The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1915-08-13

ness OF dIiFltliS l!ld4 - III ~ 'l''l '''''N'
or that is in the earth beneath, or that il
In the water under the earth, thou shalt
not bow down myself down unto them,
nor serve them. In. Go:4, ia
Whether JerobOam melted iSraefs
rebellion or was summoned home be-
cause Of his beng known as an OPP
pOnent to Israel, we cannot say, He
must have remembered AhiJah s
prophecy 0l:29-4O) and he had anoth-
er prophet on his side, Shemaiah
t2:22,24), though Ahijah afterwards
deserted him n4:1-lS) In Egypt.
,Ieroboam 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 PEG.
pie elsewhere than in Jerusalem
|. "caIves Of Gold" Wv. $3.50 Given
these ten tribes by God Q1:5D the
people had chosen Jeroboam without
seeming consultation W.T. God, and
the result was tragic future for the
Hebrews. David's monarchy lasted
scarcely two generations. Rehoboam s
second attempt at coercion 02:2l-24t
is rebuked and he settles down in
judea but fortifies many cities I'll
Chron. 1l:5-12; | Kings 1924; 14:1O.
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 Q1:3S; 2 Chron.
20: 20; Zech IA, 81. Witness Llege
and Antwerp. AS a matter of political
prudence Jeroboams scheme of re-
moving the center of worship from Je.
rusalem succeeded admirably. The
center of gravity of a 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 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 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 but
upon the Holy Spirit John 1913.
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. go
81. The errors and "isms" of today
are but repetition of the false teach.
ings of former days dressed in new
garb, labeled with a new name; such
is the deceitfulness Of the human
heart Ger. 1870. Jeroboam's excuse
was plausible enough ". 2Sl 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-
beam today would be classed as
liberal" and held up as broad.
minded man."
II. "Priests Of the Lowest" w. 31.33.
Jeroboams real concern was not that
of the people but the permanency OF
his kingdom. Jeroboam was not intro
ducing a new God but new way OF
worship One step always leads to
another, and to fully establish this
new way, and at the same time en-
tire1y 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 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-
beam not only chose those who would
be beholden to himself. but he also
selected positions in his kingdom, at
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 peryersity and
stubbornness of the human heart that
it readily follows its leaders into all
sorts of apostasy and error (Rom.
SD. Jeroboam also changed " 80
the feast ordained of God on the 10Th
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. Jeroboams
chief purpose was not the glory or
God. but this new religion was for per-
sonal safety and glorifcation. His
cunningly devised program became
the agent OF his own and the nations
destruction 1894; 14:7-11; Kings
1929, 81, and his opprobious title has
become Which made Israel to sim"
Graft and trickery succeed for time,
but only those who obey God in all
things build on a solid and lasting
foundation. Nothing in this world
is worth doing wrong for Boys do