Friday 5 Oct 2012

Friday Reading: 1 Kings 12:26-33

Key Verse: 1 Kings 12:28
28  Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

Devotion:
Jeroboam was a king who had his own interests and fame at heart and certainly not the things of God. He knew how much the people would look to a great leader and he also knew that they would be swayed by any god that would seem to deliver a bit of prosperity or normality to the kingdom. So he took it upon himself to give the people what they wanted – just as Aaron had done so when the Israelites were in the desert being led by Moses away from Egypt. How soon his people forgot about the things that happened when last they followed after idols instead of God.

But Jeroboam was not going to leave things to chance; rather he made two idols, placed them at different places and then set about telling the people how difficult it would be to go all the way to Jerusalem instead of the shorter distances to his idols. He also elected priests to look after the things of his gods that he had created and sold them the same story as the Children of Israel first thought up with Aaron – that these strange golden statues somehow got them out of slavery in Egypt!

Now it is one thing to run after something else in God’s stead, but to make up your own religion based on a lie that abounded previously in history sounds a bit too farfetched for us to believe… We like to think that we have a much better grip on reality that these people seem to have; but when we look at the things that we allow to take control in our lives just as they were allowing golden calves to take over their lives we should not be so proud. We allow pop stars who throw their lives out the window to lead us. We allow leaders that we know are telling lies to lead our countries. We leave behind righteousness, holiness and honesty to follow on in these people’s footsteps. Are we any different to them?

God does not want us to continue to give in to the temptations of sin that surround us in this world. He knows just how much we do allow into our lives and knows just how much we will give in when faced by those same temptations. It is little wonder then that He wants us to leave behind those ways and to follow on in His ways. Why should we throw our lives away just because it sounds a bit greener on the other side of the fence? Be happy with what God can and does give to us…

Points to Ponder:
What tempts you away from God?

What must God do to make you listen?