TEARING THE KINGDOM UP Three times, God warned against the division of the kingdom because of unfaithfulness: the first time, the warning was directed from God directly to Solomon (1 Kings 11: 11-13); the second time, when Solomon came to know that the prophet Ahijah prophesied to Jeroboam that there would be a divided kingdom (1 kings 11: 29-32); and the third time, with the prophecy of Shemaiah the man of God to Rehoboam the son of Solomon (23- 24). And despite of all those warnings, the heart of Rehoboam did not move to repentance and the return to God. The story of Solomon and his son Rehoboam, therefore, shall remain along the history, an example of the seriousness of the corruption of a leader. The corruption that came into the life of Solomon has giving fruit in the life of his son Rehoboam, and destroyed the kingdom. There were many who drank from the cup that Solomon filled. The Holy Book warns us, saying: “Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered’” (Zechariah 13: 7) What we saw in the life of Solomon the king and his son Rehoboam, provoke us to give great care and caution in choosing a leader; whether a deacon, a priest, or a bishop; Against choosing an unbefitting bishop, the “Laws of the apostles” say: [In case such a leader happen to corrupt his honor, the church of God in his domain will be scattered; … Through the evil of the leader, and his disregard of justice, the doubt grows in the congregation, that will suffer from his own disease, and will be committed to perdition together with him; the same way it happened with the people connected to Jeroboam (1 kings 12; and those who cooperated with Korah against the prophet Moses (Numbers 16)) https://coptic-treasures.com/ According to St. John Chrysostom: [The devil fiercely stirs up against the shepherds, on account of that through their perdition, their flock will be scattered. By slaying a number of sheep, the flock will get fewer in number; but by striking the shepherd, the entire flock will perish]. 1- The enthronement of Rehoboam 1 2- The return of Jeroboam 2 3- Rehoboam rejects the counsel of the wise elders 3 - 15 4- The revolt of the ten tribes 16 - 20 5- Rehoboam attempts to suppress the revolt of the ten tribes 21 - 24 6- Jeroboam bears the appearance of false religion. 25 – 33 1- THE ENTHEONEMENT OF REHOBOAM: (1) “Now Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king” (1) ‘Rehoboam’ a word meaning (width of heart for the people); Nevertheless, his behavior was the opposite of his name; as in his heart there was no width for the people. He was the son of one of the foreign women (Emmonite), whom Solomon married (21). The son of the wisest man on earth, inherited from his father the throne, but not the wisdom; and in his veins the grace of God did not run. Although Solomon sat on the throne while he was very young; yet he was wise beyond his age in seeking the heavenly wisdom. Whereas his son, who was 41 years old when he reigned, wisdom had no place in his depths. Neither the number of years, nor the theoretical knowledge, give wisdom to man; but the humility of the heart of man before God, and his longing for wisdom, will open the door before it to enter and to reign in his depths, and to ordain his thoughts, words, and behavior. https://coptic-treasures.com/ Rehoboam probably was Solomon’s only son, or his firstborn, despite marrying about one thousand, between wives and concubines; as the Holy Book did not refer to Solomon’s care for raising his children, blessing them, nor giving a farewell counsel to his crown prince to keep the divine covenant, to hold fast to the divine commandment, and to care for the good of the people. Why did he choose Shechem for his enthronement? He probably was enthroned first in Jerusalem, then later went to Shechem (Nables) to be enthroned by the northern tribes. In Shechem, 20 miles north of Jerusalem, Abimelech was previously enthroned a king (Judges 9); and in it a conference was annually held for all the tribes (Joshua 24: 1). Feeling what went on in the minds of the ten tribes, of grumbling against his father, Rehoboam probably chose to go to Shechem to appease them, without any serious thinking of solving the roots of the problem. The northern tribes were ready to dissent from the southern tribes for several reasons, as we have seen in the introduction of this book. Now, building the temple and the royal palace and its annexes in Jerusalem, to make it the center of political and religious leadership, made the jealousy of the northern tribes more and more. It is amazing how Shechem, where all the tribes gathered together to enthrone Rehoboam, Jeroboam built to make it the capital of his kingdom opposing Rehoboam. The location where Rehoboam got his honor and glory, became, therefore, the center of opposition against him and his kingdom. “All Israel” (1) does not mean the whole people, but delegates from all the tribes; who came, not to chose him a king -- as the royal system had already been well-established, and everyone knew about God’s choice of David and his descendants after him as kings -- but to renew the covenant between the king and his people; for each side has their own commitments. https://coptic-treasures.com/ All the people then went to Shechem to enthrone Rehoboam the son of Solomon a king; And at the same time the majority of the tribes (10 tribes) sent to Jeroboam to come back from Egypt to help them get liberated from the yoke put by Solomon over their necks. Few moments passed, during which Rehoboam thought that the whole people were exultant for his enthronement; and that no adversary could destroy his kingdom or shake his person. Being deceived by the outer appearances, he did not seriously think of establishing his kingdom by justice and godliness. 