Chap. XIM. AH I : *h were not of the fons of Levi ; though they were not +; ongtoady þ ber = indeed was Jeroboam's Sin ; not that he choſe mean Perſons, for ſome of the Zevites were ſuch ; and his Sin had not been leſs, if he had choſen the Nobleſt and Greateſt Perſons; as we ſee in the Example of Uzziah, 2 Chron. 26: 18, 19. But that he choſe Men of other 'Tribes,contrary to God's appoint- ment, which reſtrained that Office to that Tribe. z To whom that Office was confified by God's expreſs Command ; but he gave the Prieſthood promiſcuouſly to any Perſon of any other Tribe. 32 And Jeroboam ordained a feaft « in the eighth month, on the fifthteenth day of the month b, like un- to the feaſt that 3s || in Judah, and he || offered c upon j| Or the altar, (ſo did he in Bethel ) 4|| ſacrificing unto the Lwent up to Calves e that he had made : and he placed in Bethel f Izbe altar, the priefts of the high places which he had made. ; CC. 2 Either, 1. A Feaſt of Dedication, like that which was in 7#- j] Or, *”® 4h, at the Dedication of the Temple. Or rather, 2. The Feaſt of acrifice. * Tabernacles, as may be thought, 1. becaulc that began on the fit- reenth day of the Month, vir. 23+ 34+ 2- Becaulc he is not blamed for deviſing the Feaſt ( which thereby ſeems to have been of God's appointment ) but only for devijng the month, wer. 33-for keeping God's Feaſt, not in God's time, which was the fifreen day of the Seventh Month, and ſo onward, Levite 23. 34+ Bur on the fifteenth day of the Eighth Month. And this alteration he made, either, 1» To keep up the difference berween his SubjeQs,and thoſe of Judah, as by the differing Manners, fo by the diſtinC&t times of their Worſhip. Or, 2. Leſt he ſhould ſeem direQly to oppole the God of Iſrael, ( who had in a ſpecial manner obliged all the Peo- ple to go up to Jeruſalem at that time, Deur. 16: 16: ) by requiring their attendance to Celebrate the Feaſt elſewhere, at the ſame time. Or, 3. To engage as many Perſons as poſſibly he could,to come to his Feaſt ; which they would more willingly do when the Feaſt at Jeruſalem was paſt, and all the Fruits of the Earth were moſt perfe&ly gathered in. + And ſo onward till the Seven days ended. c He took his Pattern thence,to ſhew, That he worſhipped the iame God, and profetſed the tame Religion for Subſtance, which they did ; howloever he differed in Circumſtances,as here he did in the time. c Either, x. By his Prieſts. Or, rather 2. By his own Hands ; as appears from Chap: 13: 1, 4- which he did, ro give the more countenance to his new-deviſed Solemnity. Nor 1s this ſtrange ; for he might plauſibly think, that he who by his own Au- thority had made others Prieſts, might much more exerciſe a part f that Office ; at leaſt, upon an extraordinary occaſion ; in which caſe,he knew Devid himſelf had done ſome things, which otherwite he might not do. #« 7. e. He himſelf did offer there in like manner, as he now had done at Dan. e For they were two, wer: 29. f As he had done at' Dan, ver: 31. l 3 So he || offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of che eighth month, ever | in the month which he had deviſed of his own heart g : and ordained a feaſt unto the children of Ifſrae], and he
offered upon the altar, | and burnt incenſe. z Which he appointed without any Warrant from God, which was Superſtition. Compare Jer: 7- 31. CHA ÞP. XIIL rephet Of fFudah propheſicth againf# the altar at Bethel : FJeroboam, ine © nov. gy of hn, withererh ; and, at the prayer of the prophet, is reſtored, 1—=6. He, ref.:ſing the King's enterramment, ae- parterh from Bethel, 5 —-- 10: An old prophet, ſeducing hum, bringeth him back, 11 —— 19. He is for it reproved of God by the old prophet: and ts ſlain by a Lion : and buried by the old prophet : who confirmeth his prophecy, 2032. Jerobogm 5 obſtinacy, 33, 34: | N D behold, there came a man of God # out of Judah by the word of the LORD 6 unto Bethel :
and Jeroboam ſtood by the altar to burn incenſe. a An Holy Prophet. b By Divine Inſpiration and Command. 2 And he cried againſt the altar c in the word of the LORD, and faid, O altar, aitar d, thus faith the - LORD, Behold, a child + ſhall be born unto the houſe of David, * Joſiah by name e, and upon thee ſhall he - offer the prieſts f of the high places that burn incenſe " upon thee, and mens bones ſhall be burnt upon thee.
c And conſequently,againſt all that worſhip ; which is oft ſigni- fied by the name of the altar. See 1/a: 19: 19; 1 Cor: 9: 13. Heb: 7: 13: and 13: 10. d He direQs his Speech to the Altar ; partly, becauſe the following Signs were wrought upon it; and partly ro ſignifies That Jeroboam would no more regard his words, than the Altar did ; and yet they ithouid take effe&t. e Which being done above 3oo years after this Prophecy ; plainly ſhews the abſolute certainty of God's Providence, and Fore-knowledge, even in the moſt contingent things. For this was in it ſelf uncertain, and who]- ly depended upon Man's Will, both as to the having of a Child, & as to the giving it this Name. Therefore God can certainly, and effeQually over-rule Man's Will which way he pleaſeth ; or elſe it was poſhible, that this predition ſhould have been falſe ; which is Blaſphemous to imagine. f Synecdochically, the Bones of the
Prieſts, 2 King. 23: 15, 16. whereby the Altar ſhould be defiled.
3 And he gave a ſign the ſame day g, ſaying, This ;s the fign which the LORD hath re : Behold, the altar ſhall be rent, and the aſhes that are upon ir poured our.
g 3. e. He then wrought a Miracle, to aſſure them of the Truth of his Prophecy. |
4'And it came to paſs when king Jeroboam heard the ſaying of the man of God, which had cried againſt the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand þ from the altar 5, ſaying, Lay hold on him. And his hand which he put forth againſt him, dried up k, ſo that he couid not pull it in again to him.
| Or,
| Or, Fo offer. Gr,to buru
ſacrifice.
Li NGTS