Good weekend to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Can you remember a time in your life when you stood at the crossroads of a major life decision? Oh I’ve done that several times. Can you remember the agony, the anxiety, the weight and even the pressure you felt, as you contemplated the decisions, the various options before you? Probably you did as I have done, trying to imagine the road out ahead of each option before you. And then, if you were married and had children as you stood at that crossroads of decision, you probably repeated the exercise in your mind, trying to imagine how each option would affect your spouse and children, both in the short term and for years to come. The truth is who you and I are today, who our families are, in many ways are the results of what we finally decided in those very difficult crossroads of decision times.
May I offer you one of the most powerful truths from God, which has helped me greatly in those decision times? About 2500 years ago, God spoke these words through Jeremiah the prophet: “This is what the LORD says: Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is and walk in it, and you will find rest for your soul.” (Jeremiah 6:16)
Oh my, that is very powerful and hope filled isn’t it? It challenges us each to consider: who would we ask to tell us about the reliable, ancient paths which have proved trustworthy? Who would we ask to tell us which is the good way and how did they learn which way is good? Who would we ask to tell us their story of how they found rest for their soul at the crossroads of life impacting decisions?
Come again with me again, back to ancient Israel about 3000 years ago, to a time not very different from today in Israel and many countries of our world, perhaps including the country where you live. The Israelites had lost confidence in their leader King Rehoboam for he had proved to be disinterested in their plight and deaf to their cries. They had turned to a man they trusted, Jeroboam, who had been a trusted official in King Solomon’s leadership team.
Unknown to the people, Jeroboam had experienced a shocking, unexpected encounter with God (1 Kings 12:29-33) in which God explained through the prophet Ahijah that because King Solomon had turned away from God and was leading Israel in turning away from God, God was actually going to tear the kingdom of Israel apart and away from Solomon’s royal family and allow Jeroboam to rise to the position of trusted leader for 10 of the 12 tribes of Israel!! In the past couple of days we’ve looked at how that actually happened in 1 Kings 12. It was an incredible, almost unbelievable turn of events, shattering the stability and unity of more than a century of Israel’s history.
Jeroboam now stood at the most significant crossroads of decision moments of his entire lifetime. The record of what Jeroboam was wrestling with describes it this way: “Jeroboam thought to himself, ‘The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. If these people go up to worship and offer sacrifices at the Temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to King Rehoboam. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.” (1 Kings 12:26,27) It makes sense, doesn’t it?
Three times each year Israelites traveled from all over Israel to Jerusalem for three great festivals, Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot. These festivals both defined them and unified them as the unique Covenant people of God. (Deut. 16:1-16)That was part of God’s intent in establishing this great tradition for Israel. Even today, Jews around the world celebrate these three great festivals. And today they connect with Jerusalem through modern technology, from no matter where they live in the world. But Jeroboam overlooked one major factor! God had promised that His judgement of Solomon and Israel would include a division of His people and Jeroboam would be leader of 10 tribes.
God had challenged Jeroboam to be ready to embrace this remarkable opportunity as leader, understanding that his primary leadership responsibility would be to lead those 10 tribes of Israel in honoring God and being obedient to all the commands and instructions of God. But Jeroboam was fearful.
Jeroboam also had a sudden insatiable thirst for power and prominence and his prideful heart swelled as he heard the cries of the people to be their leader. Suddenly the powerful memory of his encounter with God and God’s promise to be with Jeroboam paled in significance and appeal to visions of grandeur as King. Jeroboam had just returned from several years in exile in Egypt where the pyramids and grandeur of Egyptian Pharaohs of generations past had evidently given him an unquenchable appetite for fame, fortune and unquestioned power.
So at the crossroads of decisions Jeroboam made a dreadful decision which changed the course of history for Israel. The record says: “After seeking advice, Jeroboam made two golden calves. He said to the people, ‘It is too much for you to travel up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt. One calf Jeroboam set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. And this thing became a great sin. The people came to worship the one at Bethel and went as far north as Dan to worship the other.” (1 Kings 12:28-30)
Unimaginable, isn’t it? Once before in Israel’s history this had happened with Aaron, the brother of Moses, responding to the demands of the Hebrew slaves at Mount Sinai and Aaron fabricated a golden calf idol for them, remember? (Exodus 32) Amazingly Jeroboam did and said almost exactly what Aaron had done and said 500 years before! How could that possibly happen, we might shout!
But then we must look at ourselves, my friends and the number of times in our lives when we’ve stood at the crossroads of decision and knowingly made the wrong choice!
So, let’s pause right here and contemplate Jeroboam’s reasoning, his terrible decision and his horrific action and tomorrow we’ll look at the consequences. If Jeroboam had known and done what this worship song celebrates, he never would have made his disastrous decision, as he would have followed the wise advice of Jeremiah 6:16.
What about you and me, my friends?
Today’s Scripture: 1 Kings 12:26-30.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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