboam'
chief purpose was not the glory o
God, but this new religion was for pei
sonal safety and glo%riication. Hi
cunningly devised program becam
), the agent of his own and the nation
destruction (13:34; 14:7-11; 2 King
1929. 81, and his opprobious title ha
become (Which made Israel to sin.
Graft and trickery succeed for q time