Walking in the Way of Jeroboam, son of Nebat I. Introduction A. God has given us many examples of His dealings with mankind in the Old Testament, for our instruction (2 Timothy 3:16) B. We see in the Old Testament examples of how to please God...and what incurs His wrath C. The period of the kings of Israel and Judah are full of instruction D. We see that there were many kings who did not follow God 1. All of the kings of Israel 2. The majority of the kings of Judah E. We see a peculiar thing about these kings: we are told that the kings of Israel walked in the way of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin (1 Kings 15:26, 34; 16:7, 26, 31) F. The Kings of Judah who did not follow God were said to have followed after the kings of Israel (2 Kings 8:18, 27) 1. We have seen that the kings of Israel had followed after Jeroboam, son of Nebat 2. Therefore, the whole of Israel eventually followed the way of Jeroboam, son of Nebat G. These sins caused God to condemn both kingdoms to destruction 1. Israel was completely cast out, never to return (2 Kings 17:22-24) 2. Judah suffered exile (2 Chronicles 30:15-21) H. It may be of much use to examine this Jeroboam, son of Nebat, to see what he did that caused Israel to sin, that we may avoid this fate II. Acts of Jeroboam A. Background 1. Solomon was given dominion over all Israel, yet he turned aside to foreign gods by his wives (1 Kings 11:4-8) 2. God therefore punished him by removing the bulk of the kingdom from his household (1 Kings 11:9-12) 3. Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, was chosen by God to receive dominion over ten tribes of Israel (1 Kings 11:26-39) 4. He stayed in exile in Egypt until the death of Solomon (1 Kings 11:40; 12:2-3) 5. Rehoboam, son of Solomon, takes the wrong counsel, and thus loses the ten tribes (1 Kings 12:12-15) 6. Thus, the reign of Jeroboam over the ten tribes was made secure by God (1 Kings 12:16-24) B. First Act: Relying upon Himself 1. Jeroboam is said to have "said in his heart" a turning from the truth (1 Kings 12:26) 2. He is concerned about the political ramifications of his subjects going to Jerusalem to worship-- they may try to restore Rehoboam 3. Does He trust God who placed him on the throne? By no means! C. Second Act: The Two Calves 1. Jeroboam hatches a design: he has two calves fashioned, after the manner of Aaron at Sinai (1 Kings 12:28; Exodus 32:1-6) 2. He calls them "the gods that brought you out of Egypt," remembering the error of Aaron (1 Kings 12:29) 3. Places them in temples in Bethel and Dan-- southern and northern extremes of Israel (12:30) 4. Is this the design of God? D. Third Act: Changing of the Priesthood, but not festivals 1. Jeroboam then makes priests from among all the people, not of Levi (1 Kings 12:31) 2. We are told that it is this event that above all condemned Jeroboam (1 Kings 13:33-34) 3. Yet he also declares feasts of the same manner as the Temple worship in Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:32-33) 4. The worship was as similar as possible, yet different in ways that allowed Jeroboam to retain power in his own eyes E. God's Reaction 1. God sends a prophet to Jeroboam to inform him of the consequences of his actions (1 Kings 13:1) 2. He prophesies that Josiah will rise in Judah and will sacrifice the priests of Jeroboam on the altar (1 Kings 13:2-3) 3. Later, another prophet prophesies that the house of Jeroboam will be murdered off, and their flesh the food of dogs and birds, and all who would follow in his steps would lead to the striking of Israel (1 Kings 14:7-16) 4. All of these things come to pass: the destruction of Jeroboam's household by Baasha (1 Kings 16:27-30), the captivity of Israel (2 Kings 17:6), and the destruction of the priests by Josiah (2 Kings 23:15-19) F. This begun the path of sin: the kings of Israel continually followed in Jeroboam's footsteps, going from the calves to the Baals of the Canaanites, so that it was said of Ahab in 1 Kings 16:31 that was almost trivial to walk in the way of Jeroboam, son of Nebat G. What can we conclude from Jeroboam, the son of Nebat? III. The Relevance of Jeroboam, son of Nebat A. We see in today's world the existence of many denominations and even individuals professing the truth who walk in the way of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat B. Many of the errors of such groups started small, deviating little from the path that God established, yet in the end the progression went further C. These began, as did Jeroboam, by self-reliance 1. Many errors that are in such groups because people think to themselves that there is nothing wrong with the practice 2. Instrumental music a classic example-- when confronted, many will ask for evidence against, rather than provide evidence for 3. They presume that God has no problem with their instruments, and ask why He would? 4. They, as with Jeroboam, do not follow the wisdom of Solomon in Proverbs 3:7, to follow God, and not one's own understanding 5. Almost every deviance from the truth has originated with a man thinking in his own heart D. Many of these errors rely upon the traditions of times past 1. As Jeroboam petitioned the people to remember Aaron?s example at Sinai, so many today will follow after the practices set down by men in times previous 2. God clearly rejected the calf of Aaron (Exodus 32:7-10) and then the calves of Jeroboam (1 Kings 13:2-3) 3. An error is an error, no matter how old it is or how many prestigious individuals believed it 4. The only source of truth is God, and it can be found in His word, and any belief must be tested against it (Galatians 1:6-9) 5. Tradition can transgress the word of God (Matthew 15:3); we must examine ourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5) E. Authorities are changed 1. One of the principal errors of Jeroboam was the alteration of the priesthood, for which he was condemned (1 Kings 13:33-34) 2. Many today do the same thing, placing individuals in positions God has not given them, or adapting the system God instituted 3. Jesus warned against such things (Matthew 23:8-10) F. Stress on similarity 1. In all things, Jeroboam attempted to have his system of worship look exactly like the worship in Jerusalem, with only a few "details" changed (1 Kings 12:32-33) 2. Many today do the same things, professing to be following God by their assemblies, having a service that in some ways resembles that which God instituted, yet in some ways (be it by an instrument, nature of the Lord's Supper, etc.) it does not conform to His will 3. As God was not pleased with Jeroboam, would He be pleased with changes made today? G. Development 1. Finally, we see that Israel progressed from little variance in the truth to a vast difference in a short time 2. Do we not see this in the development of denominations? Many churches began much closer to the truth before the development of strange doctrines 3. In the "churches of Christ," is this not evident? 4. Giving to non-saints first, progression to kitchens, fellowship halls, instruments-- many such "churches of Christ" are essentially Evangelical 5. Is the path of Jeroboam the son of Nebat not evident? IV. Conclusion A. We have examined the errors of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who led Israel to sin B. We have seen that many in the "Christian" world have followed in his steps, at first making only "minor" adaptations to God's plan before finally completely apostasizing from Him C. We must remain vigilant, recognizing that no error is too small 1. As Paul says, "a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough," (1 Corinthians 5:6) 2. We must follow Christ in all that we do (Colossians 3:17)! D. We now wish that all be a part of that body, the one recognized by God as His own, the one that follows after Jesus, son of David E. Invitation/songbook