Verse 33
JEROBOAM CONTINUED HEADSTRONG IN HIS EVIL WAY
"After this thing, Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again from among all the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, that there might be priests of the high places. And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth."
Scholars like Montgomery and Dentan write this episode off as some kind of legend erroneously accepted into the Bible, but this writer rejects that notion altogether. Due to the extreme wickedness of Jeroboam, which we have summarized in a paragraph below, it was incumbent upon God Himself to provide incontrovertible evidence to all Israel of the Divine displeasure that fell upon the terrible apostasy taking place under Jeroboam. God's love of the seed of the Chosen People could not have allowed him to do less.
A SUMMARY OF JEROBOAM'S WICKEDNESS
(a) He made paganism the official religion of Israel. (b) He consecrated priests of tribes other than that of Levi. (c) He erected pagan idols in Dan, Bethel, and Samaria. (d) He arrogantly intruded himself into the sacrifices. (e) He organized and promoted a corrupt Feast of Tabernacles, contrary to God's law. (f) He persuaded the people to disobey God by not going to Jerusalem to worship. (g) He established and organized high places all over northern Israel.
With Jeroboam at the head of northern Israel, the nation was doomed to eventual destruction.
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