Truth #163 - Men devise worship systems to maintain their power - 1 Kings 10-13

1 Kings 12:33
He went up to the altar that he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, in the month that he had devised from his own heart. And he instituted a feast for the people of Israel and went up to the altar to make offerings.


Truth: Men devise worship systems in their own mind and pretend God is pleased.   The above passage of Scripture was captured from the story of Jeroboam, who was becoming King of Israel.   Rehoboam, Solomon's son, was supposed to be king, but because Solomon had disobeyed God and introduced the entire nation to false worship, God took ten of the tribes away from Solomon's descendants and, in this case, gave them to Jeroboam.   God choose Jeroboam back in Solomon's day.  In fact, Solomon had sought to kill Jeroboam because God had told Solomon that Jeroboam would be the king over a portion of Israel.  After Solomon dies the kingdom is, indeed, split and Jeroboam is given ten tribes to the north, named Israel.  Rehoboam is given two tribes to the south, named Judah.   However, since Jerusalem was in Judah, Jeroboam was fearful that the people would return to Judah (and thus Rehoboam) if they had to go to Jerusalem to worship God.   Despite being told by God to NOT seek other gods (like Solomon did), Jeroboam concocts a worship system to be practiced in his own nation (Israel) and to worship gods he alone created.   Jeroboam knew the people had a hole in their heart that needed to be filled in regard to worship.  He created a peg for the hole that he thought would replace their need to worship Yahweh.   By doing so, like Solomon, he, too, introduced idolatry to the entire nation.   Solomon had done the same thing but out of love for his many wives.  Jeroboam was now introducing false worship, not out of love for women, but out love for power.  He was not in charge and the worship system he designed would allow him to maintain power.   Think of how many worship systems are concocted to simply maintain and sustain someone's power!!  The Pharisees and religious leaders of the day rejected Christ because the could see that He was winning the hearts of the people and they were afraid of losing their power.  Power corrupts.   Men design worship systems to not honor God but to maintain their hunger for power.   God told Jeroboam He would give him the ten tribes.  God told Jeroboam to NOT worship idols.  But, instead of worshipping God properly and seeking God's righteousness, Jeroboam created a false worship system simply to keep his followers in line.   Men devise false system to maintain something, not to worship God.   You can tell a lot about the system of worship by how the leaders use and abuse their power.