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How Departures From God’s Order OccurIntroduction:
1. A study of the Bible reveals the fact that truth is of
paramount importance in the eyes of God.
a. Proverbs 23:23; John 8:32; John 17:17; 1 Peter 1:22
2. Of course, we would expect truth to be important with
God — for God cannot lie! Titus 1:2. Hence, whatever
issues from the mind of God has to be truth.
3. Not only is truth important, but unity according to
God’s pattern—based on truth—is also important.
a. John 17:20,21; 1 Corinthians 1:10; Ephesians 4:3.
4. However, notwithstanding the importance of unity, and
notwithstanding the importance of truth, two facts are
very evident:
a. Religious division is all around us. There are many
hundreds (perhaps thousands!) of different religions
and different religious organizations.
b. Religious error abounds. There are thousands of
preachers who claim that they are called of God to
preach – yet what they preach is diametrically
opposed to what thousands of other preachers (who
also claim to be called of God) are preaching! All
of this is confusing, to say the least. However, God
is not the Author of confusion, 1 Corinthians 14:33.
That being the case, then the error which abounds and
the confusion which exists can not be laid at God’s
feet! Obviously there have been many, many
departures from God’s order.
5. Title of lesson: How Departures from God’s Order Occur.
Text: 1 Kings 12:26-33
Discussion:
I. Background of the Text.
A. The United Kingdom had just Divided. 1 Kings 12:19,
20.
B. Solomon’s idolatry helped pave the way for this
division.
1. 1 Kings 11:3,4,6,7
2. God said He would rend the kingdom away from his
son, 1 Kings 11:11.
C. Note the prophecy of Ahijah, 1 Kings 11:42, 43.
D. Solomon died, and Rehoboam reigned in his stead. 1
Kings 11:42-43
E. The request of the people. 1 Kings 12:1-4
F. Rehoboam did not heed their request. 1 Kings 12:5-
15.
1. “Old men for counsel and young men for war” was
not the policy followed by Rehoboam.
G. Israel rebelled. 1 Kings 12:16-19
1. The southern kingdom, reigned over by Rehoboam,
consisted of Judah and Benjamin.
2. True to Ahijah’s prophecy. 1 Kings 11:30,31.
Jeroboam reigned over the 10 northern tribes.
II. Jeroboam Departed from God’s Order! 1 Kings 12:26-33
Note: Briefly relate the story of what happened. Now
ask Question, “How did it happen?”
A. He appealed to the wrong authority.
1. He “said in his heart,” v. 26,27.
2. He “devised of his own heart,” v. 33.
a. He did not seek the law of the Lord; in fact
he ignored the law of the Lord!
b. In opposition to the principle set forth in
Deuteronomy 4:1,2; 12:32.
B. He acted from the wrong motive, v. 27,28.
1. He was acting to save his own hide, v. 18.
a. He figured that if they had one religion, one
temple, and one priesthood, there could not
be two kingdoms very long.
b. “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.”
2. He appealed to their desire for convenience,
v.28.
a. He knew Jerusalem was the location of the
house of God. 1 Kings 11:32.
C. He changed the object of worship, vs. 28,29.
1. God was the proper object of worship. Cf.
Deuteronomy 10:12; Matthew 4:10.
2. He violated the first and second commandments.
Exodus 20:1-5.
a. It is quite probable that he had the people
believing that they were really worshipping
God, and that these calves represented, or
served as reminders of God.
3. He committed the same sin as Aaron, Exodus 32:1-
4.
a. He even used the same words as did Aaron.
Exodus 32:4; 1 Kings 12:28
D. He showed disregard for the House of God. 1 Kings
12:29
1. No doubt he had his reasons for Dan and Bethel –
Dan the northern extremity; Bethel the place
where Jacob had his very significant dream,
Genesis 28:11-19.
E. He changed the Priesthood, 1 Kings 12:31.
1. After this the Levites cast their lots with the
Southern Kingdom; 2 Chronicles 11:13-15.
F. He changed the time of worship, 1 Kings 12:32.
1. The feast of tabernacles was to be observed in
the 7th month and the 15th day, Leviticus
23:33,34.
G. He achieved (?) the wrong result.
1. Initially, he got what he wanted. Someone said,
“the church of Jeroboam became the church of the
majority.” However, God had the last word!
2. “He shall give Israel up because of the sin of
Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to
sin,” 1 Kings 14:16; 2 Kings 17:21,22.
3. Eighteen kings followed Jeroboam and all of them
continued the worship of calves.
4. Of 15 of them it is said they “departed not from
the sin of Jeroboam.”
III. Application: In Principle, in part or whole, every
major apostasy follows the pattern set by Jeroboam!
A. Appealing to the wrong authority.
1. The religious world is filled with authority
figures other than God! The Pope, Mohammed,
Pastor Russell, Mary Baker Eddy, Ellen G. White,
Joseph Smith, etc.
a. Jeroboam “devised” much of “his own heart,”
but he was not the last to do such!
2. The religious world is filled with the wrong
sources of direction – Koran, Book of Mormon,
Catechism, Baptist Manual, Methodist Discipline,
etc.
B. Acting from the wrong motive.
1. In our modern world the saving gospel has
largely been exchanged for the social gospel.
Why?
a. It will draw a crowd. It feels so good. It
sounds so good, etc.
2. Many of our own brethren have gotten on the
social gospel bandwagon – not because of what
they have read in the Bible, but because they
have learned form the denominations that it
often draws a crowd.
C. Changing the object of worship.
1. Muslins worship Allah; but the Allah they
worship is not the God of the Bible.
2. Catholics have brought in all manner of
relics, statues, images, and these have
virtually been the objects of their worship.
D. Disregarding the House of God.
1. the house of God is the New Testament church, 1
Timothy 3:15.
2. It was purchased with the blood of Jesus, Acts
20:28; in it we are reconciled unto God,
Ephesians 2:16.
3. Yet on every hand we hear the church ridiculed
by seminary trained religious leaders who call
themselves “Pastors,” Reverends,” “Right
Reverands,” “Doctors,” etc.
a. And it filters down to the pew, and to the
man on the street.
E. Changing of the Priesthood.
1. Christ is our High Priest, Hebrews 3:1; 5:10;
10:21.
2. All Christians belong to that holy priesthood, 1
Peter 2:5.
a. Belonging to that holy priesthood, being a
part of the house of God over which Jesus
serves as High Priest, means that we can go
to God through Him, Hebrews 4:15,16.
b. We don’t have to confess our sins to special
seminary trained priests, and expect them to
approach God for us!
F. Changing the times of worship.
1. Adventists worship on Saturday.
2. Many religionists of today celebrate the Lord’s
Supper on days other than the day stipulated in
the Scriptures, Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:1,2.
G. By such, people achieve (?) the wrong results!
1. Galatians 1:6-9; Revelation 22:18,19; 2 John 9;
Matthew 7:21,23.
Conclusion: 1. The Old Testament was written for our learning. Romans 15:4. 2. We should learn from the mistakes of the Israelites. Hebrews 3:11,12. 3. God now speaks to us through His Son, Hebrews 1:1,2; It behooves us to obey His gospel! Bobby Witherington Top of the page |