2- THE RETURN OF JEROBOAM: (2) “So it was, when Jeroboam the son of Nabat heard it (he was still in Egypt for he had fled from the presence of king Solomon, and had been dwelling in Egypt), that they sent and called him” (2) When Solomon sought to kill Jeroboam, the later fled to Egypt, to be sent back by the Lord in due time. Solomon assumed that he managed to get rid of him, not perceiving that he will set the dissented kingdom in the days of his son Rehoboam. Solomon assumed that, by marrying Pharaoh’s daughter he had Egypt on his side, and did not perceive that Pharaoh would embrace him, who would destroy his own son. That is the fruition of whoever solve his problem by any mean other than by prayer and repentance. 3- REHOBOAM REJECTS THE COUNSEL OF THE WISE ELDERS: (3 – 15) “then Jeroboam and the whole congregation of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy; now, therefore lighten the burdensome service of your father, and the heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you’” (3-4) https://coptic-treasures.com/ The people did not complain that Solomon had given his back to God, disregarded the divine commandment, and built altars for idol-worship; but all what preoccupied them was that he forced them to work, and put on them very high taxes. They were seeking an easier life, whether they worship God, Ashtoreth, or Molech. Their complaint bore just a part of the truth, but disregarded other positive parts. If Solomon put high taxes on his people; but we should not forget how he gained gold and silver to the account of his kingdom from the surrounding nations, that silver became as common as stones; and that his reign was so characterized by peace, inside and outside; that the budget of the nation was not dedicated mainly for the army; nor the energies of the people turned to wars. … Peace had its effect in the prosperity of the people. On another aspect, the people did not revolt against Rehoboam, but proclaimed their desire to serve him, if he shared their feelings, and, not if he lightened the burdensome high taxes altogether; but just to lighten them. They did not seek from him to become their servant, but to be themselves his servants, to have him as a father and a king; then, they would race to serve him with their whole hearts. Seeing their leader live for their sake, and not just for his own, the people will love him, listen to him, serve him, and defend him. Whereas the tyrant leader who boasts in himself, would create a doubtful people, who are always ready to revolt against him. It is, therefore, befitting of the leader , not to make his people carry his burdens, but to carry their burdens in his heart; and to have his mind preoccupied with his responsibility to their expense; dedicating his time for their edification, then they would submit to him as his children, and members of his body, being the head. Happy would be the people who have such a leader; and safe and secure would be the leader who has such a people. . “So he said to them. ‘Depart for three days, then come back to me’, and the people departed” (5) https://coptic-treasures.com/ He gave them three days to respond to their quest; which was a good act, to give himself, as well, the chance to think about it; Yet he disregarded the divine role; It was befitting of him to seek the counsel of God, being the true king of the people; who set him a king on his father’s throne. “Then king Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, and he said, ‘How do you advise me to answer these people?’. And they spoke to him, saying, ‘If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever’” (6-7) The elders presented the king a true concept of governing, namely, to bear the spirit of care, love, good words, and service; in order to reap their true love and submission forever. They sought from Rehoboam to realize what his father had proclaimed; that “good words appease the anger”; That whoever wishes to be a master let him first be a servant; And that the wise king perceive that he is the servant of his people, whose goal is their happiness. “But he rejected the counsel which the elders gave him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him who stood before him. And he said to them, ‘What counsel do you give? How should we answer the people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’? Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, ‘Thus you should speak to the people who have spoken to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us’ – thus you shall say to them: ‘My little finger shall be thicker then my father’s waist’” (8-10) https://coptic-treasures.com/ That was a common proverb, meaning, that he will be stronger, and with more authority than his father. “And now, whereas my father laid a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges” (11). The young men who have grown up with him presented to him a dangerous counsel, a different concept of reigning, with tyranny, and violence; They planted in him the spirit of pride, and despise of others. While the elders, without telling him what to say, sought from him to respond to his people with good words, to gain their love, The other counselors, did not just provoke the spirit of haughtiness and arrogance in him, but even told him what to say to those people. In their haughtiness, they sought from Rehoboam to admit that his father put a heavy yoke on them; not to lighten it, but to add to it. It did not intend, just to add more taxes, but threatened to issue new laws as violent as scourges Here we should not put the blame, only on the counselors, bur we should put it, as well on Rehoboam for giving his back to God who left him for his own foolishness, and delivered him into the hands of his equally foolish counselors; so that the kingdom would be divided, and Rehoboam would lose ten tribes. Talking in the ninth and tenth chapters of his fourth book on the ‘Institutions’, St. John Chrysostom talks about the commitment of the novice in monasticism, not to depend upon his own discernment, nor to hide any of his thoughts from the experienced elder who takes care of him, lest the devil would have the ability to seduce him with pride. He https://coptic-treasures.com/ should obey his guide with confidence, surety, and no hesitation, as though his command comes from heaven. + Whoever has the good mind, in humility, together with a faithful longing to discernment, whether through teaching or imitating what he sees in the elder fathers, instead of being preoccupied with entering into pointless debates; In him, the knowledge of everything, through practical experience would abide. Whereas he who starts by debate, will never reach the goal of the truth … Our enemy the devil, would drag him away, to the extent of looking at the good and beneficial things, as not necessary, and even as harmful; and would cleverly, make him stubbornly hold fast to his own views, convinced that what fill his defiled mind are goodness, truth, and holy. https://coptic-treasures.com/ + Obedience is your advocate before God. In case He asks you: ‘Why did you do that?!’ You would answer Him: ‘You, O Lord commanded me to obey; and I have done according to Your command’; Then you will be justified. Sailing on board such a ship is secure; man would sleep peacefully, with no worry whatsoever. On account of that her captain is there, taking care of everything. So will be he who walk with obedience; he travels toward heaven and perfection, sleeping, with no labor nor thinking about what he should do; on account of that there are those who run the ship and who watch over him. It is indeed great for man to sail across the sea of this world, while on the arm of someone else. That is the great grace given by God to those who walk with obedience. (St. John El-Dargi) + Whoever depends upon his own opinion, even if he is a saint, is deceived, and his deception is more serious than the beginner who delivers his ordinance into the hand of another. The former is like a captain who sails on board a ship without sail, nor paddles, depending upon his experience, while the later, is like one without experience who seeks from an experienced captain to take him on his wellequipped ship. Let none of you be deceived and escape from the soft yoke of obedience, holding fast to his own opinion in spiritual matters like fasting and prayers, as well as others signs of faith and monasticism, assuming that by them he would be saved. + Obedience is denial of the soul; death of the will; burial of lust, and resurrection of humility. Obedience is death of the members of the body, and of the covetousness of the soul; which, for the beginner, would be with pain; For the moderate, sometimes https://coptic-treasures.com/ with pain, and sometimes without; Whereas for the perfect, it would be utterly without pain, unless he does something according to his own will. Those who intend to bear the yoke of Christ upon their necks; and place their own burdens upon the necks of others (their spiritual fathers or guides), would be committed to reject their own will, and do what they see as according to God’s will. + Without a guide there would be no safety. From obedience will be humility; and from humility will be healing from pains; as it is written: “By our humility, the Lord remembered us, and saved us from our enemies”. (St. Johm Chrysostom) The scourges: are some kinds of whips with iron pieces at their extremities, which cut into the flesh of the one scourged. The Romans were also known for using some kind of bows, known as ‘scorpions’, by which they could throw poisonous arrows which cause pain like that of scorpion stings. “So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king directed, saying, ‘Come back to me the third day’. Then the king answered the people roughly, and rejected the counsel which the elders had given him. And he spoke to them according to the counsel of the young men, saying, ‘My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges’. So the king did not listen to the people, for the turn of affairs was from the Lord, that He might fulfill His word, which the lord had spoken by Ahijah the Shilomite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat” (12-15) https://coptic-treasures.com/ + Nothing would make the foot slide like pride. Love would move the foot ahead, to progress and to ascend; whereas pride would cause man to fall. 4- THE REVOLUT OF THE TEN TRIBES: (16 – 20) “Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying, ‘What portion have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Now see to your own house O David!”