Who was Jeroboam?

(1 Kings 12-13)
Jeroboam I is known as the first king of the northern Kingdom of Israel of ten tribes after it split from Judah and Benjamin. The nation of Israel split into the northern and southern kingdoms following the death of Solomon, Jeroboam was the first king of the north.

He is infamous for leading his people into idolatry by setting up golden calves in Bethel and Dan, declaring them the new places of worship. Not only changing worship practices, but also establishing a pattern of evil that all subsequent northern kings followed.

He was persuaded to do these things because he had a thought, listened to loyal counsel that also wanted to keep the power and giving his ear to of his many wives that worshiped many other Gods. He is famous for leading his people into spiritual apostasy.

He did this as his own solution out of fear and political expediency to prevent his people from returning to Jerusalem where the Temple was and where the Israelite was still supposed to make sacrifices to the Lord. The Temple was located in the Southern Kingdom, so Jeroboam essentially wanted to make it more convenient to worship, thus creating a religion separate from God to maintain control and power.

This is the story of a man driven by fear and not trusting God.

FRESH FAITH

by Jim Cymbala
Chapter SIX (excerpt)
The High Cost of Cleverness

UNBELIEF TALKS TO ITSELF instead of talking to God. How much better it would have been if Jeroboam had analyzed his fears and then taken them to the Lord. If only he had prayed, “O God, I didn’t ask to be king, but I know you put me here. The way it looks to me, I could lose everything if my people keep trekking down to Jerusalem. But you said you would be with me and establish my dynasty. So tell me what to do.” Jeroboam didn’t do this. Instead he talked to himself.

When we talk to ourselves, we’re not talking to anyone very smart, because our outlook is very limited. But if we talk to God, we’re talking to someone who knows everything. He knows what he promised in the beginning, and he knows exactly how to fulfill those promises no matter the circumstances.

But faith enables us to see God on top of all our problems. If we see only the problems, we get depressed and start making wrong decisions. When we have faith, we see God bigger than any mountain, and we know he is going to take care of us.

If God is for you, it doesn’t matter how many demons in hell try to oppose you. If God is for you, it doesn’t matter what your opponents whisper in the ears of people. Unbelief has a devious way of envisioning negative things. When you’re walking in faith, you get out of bed in the morning saying, “Surely goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever” (Psalm 23:6). But when you’re walking in unbelief, you get out of bed saying, “Oh, no! Is this the day I’m going to lose it all?” The glass is always half-empty.

Those who walk in faith are still realists. They often admit that they don’t know how everything is going to work out; but they insist that their God will supply nonetheless.

Let me tell you that God, who began a good work in you, is not about to stop now. After sending his Son to die for your sins, after saving you at such incredible cost, why would he let you fail now?

Let us declare war this very moment on the cleverness that is really a mask for unbelief. Bring your problem to God, as a little child would, in total confidence that he alone can fix whatever is broken. Open your Bible and let the Holy Spirit plant in you the seeds of a fresh faith that will blossom as you wait on the Lord. Don’t give up asking, seeking, and knocking —no matter what pressure you feel to “do something.”

How can our heavenly Father do anything but respond to our persistent prayer of faith? Jesus said, “Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:7-8).