1 Kings 13-14; Proverbs 1:8-19

Tuesday's Bible Reading: 1 Kings 13-14; Proverbs 1:8-19

Sobering thoughts about worship . . .

Anyone who wanted to become a priest [Jeroboam] consecrated for the high places. This was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its downfall and to its destruction from the face of the earth. —1 Kings 13:33-34

The idea that worship has anything to do with human preferences doesn't come from the Bible.

Israel's King Jeroboam thought he would do the people a favor by making worship convenient for them: "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem," he told them. So he set up places of worship in two towns that required less travel. This meant that the people would no longer be worshiping in the place where God had chosen to put his name.

But the change in venue wasn't really for the benefit of the people; it was for Jeroboam's own benefit—so that he could retain his position of power over them (1 Kings 12:26-27). Jeroboam made other worship decisions that were equally unwise. He let people other than Levites serve as priests, and he instituted a festival "like" the one held in Judah, but during a month of his own choosing (1 Kings 12:33). Jeroboam's decisions about worship were based on what he thought people wanted, not what God said he wanted. Jeroboam was more concerned about gaining the support of the people than the approval of God.

Sound like anything going on today?

More on Jeroboam from aish.com . . .

The role of Jeroboam was to form a caretaker monarchy. Jerusalem the holy city, and the Davidic monarchy which it parallels, are eternal.... The unraveling of Jeroboam begins when he takes his role as leader and becomes anxious about the upcoming pilgrimage to Jerusalem. If the people do travel to Jerusalem, the erstwhile Davidic monarchy now led by Solomon's son Rehoboam could regain its luster and power, spurred by religious revival of the masses in the streets of her capital.... At this point Jeroboam comes up with a tragic plan -- replace Jerusalem, or at least make it obsolete, redundant.... While his motivations are clear, his behavior is shocking. Why would he possibly wish to replicate arguably the greatest tragedy in Jewish history? At the foot of Mount Sinai the Jews displayed their unfaithfulness to God. Now, outside of Jerusalem, he builds not one calf of gold, but two! Why would he think that the people could possibly be led astray by this cheap imitation of holiness?... Jeroboam's task was to help the Davidic dynasty find its greatness again; instead he pathetically attempted to guarantee his own position.... But all that Jeroboam wishes is to know who will capture the spotlight, who will lead. If it is other than himself, even the Messiah son of David, he is not prepared to capitulate. That was his tragedy. He was unwilling to live up to the legacy of the role of Joseph, to aid from a secondary role.... Jerusalem is surrounded by mountains (says Psalms 125:2) -- the ascent is arduous. Instead of aiding the people in their climb, Jeroboam created unholy imitations. All spiritual growth takes a difficult path. We must work to help others climb these hills, rather than giving in to frustration and giving up the climb. —Rabbi Ari Kahn