. So Israel departed to their tents. But Rehoboam reigned over the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah” (16-17). https://coptic-treasures.com/ It ended up in the division of the kingdom; Instead of one strong kingdom, it came to be two weak ones before the surrounding nations; And they even came to be two adversary kingdoms, whose relationship passed through three stages: a- From Jeroboam to Omri in Israel; and from Rehoboam to Asa in Judah: The two kingdom bore a spirit of enmity, until Israel was defeated in a major battle against Judah. And with the renewal of war, Asa resorted to join forces with Aram, and entered into continuous battles against Israel. b- During the reign of Ahab the son of Omri, and his children Ahaziah and Joram in Israel; And of Jehoshaphat, Joram, and Ahaziah in Judah, the two kingdom had familial relationships by intermarriage; and a kind of alliance between them against the foreign enemy; until the two kings: Joram of Israel and Ahaziah of Judah, were both killed by Jehu (1 kings 17 – 2 kings 10: 27). c- The third stage was characterized by adversity between the two kingdoms until Israel was captivated by the Assyrians “Then king Rehobram sent Adoram who was taskmaster over the forced labor, all Israel stoned him to death. Therefore king Rehoboam mounted his chriot in haste to flee to Jerusalem” (18) It was not wise of Rehoboam to send Adoram, the taskmaster over the forced labor, to collect taxes, at a time the people were revolting against him. By so doing, he revealed his foolishness and lack of wisdom; it revealed that he is utterly stranger to statesmanship. Stoning Adoram,. Rehoboam, feeling that his life became in danger, he had to flee from Shechem to Jerusalem, hoping to find some kind of security. “So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day” (19) https://coptic-treasures.com/ In the days of Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, the kingdom was divided for the following reasons: a- The main reason was that Solomon, together with the people turned away from God to idol-worship (11: 9-13; 29-39; 12: 15). The true life of faith grants the spirit of unity, through which the believer and the congregation come to enjoy the grace of God that supports and helps. Turning away from God, on the other hand, would destroy and devastate. b- Not sharing with the others their feelings, and not responding to their needs. Solomon might probably had some excuse to collect high taxes for the building of the temple of God, his own house with all its annexes, and his huge construction projects; But after the consummation of all those projects, it was befitting of Rehoboam to respond to the people, exhausted from high taxes; but disregarding them made him lose a great deal of money and honor, and destroyed the unity of the people. The Lord Christ calls us “to render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22: 21); And the apostle Paul exhorts the believers to pay the taxes (Romans14: 6-7); as being the right of the State for the sake of the public benefit. On the other hand, it is the duty of the statesmen, not to exhaust the people with too high taxes, but to act with justice together with mercy. c- Rehoboam, rejecting the counsel of the wise elders, disregarding their wisdom and long experience (1: 6-8), doubled the taxes. “Now it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jehoram had come back, they sent for him and called him to the congregation and made him king over all Israel. There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only” (20) https://coptic-treasures.com/ Despite the fact that the rebels constituted ten tribes out of twelve tribes, God put in the hearts of Jeroboam and the ten tribes, not to seek to reject Rehoboam completely from his throne, and to replace him, to let the royal blood of David’s seed, endure on the throne, until the time when the Son of David Himself will come and reign. 5- REHOBOAM ATTEMPTS TO SUPPRESS THE REVOLT OF THE TEN TRIBES: (21 – 24) “And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon” (21) Feeling secure in Jerusalem, Rehoboam assumed that he could confront the rebellion of the ten tribes; but the prophet Shemaiah told him that this thing is according to a command from the Lord. “But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, ‘Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying, ‘Thus says the Lord, ‘You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me’. Therefore they obeyed the word of the Lord, and turned back, according to the word of the Lord” (22-24 https://coptic-treasures.com/ It was, therefore, not possible for Rehoboam to make the people go to fight against the ten tribes after Shemaiah the man of God proclaimed that the thing is from God, lest he would lose the few that he still had. 6- JEROBOAM FALSELY BEAR THE APPEARANCE OF RELIGION: (25-33) It is good indeed for the statesman to care for his spiritual life and that of the people. And it is good indeed for the man of religion to pray for the sake of the peace of his country and its citizens. But it is not