God gave Jeroboam the opportunity to be the king of the ten northern tribes of Israel after both Solomon and his son Rehoboam drifted from His righteous path. Jeroboam was afraid of the people going back to Jerusalem for the sacrifices and feast days because they might decide to defect to the nation of Judah. So, Jeroboam made golden calves in both Dan and Bethel, ordained priests that were not Levites, and made a pagan holiday that would replace the Festival of Shelters. This act of rebellion and idolatry led the people of Israel away from God until their defeat at the hands of the Assyrians generations later.
Many today are trying to replace God’s Word and His commands with the methods and belief systems that come from this world of sin just as Jeroboam did with Israel. Satan is very crafty and will use folks that sound like they are being led by God to deceive us in a path that leads away from His plan. Beware of smooth-talking preachers and teachers who tell great stories and hold great crowds but are void of speaking the truth found in the Bible. The golden calves of Bethel and Dan are all around us today. One of the greatest threats to God’s will in your life are ideas that come from within the faith by those who have selfish ambitions of want to be recognized for their efforts. Test leaders of the faith by their humility and how they uplift Jesus and take Him at His Word. May the Lord bless us as we follow Him in obedient faith and test the viability of teachers by their fruit. AMEN.
