What Can We Learn From the Mistakes Made By the Ancient Kings of Israel? CQ Podcast Highlight
If you do what's right, then I'll give Israel to you. Jeroaboam had a 100% guarantee of success and favor from the one true God. And instead of following, he led. Why? Why would he do that?
Well, first of all, I just want to comment on the "if then." If you do, then I will bless. Don't ever forget that. We need to see that clearly. Now, why did he go down this road? Why did he lead instead of follow? Well, you know what? Perhaps some of it was out of confidence in his own valor. I know what I'm doing. I'm a man of great valor and mighty, I'm a mighty warrior. God essentially said so, so I'm good. I should be able to do this. Maybe that was part. Perhaps some was out of a lust for power. We've discussed that a little bit already. In any case, what's the bottom line? In any case, he feared losing what he had determined was his, instead of reverencing what God had given him as a privilege. He was afraid of losing. What is that? That's a paranoia that comes from self-absorbed rulership.
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And one thing we know for sure so far, we don't see him asking the Lord for help, do we?
And another example about the "if and the then." If you want a king, then there are consequences. Now, this is exactly what happened when the Israelites rejected the judges and wanted a king instead. The prophet Samuel told them the consequences of having a king, but they didn't care. They wanted a king like the other nations. Now they find themselves in this position of having two bad kings. This is the result of going against God. When God puts something in place, He does it for a specific reason. He is very clear. I wonder how many would've preferred going back to having judges?
If they had their wits about them. It would've been, oh, for the days when. But unfortunately, these people were just so idolatrous, and Jeroboam just fed their idolatry and brought them even further away from the Lord their God, their Deliverer. So what about me? Am I protecting or am I polluting my privileges?