befitting of the statesman to abuse religion; nor of the man of religion to interfere in what does not concern him. God promised Jeroboam to build for him an enduring house, if he heeds all that He commands him, and walks in His ways (11: 38); but once Jeroboam got the authority, he did not trust in the promise of God, and feared that the people would eventually return to the house of David (27; 12: 26). Disregarding the fact that what he had got was through a divine allowance, as previously prophesied by the prophet Ahijah the Shelomite (11: 29), he committed three sins: a- He built two centers for idol-worship: one in ‘Bethel’ in the southern part of his kingdom, and another in ‘Dan’ in the north. b- He appointed priests from all the tribes, and not just from the tribe of Levi, committing a great sin against the law (Numbers 3: 10). c- He declared feasts on his own; not for the glory of God, but to realize his personal goals by human planning (1: 32-33). Many politicians use religion to gain more popularity among their people; But God seeks the heart, and not the outer appearance. (1 Samuel 16: 7). + If we study the book of Hosea, we shall see that all his prophecy was against Ephraim (the dissented kingdom of Israel), saying: “Ephraim is like a silly dove, without sense” (Hosea 7: 11); Doves always dwell in their special houses; but https://coptic-treasures.com/ Ephraim deserted the temple, their house, to dwell in the wilderness. We can say that all the children of Ephraim are heretics … They deserted David and his kingdom to dwell in the wilderness. Calling them doves, refers to that, although they read the Holy Books, yet their readings are silly and without sense. They made for themselves two golden calves in Bethel and in Dan; they became idol-worshippers; they utterly deserted the house of the Lord; they only think of gold. (St. Jerome) “Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim and dwelt there. Also he went out from there and built Penuel” (35) A new king required a new capital, a new temple, a change in the system of priesthood, and in feasts, etc. Jeroboam built for himself a palace in Shechen in Ephraim, and another in Penuel in Gad on the eastern bank of the River Jordan; in order to appear before the people as a man of religion; on account of that each of those two locations had its religious symbol and appreciation among the people. Shechem was the location where Jacob built an altar for God (Genesis 33: 18-20); And in it the people gathered together on two occasions: to renew the covenant with God, in a very awesome and fearful rite; on the two mounts: Ebal and Gerizim, between the tops of which Shechem is located (Joshua 8: 30-35; 24: 1- 15). As to Penuel, it gained the honor of being the location where Jacob wrestled with the angel of the Lord (Genesis 32: 22-32) Building two capitals in Shechem and Penuel is not the real problem; but the serious problem is what came after that; of setting two temples outside Jerusalem, and of changing the system of priesthood and worship; For that provoked the people to idolworship; by which he broke the condition put before him by the Lord, to build for him an enduring royal house (1 Kings 11: 38). https://coptic-treasures.com/ “And Jeroboam said in his heart, ‘Now the kingdom may return to the house of David” (26) He who did not fear the power of Rehoboam, fears that Rehoboam may forsake his violence, and attempt to draw the people to himself through compassion during the days of feasts, and make them long to return to the house of David. “If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord in Jerusalem, then the heart of these people will turn back to their Lord, Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me and turn back to Rehoboam king of Judah. Therefore the king took counsel and made two calves of gold, and said to the people, ‘It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt” (27-28) Ahijah had previously prophesied about the enthronement of Jeroboam even before the enthronement of Rehoboam. It was therefore befitting of Jeroboam to trust in God who set him a king, and not to fear the return of the house of David, and plots human plans with the spirit of rebellion against God. He drew the hearts of the people away from the temple of God, who raised him up to the throne, and destroyed His commandments and statutes. He brought the people several centuries back; by making for them two Egyptian calves to worship God under that symbol, the way the Egyptians did in their worship of the calf Ibis. Not being able to build a huge temple like that of Solomon, with everything overlaid with gold, All he could do was to make two golden calves. He set the two calves to destroy the principle of the unity of the Godhead, by which he opened the door before the entrance of the multitude of gods in idol-worship. As it came https://coptic-treasures.com/ in Hosea 8: 11, Ephraim made several altars for sin; he chose Dan in the far North, and Bethel in the far South, to put the two golden calves; as though those calves are the guardians and protectors of the kingdom. He chose Bethel, close to the frontier of the kingdom of Judah, with the intention to seduce some of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to partake of that new worship. In a letter to St. Gregory, the wonder-maker, the scholar Origen wrote about the fleeing