The Counter Creative Heart

Scripture(s): I Kings 12:25-31
Then Jeroboam built Shechem in mount Ephraim, and dwelt therein; and went out from thence, and built Penuel. And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David:
If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, [even] unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves [of] gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. And this thing became a sin: for the people went [to worship] before the one, [even] unto Dan. And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.

Background:
The glory of the kingdom of Israel was in its height and perfection in Solomon; it was long in coming to it, but it soon declined, and began to sink and wither in the very next reign, as we find in this chapter, where we have the kingdom divided, and thereby weakened and made little in comparison with what it had been. Here is, I. Rehoboam’s accession to the throne and Jeroboam’s return out of Egypt (v. 1, 2). II. The people’s petition to Rehoboam for the redress of grievances, and the rough answer he gave, by the advice of his young counsellors, to that petition (v. 3–15). III. The revolt of the ten tribes thereupon, and their setting up Jeroboam (v. 16–20). IV. Rehoboam’s attempt to reduce them and the prohibition God gave to that attempt (v. 21–24). V. Jeroboam’s establishment of his government upon idolatry (v. 25–33). Thus did Judah become weak, being deserted by their brethren, and Israel, by deserting the house of the Lord.

Commentary:
We have here the beginning of the reign of Jeroboam. He built Shechem first and then Penuel—beautified and fortified them, and probably had a palace in each of them for himself (v. 25), the former in Ephraim, the latter in Gad, on the other side Jordan. This might be proper; but he formed another project for the establishing of his kingdom which was fatal to the interests of religion in it.


I. That which he designed was by some effectual means to secure those to himself who had now chosen him for their king, and to prevent their return to the house of David, v. 26, 27. It seems, 1. He was jealous of the people, afraid that, some time or other, they would kill him and go again to Rehoboam. Many that have been advanced in one tumult have been hurled down in another. Jeroboam could not put any confidence in the affections of his people, though now they seemed extremely fond of him; for what is got by wrong and usurpation cannot be enjoyed nor kept with any security or satisfaction. 2. He was distrustful of the promise of God, could not take his word that, if he would keep close to his duty, God would build him a sure house (ch. 11:38); but he would contrive ways and means, and sinful ones too, for his own safety. A practical disbelief of God’s all-sufficiency is at the bottom of all our treacherous departures from him.

II. The way he took to do this was by keeping the people from going up to Jerusalem to worship. That was the place God had chosen, to put his name there. Solomon’s temple was there, which God had, in the sight of all Israel, and in the memory of many now living, taken solemn possession of in a cloud of glory. At the altar there the priest of the Lord attended, there all Israel were to keep the feasts, and thither they were to bring their sacrifices. Now,

1. Jeroboam apprehended that, if the people continued to do this, they would in time return to the house of David, allured by the magnificence both of the court and of the temple. If they cleave to their old religion, they will go back to their old king. We may suppose, if he had treated with Rehoboam for the safe conduct of himself and his people to and from Jerusalem at the times appointed for their solemn feasts, it would not have been denied him; therefore he fears not their being driven back by force, but their going back voluntarily to Rehoboam.

Reflection:
If we make decisions based out of fear and not on the promises of God, who then becomes our God? Our flesh has a tendency to make things bigger than they are, as if the God of our souls is too small to do what He says that He will do. Our flesh desires to drive us back into the hands of the bondage in which we have been released, and make us forget the promise of God spoken over our lives. Yes, the condition of the economy is like a giant standing right in front of us. But, will we still stand on what God has given us, or will we go back and build altars in the world that can neither save or deliver. The creativity that God has given us is for his kingdom, not to create scenarios of what could, or may happen out of fear.

References:
Henry, Matthew. "Commentary on 1 Kings 12." . Blue Letter Bible. 1 Mar 1996. 2010. 6 May 2010.

http:// www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/comm_view.cfm?
AuthorID=4&contentID=940&commInfo=5&topic=1%20Kings&
ar=1Ki_12_25

Blue Letter Bible. "Book of 1 Kings 12 - (KJV - King James Version)." Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2010. 6 May 2010. http://www.blueletterbible.org/Bible.cfm?b=1Ki&c=12&t=KJV



Higgins, S. (2010). The Counter Creative Heart. Devotions for Thought. Higgins Publishing. Http://www.higginspublishing.com