The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1915-08-12
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LESSON
LESSON FOR Angus
JERoBoAM LEADS ISRAEL
SIN.
(By E. o. SELLERS, AsIing Dire <Hf sk
Sunday School Course, XAe Mood Is A1klT
Institute OF Chicago) s slS

gA Nk
LESSON TEXT Kings 17:15-a3
GOLDEN TExT-Thon shalt not znaka
unto thee a craven image, nor ang llkHs
ness OF anything that In in heAy iii Dos
or that Is In the earth heneatfs qr fHf q
In the water under the cart kfaalF
not bow down thyself low hem
Whether Jeroboam inci1ed IsraaEs
rebellion or was summoned home bt,-
cause Of his being known g ap OBJ
ponent to Israel, we cannot say. he
must have remembered Ahijah's
prophecy (11:29-4O) and he had anoth-
er prophet on his side. Shemaiah
(12:22-24), though Ahijah afterwards
deserted him (14:1-18). In Egypt,
Jeroboam had learned Of the worship
Of the bull Apis and upon setting up
his kingdom, saw at once the need OF
centering the religious life OF the peo-
pie elsewhere than in Jerusalem.
/. "calves OF Gold" Wv. $3.50. Given
these ten tribes by God (11:31) the
people had chosen Jeroboam without
seeming consultation with God, and
the result was tragic future for the
Hebrews. David's monarchy lasted
scarcely two generations. Rehoboam's
second attempt at coercion (12:21-24)
is rebuked and he settles down In
Judea but fortifies many cities I'll
Chron. 11:5-12; / Kings 1924; 14:1D.
Jeroboam likewise built cities, She
chem and Penuel, but the result nf the
schism was a weakened peer and
Israel was the first To be cal1
captivity and to extinction AZ ma
ton. Defensed cities are not ad eguate
safety for a nation (11:SS: e ahron.
1920; Zech. Ia, 3D.. Witness lAegs
and Antwerp. AS matter OF political
prudence Jeroboam's scheme of re-
moving the center of worship from Je-
rusalem succeeded admirably. The
center of gravity of man and Of 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. though
doubtless it was regarded as best for
the nation. Jeroboam's fatal error
was in DETECTING the people from the
invisible Jehovah to the visible crea-
tons 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 I'm God. The
evidence Of our trust In God Il 70 OBEY
him. Note Jeroboam took copasel. not'
as did Rehoboam, OF the 10 IL q 80
young. bur ssin his heart, We are noE
to lean to our own understandings bit
upon the Holy Spirit (Jolr l6s1sjs.
Man is 'slow OF heart aid thai cue
at all familiar with Hebrew hisssKy
should repeat the mistake Aaron nS7qa
is scarcely to be understood Eek 3 3zzs 4
81. The errors and fisms" of today
are but repetition of the false teach
ings of former days dressed In new
garb, labeled with new name; such
is the deceitfulness of the human
heart (Jer. 1870. Jeroboam's excuse
was plausible enough ". 28) and ap-
pealed to the ever-present weakness or
the human heart to seek some easier
way of serving God. But mans way ale
ways becomes the hardest way. Jero-
boam today would be classed as
liberal and held up as q broad
minded man."
IL. PRIESTS Of the Lowest w S-SS.
Jeroboana's real concern was net hat
of The people but the perm enc Ct
his Kingdom Jeroboana was not ltstFos
dusing new God but new way Of
worship. One step always leads 70
another, and To fully establish tbs
new way, and at the same sasne 81
tirely to control the situation, he Sc
lected from among all the people
priests who were to carry on Jeho-
vah's worship. God had selected the
sons of Levi and specially ordained
them for this service Mum. 3:1O).
When the devil introduces q new re-
ligion, or any false idea of Christ. or
the. Bible, he always appeals to sa-
cred memories, or else claims mod
ern expression of the truth. Jero-
boam not only chose those who would
be beholden to himself, but he also
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
stubbornness of the human heart that
It readily follows its leaders into all
sorts of apostasy and error (Rona.
S:7). Jeroboam also changed ". 30
the feast ordained of God on the 18th
day Of the seventh month Lev.
1888, 34) to one occurring In the
eighth month. No possible appeal Of
local interests warranted any such
substitution; to obey is better than to
modify (Matt. 1876: Mark 7:13).
III. The Main Teaching. Jeroboafn's
chief purpose was not the glory Of
God, but this new religion was for per
sonal safety and gloriflcation. His
=