of Jeroboam from the face of Solomon to Egypt, where he ate the bread of the Egyptians, then came back to split and divide the kingdom of Israel, and to set two golden calves for the people to worship (in the northern kingdom), saying to them: “Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt” (28). When he was attached to king Solomon, namely, to the divine wisdom, Jeroboam did not divert to the idol-worship; but when he went down to Egypt, as though to the temporal philosophies, and to the foreign thoughts, he came back to split the church by the heresys, to take its unity away, and to provoke the multitude to turn away from the worship of the living God. We cannot deny that some had drawn benefit from the philosophies, and used them for ministering to God; but many have, as well, stumbled by them, and caused others to stumble, denying them of the spiritual church life. Commenting on God’s talk to Jacob before descending to Egypt, saying, “Joseph will put his hands over your eyes” (Genesis 46: 4), the scholar Origen says that it was a prophecy that was realized by setting the two golden calves by the tribe of Joseph (Benjamin) who put their hands over the eyes of Israel, deceiving and blinding them to the knowledge of the truth. And as it is said in Micah: “All this is for the transgression of Jacob, and the sins of the house of Israel.. What is the transgression of Jacob? Is it not Samaria?” (Micah 1: 5). By putting his hands on Jacob’s eyes, Joseph causing him not to be able to see his transgressions and to confess them. Jeroboam attempted to make the two calves in the shape of the cherubim to deceive the people. https://coptic-treasures.com/ + Miserable are the people who turn away from God. … As to our peace, we now enjoy with God by faith, then will enjoy seeing it eternally by our own eyes. (St. Augustine) “And he set one up in Behel, and the other he put in Dan. Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan. He made shrines on the high place, and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi” (29-31) He made priests from every class of people to gain favor among the people, taking into consideration that some Levis refused to submit to him and practice priesthood at the altars which he built. Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves he had made. And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made. . So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in his own heart. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar and burned incense” (32-33) He replaced the feast of the tabernacles by the fifteenth day of the eighth month, instead of the eighteenth day of the seventh month, apparently on account of that the harvest in the north comes at a later date; Whereas the real reason, was not to be bound by the statutes which were followed in Judah. https://coptic-treasures.com/ By ordaining himself a high priest, particularly in the feast days; by practicing the priestly work; and by ordaining priests as he wishes; he intended to have the religious, together with the civil authority. Jeroboam did not perceive that the essence of worship is to encounter and acquire God; and thought of it as mere practices that bring pleasure to God and men. +` Many give different answers to where the happy life abides. Yet, why would we go to many teachers, or care to give many answers to this question?; when it came concise and true in the Holy Book, saying: “Blessed are the people whose Lord is God”. (St. Augustine) + You created us for Your sake. And our heart would stay uncomfortable until it finds comfort in You. Who can grant me peace of mind in You? To whom shall I resort to get the gift of Your dwelling in my heart; to forget all the transgressions that I have committed; And embrace You alone, my only Goodness? (St. Augustine) ------------------------ AN INSPIRATION FROM 1 KINGS !2 GIVE ME, O LORD, THE SPIRIT OF DISCERNMENT KEEP MY SOUL FROM GETTING HAUGHTY TOGETHER WITH REHOBOAM https://coptic-treasures.com/ + Solomon the Sage, begat Rehoboam the foolish; He who foolishly rejected the counsel of the wise elders; And followed the arrogance of the young men; Thinking of the authority as violence, and just giving orders; Instead of serving his people, he got haughty on them; And instead of the kind word he spoke to them harshly; By that he lost ten tribes, and divided the kingdom in two. + Grant me, O Lord, the spirit of humility; Let me listen to the wise and edifying counsel; Let me desire ministering to others, and not just to have the authority over them; For by the kind word, I would quench the fire of anger; + Jeroboam the rebel was given to reign over ten tribes; Yet, instead of offering a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God who chose him; He made two golden calves; He replaced Jerusalem, the city of God, with Bethel and Dan; He corrupted the priesthood, and distorted the worship of the true God + Until when, shall I, O Lord, pay Your gifts back with denial? Until when, shall I replace Your divine wisdom with human wisdom? Until when, shall I be preoccupied with human worships, away from Your divine sanctuaries? + Grant me, O Lord, the spirit of discernment; That my soul would not get haughty like Rehoboam the son of Solomon; And would not bear denial and betrayal like Jeroboam.
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