Jasper County Democrat, Volume 13, Number 76, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 January 1911 — OLD TESTAMENT TIMES BROOKLYN TABERNACLE BIBLE STUDIES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OLD TESTAMENT TIMES BROOKLYN TABERNACLE BIBLE STUDIES

ABILITY AND OPPORTUNITY MISUSED I Kings 12r25-33—January 8 "T*o« ehalt make unto thee any graven CODAY’S Study brings to our attention a man of large natural ability and of quite unusual opportunity. It shows us his disastrous error, which resulted from his endeavor to be worldly wise and to neglect his God 1 and his religion. It furnishes an illustration which can be applied, not only to every political and every commercial enterprise, but also to the life hopes of each individual. Jeroboam as a young man attracted the attention of King Solomon, who perceived that he possessed great executive talent and that he was a natural master and director of men. King Solomon put Jeroboam at the head of on® of his corps of drafted workmen who were engaged after

tbe manner cf that ' time in building palaces and fortresses for the king —without pay other than very plain, food and clothing. These labor armies were obliged to work for a number i of months and then were replaced, by others similarly conscripted. Jeroboam became the leader of a party discontents, and an incipient rebellion , was the result. This was quickly suppressed by King Solomon and thereupon Jeroboam tied to Egypt, from whence he returned at the death of Solomon and became the leader and spokesman of the ten tribes when

they demanded of Rehoboam the reform of the government's policy. Jeroboam’s First Mistake It should be remarked that one of God’s prophets had specially foretold to Jeroboam that he to be the king of the ten tribes, it was doubtless this that led him to head the insurrection. He should have followed the 'example of King David, who was anointed kihg of Israel several years before the death of King Saul. Young David was content to Wait God’s time for bringing him to the throne. The fact that God had indicated that this would be so did not indicate that the time had come, hence David waited on the Lord and meanwhile learned valuable lessons of self-control and trust in Divine Providence. Not so Jeroboam, who was evidently a very different type of man, no doubt possessed of more confidence in himself than of trust in God; possessed of more impatience to be a king than of loyalty and patriotic zeal to serve God and his people. This first mistake should be noted by all. “Wait ye upon me, saith the Lord!” The man who ignores God is not wise; the man who opposes God is a fool. Jeroboam's Second Mistake When the ten tribes revolted against King Rehoboam, Solomon’s ■ son, .they promptly accepted Jeroboam, one of Solomon's servants, as their* king, in harmony with the Prophet's declaration of years before. Finally the boy of humble birth had reached a high station of influence—a grand opportunity for service for his God and his people. Whoever occupies a position of prominence—political, social, literary—should recognize that he has come under special responsibility and obligations toward all with whom he has to do. ’■ But Jeroboam, king of the ten tribes styled Israel, took the course, alas, too commonly taken —the selfish course. He looked not to the Lord to serve him, nor to the people, to serve their best interests. He looted selfishly to his own interests. He reasoned thus: If I Would establish my family in the kingdom of these ten tribes. I must separate them effectually from the influence of the kingdom of Judah. And since, in God’s Providence, the Temple is In the land of Judah, and ail the religious rites and interest of the people center there, I must as unobtrusively as possible turn the attention of the nation I rule away from sympathy with ■their fellows of the kingdom of Judah, and away from the regulations which God has established there. Every- worldly politician would declare Jeroboam a master spirit as a ruler, as a politician. He was worldly wise. God through the Prophet had assured him, “If thou wilt hearken to all that I will command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do right in my sight to keep my statutes and my icommardments, as David my servant did, thy kingdom will be prolonged.”—l Kings 11:38. God explained that the reason for givI Ing Jeroboam rulership of the ten tribes

was that Solomon’s course of dealing ■with the nations round about was gradually breaking down the true religion and leading the people toward idolatry. Jeroboam should have had all this In mind, and should have applied his heart with special fervor to the banishment of idolatry. Instead, however, for policy’s sake, he led the nation, of whieft he was king, directly into idolatry. He did not come out plainly and say to them, I wish to separate you and alienate you from God and the religious institutions of your nation by attracting your attention

away from Jerusalem. its religion, its worship, its Temple. Under the pretext that it was too far for the people to go to Jerusalem, he erected a golden bull near the northern extremity of his kingdom, and another near the southern line, and the people went from »ne to the other. The Thing Was of the Lord Lest we shonld suppose that the affairs of Israel's Kingdom, under Divine supervision. were neglected and allowed to go astray, we are particularly inforoaed that “the tiring was of the Lord.” From this standpoint Of faith and from no other the history of Israel should be studied. God had chosen to give Israel the Law Covenant for tbe very purpose of developing in them as a nation holiness, faithfulness. Their lessons of the past had been to this end. and now the time had come to do a sifting, a separating work.

Jeroboam proclaimed king of the ten tribes.

Idolaters betore Jeroboam’s golden bull.