what is agreeable to the mhid of God. Having recently come out of Egypt, he introduced the idols thatwere there worshipped, even golden calves; and set them up in Dan, and Beth-el. One would have supposed that such an innovation would have shaken his throne to its foundation ; but it seems to have created no uneasiness at all, nor to have produced one single remonstrance throughout the land. Do we not in this behold a true picture of human nature in every age and place ? The worst of men must have some forms, by the observance of which they may satisfy their own consciences: but the easier and cheaper their religion is, the more suited it will be to their taste. To be told they need not comply with the self-denying commajids of God'^, will be agreeable to their corrupt hearts : "Master, spare thyself," is to them a gi-atifying advice; and, wherever the Gospel is faithfully administered, the effect of this advice is clearly seen: the express commands of God oppose, in many instances, but a feeble barrier to the solicita- tions of carnal ease ]
To this he was instigated by unbelief —
[He was afraid lest his subjects, by going up to Jerusalem at the stated feasts, should be drawn away from him, and be induced to return to their former prince. Nor were these fears altogether groundless. The very exercises of religion would tend to convince them that they had sinned in casting off the yoke of Rehoboam; and the familiar intercourse which they would have with the other two tribes, would tend to reconcile their minds to the idea of being again united with them under one head. But Jeroboam was bound not to listen to any such considerations as these, because he had the express promise of God, that " his house should be built up, like the house of David V' provided he would walk in the path of duty. This was a sufficient security to him, that the evil which he dreaded should never happen, whilst he remained faithful to his God. In God therefore he should have put his trust. But he gave way to unbelief, and sought for that in the violation of God's commands, which was only to be obtained in the observance of them ; yea, he madly sought the establishment of his throne by the commission of those very crimes which had subverted the throne of Solomon. This is a weakness to which even the best of men have yielded on some occasions : the great father of the faithful himself repeatedly denied his wife through fear, as Isaac also did ; and Jacob gained by deceit and false- hood the blessing, which he could not wait to receive in God's own time and way. But such unbelief, even in the smallest instances, is most sinful ; and, in the instance before us, it
e 1 Kings xii. 28. f 1 Kings xi. 38.
339.1 Jeroboam's idolatry reproved. 377
brought the curse of God upon that whole people. Let us therefore guard against its influence on our hearts; for its suggestions are always evil, and its effects are uniformly- destructive ]
His conduct, v^^hen reproved for this device, leads us to consider, II. His vindictive wrath —
A prophet was sent from Judah to reprove him —
[God had decreed that the utmost indignity should be offered to the altar at Beth-el, where Jeroboam was now officiating in his own person. He had appointed the priests, and sacrifices, together with the sacred feasts, without any reference to the divine commands, having " devised them of his own heart : " and now he was warned before all the people, that the very priests who offered their sacrifices upon it, should have their own bones burnt upon it by a prince of the house of David, whose name was Josiah. Now it is remarkable that no king of the house of David had a son named Josiah, for the space of three hundred years ; and that then it was a wicked king who so named his son : so far was man from making any attempt to fulfil this prophecy. But God had ordained that such an one should in due time arise; and that he should execute what was now foretold : and, as a certain pledge of its ultimate accomplishment, the altar was miraculously rent in the very presence of Jeroboam, and " the ashes that were upon it were poured out^." This was humiliating to Jeroboam, not only on account of the indignity that should be offered to his altar, but because its being offered by one of the house of David was a pledge, that Judah should regain the ascendant, and thereby be enabled to execute the threatened judgments.]