S114P5 – Golden images: more calves

1 Kgs. 12:26-30

Jeroboam thought to himself, “The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their Lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.” After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. And this thing became a sin; the people came to worship the one at Bethel and went as far as Dan to worship the other.

The people had narrowed their choices down to two mayoral candidates.  Both were locals who were familiar with the way those people had lived in that region for generations, and they were known.  They knew why certain customs were important to that group and why certain practices were necessary for their survival.  The first candidate understood the value of these traditions and insisted on keeping local ordinances the same to ensure the region’s progress.  The second proposed more relaxed ordinances with the promise of continued fruitfulness.  The people elected the second candidate, hoping for the same prosperity with less work.  However, they would learn that these shortcuts instead would bring the collapse of their way of life. 

King Jeroboam’s first concern was his own preservation of power.  Another king ruled the southern kingdom, and Solomon’s temple resided there.  Jeroboam knew that the tribes of God’s people under his rule would have to venture into the remaining tribes’ territory to worship the Lord, and he worried that they would return to their people and their God.  To appease their desire to worship and to preserve his own position, he gave them an alternative that seemed easier but was actually false worship.  The interesting thing to me is that I would expect the Israelites to have known about their past worship of golden idols and the danger in this.  They also should have known their history well enough to know that these two golden calves played no role in it.

There is a proper way to worship the Lord, and it will come at a cost.  If we study the word, we will see what it means to worship in spirit and in truth.  We have dozens of examples to follow and even more scriptures to instruct us.  We cannot be deceived by the shortcuts presented to us.  There is no easy way to be a Christian.  A life modeled after that of Christ will not be a life of ease, and we should know that.  Real worship, real sacrifice, real Christian living will cost us much.  Any easier way will leave us holding an empty bag at the end of a dark and lonely road.  Father, protect us from those selling deadly idolatry disguised as easy worship, reminding us of what it means to worship in spirit and in truth.