“He placed these calf idols in Bethel and in Dan—at either end of his kingdom. But this became a great sin for the people worshiped the idols, traveling as far north as Dan to worship the one there.”
1 Kings 12:30
God had promised King Jeroboam, “I will place you on the throne of Israel…I will always be with you. I will establish an enduring dynasty for you.” All Jeroboam had to do was trust God and obey His ways. But evidently, the king forgot God’s promises, because fear took over and Jeroboam imagined he would lose his kingdom if the people went to Jerusalem to worship!
If Jeroboam had realized the long-term effect of his actions, I wonder if he would have erected those idols. That one faithless act not only destroyed the enduring dynasty God had promised, but for over two hundred years there were no righteous kings in Israel. In fact, the descriptions of all seventeen kings who succeeded Jeroboam were similar: They “followed the evil example of Jeroboam” or “refused to turn from the sins of Jeroboam.” What a legacy!
Our actions also leave a far-reaching legacy. In our communities and especially in our families, we have no idea how many could be following our faithless actions. However, God gives us promises as well—to establish us and always be with us. In that secure relationship, we do not have to be like Jeroboam, erecting idols out of fear. We can simply TRUST the unfailing love of our Father.
Besides, TRUSTING GOD is the most powerful legacy our descendants could ever follow!
