Today's readings are 1 Kings 12.20-13.5, 33-34 and 2 Corinthians 8.1-24.
In the history of the kingdom of Israel there is perhaps no more sorrowful period than the one we read about today. We see that two sons of the kingdom have both claimed the right of rule. They are determined to protect themselves and their kingdom. Their desire is not to determine what is right and what is wrong. Their desire is rather to guard their power.
Maybe our efforts to consolidate our power and guard our own interests will never be as radical as those of Jeroboam. I hope they are not. Yet we all ultimately have those very same desires. To what lengths are we willing to go? Are we willing to urge people to stay loyal to us? Very likely, and there isn't anything wrong with that provided we have right on our side. Are we willing to harm those who would depart? Maybe not physically, but we should think about how we would treat those who weaken our position. How would we talk about them? Would we prefer their rights to our own? Would we put the best construction on what they say or do? How about going to the length of modifying people's worship in order to serve our own interests? Are we not rather to modify people's worship to bring it more in line with what God has approved, the way in which the Lord has said he will be present with and for his people? But Jeroboam is setting up his own worship. In effect he says that what God has decreed and what people have done for generations doesn't matter any more. Jeroboam and his interests are above God and his interests.
Jeroboam went down in history being referred to as "Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin." May we not be that way. May we rather be remembered as people who urged others to true worship as revealed by the living God.
In the history of the kingdom of Israel there is perhaps no more sorrowful period than the one we read about today. We see that two sons of the kingdom have both claimed the right of rule. They are determined to protect themselves and their kingdom. Their desire is not to determine what is right and what is wrong. Their desire is rather to guard their power.
Maybe our efforts to consolidate our power and guard our own interests will never be as radical as those of Jeroboam. I hope they are not. Yet we all ultimately have those very same desires. To what lengths are we willing to go? Are we willing to urge people to stay loyal to us? Very likely, and there isn't anything wrong with that provided we have right on our side. Are we willing to harm those who would depart? Maybe not physically, but we should think about how we would treat those who weaken our position. How would we talk about them? Would we prefer their rights to our own? Would we put the best construction on what they say or do? How about going to the length of modifying people's worship in order to serve our own interests? Are we not rather to modify people's worship to bring it more in line with what God has approved, the way in which the Lord has said he will be present with and for his people? But Jeroboam is setting up his own worship. In effect he says that what God has decreed and what people have done for generations doesn't matter any more. Jeroboam and his interests are above God and his interests.
Jeroboam went down in history being referred to as "Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin." May we not be that way. May we rather be remembered as people who urged others to true worship as revealed by the living God.
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Dave Spotts
blogging at http://capnsaltyslongvoyage.blogspot.com
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