Readings for today: 1 Kings 13-14, 2 Chronicles 11-12
The opposite of faith is not doubt. It’s not even unbelief. The opposite of faith is fear. Fear that something might happen. Fear that something might not come to pass. Fear that we might suffer loss in some way or that the risk is too great. Faith requires something from us. In fact, I would argue faith requires EVERYTHING from us. It requires us to relinquish control to God. It requires us to trust God for His provision and His plan. It requires us to step forward though the way is often unclear. It requires us to act even though we may not see a way through or understand how everything might work out.
Jeroboam has a chance to step out in faith. He has an opportunity to place his life in God’s hands just as David once did. He has a chance to establish his dynasty in the Kingdom of Israel forever. All he has to do is trust God. All he has to do is believe God will deliver on His promises. But Jeroboam gives into fear. He’s afraid he will lose his kingdom. He’s afraid he will lose the favor of the people. He’s afraid everything he has gained through God’s grace will be lost. “But then Jeroboam thought, “It won’t be long before the kingdom is reunited under David. As soon as these people resume worship at The Temple of God in Jerusalem, they’ll start thinking of Rehoboam king of Judah as their ruler. They’ll then kill me and go back to King Rehoboam.” So the king came up with a plan: He made two golden calves. Then he announced, “It’s too much trouble for you to go to Jerusalem to worship. Look at these—the gods who brought you out of Egypt!” He put one calf in Bethel; the other he placed in Dan. This was blatant sin. Think of it—people traveling all the way to Dan to worship a calf! And that wasn’t the end of it. Jeroboam built forbidden shrines all over the place and recruited priests from wherever he could find them, regardless of whether they were fit for the job or not. To top it off, he created a holy New Year festival to be held on the fifteenth day of the eighth month to replace the one in Judah, complete with worship offered on the Altar at Bethel and sacrificing before the calves he had set up there. He staffed Bethel with priests from the local shrines he had made. This was strictly his own idea to compete with the feast in Judah; and he carried it off with flair, a festival exclusively for Israel, Jeroboam himself leading the worship at the Altar.” (1 Kings 12:26-33 MSG)
Though Jeroboam had won the kingdom through no power of his own, he turned around and worked to secure his kingdom in his own strength and according to his own wisdom. Instead of depending on the same God who made him king, he abandoned God and went his own way. Literally created a new, false system of worship to replace the true worship of the Living God. He engaged in idolatry and blasphemy at the highest levels and, as a result, doomed his kingdom and his family. Listen to God’s response again, “I raised you up from obscurity and made you the leader of my people Israel. I ripped the kingdom from the hands of David’s family and gave it to you, but you weren’t at all like my servant David who did what I told him and lived from his undivided heart, pleasing me. Instead you’ve set a new record in works of evil by making alien gods—tin gods! Pushing me aside and turning your back—you’ve made me mighty angry. And I’ll not put up with it: I’m bringing doom on the household of Jeroboam, killing the lot of them right down to the last male wretch in Israel, whether slave or free. They’ve become nothing but garbage and I’m getting rid of them. The ones who die in the city will be eaten by stray dogs; the ones who die out in the country will be eaten by carrion crows. God’s decree!” (1 Kings 14:6-11 MSG) God’s judgment is terrifying. Everything in it comes to pass just as God declared it would. All because Jeroboam gave into fear.
What about us? Where do we find ourselves struggling with fear over faith? How do we even begin to identify the fears that lurk within our hearts? One suggestion is to consider what most commonly keeps you up at night. Think about any recurring nightmares you may have. What are the common themes? What is it that makes you anxious on a regular basis? Chances are those are the fears that keep you from stepping out in faith. Where have you found yourself saying, “Oh, I could never do that.” Have you ever asked why? God is calling us to walk by faith, friends, not by fear. He calls us out of our comfort zones. Out of the places where we feel the most safe and secure. He calls us to a life of great risk. He takes us to the end of ourselves, the end of our resources, the end of our strength and wisdom and beyond. Why? To teach us about the sufficiency of His grace and to expand His Kingdom across the earth. Don’t be like Jeroboam. Don’t give into your fears. Trust God!
Readings for tomorrow: None