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JUDGMENT ON JEREBOAM
International Sunday School Lesson
for May 2, 1954.
Memory Selection: "Beware lest
thou forget the Lord thy God, in not
keeping His commandments." Deu
teronomy 8:11.
Lesson Text: I Kings 14:5-16.
As pointed out in our lesson for
last week, following the death of Solo
mon, the twelve tribes of Israel: as
sembled to crown Solomon's son, Reho-
' boam, king..- Already there was much
dissatisfaction and discontent In the
kingdom because of the heavy burdens
'which the extravagances of Solomon
had imposed on the people.
' Because of the unwise choice of Re-
hoboamv in accepting the advice of the
' young men in his father's kingdom,
ten of the twelve tribes chose Jero
boam, a member of the tribe of Eph
raim, industrious and able, who had
been promoted by Solomon Into a po
sltion of leadership among the many
engaged in various public works. This
fulfilled the prophecy of Ahljah, as re
lated in our lesson last week.
God had promised that if Jereboam
would hearken unto his commands and
walk in his ways and keep his statutes
as David had done, then the divine
presence would be assured to him to
preserve him and to establish his seed
in ruling the Northern Kingdom of
Israel. Thus, it seems that God was
doing all that he could to call forth
the best in one of his servants, to in
spire in hint a sense of humility and
obligation, and to challenge to obedi
ence and loyalty as the assurance of
God's mercy and favor,
i What a wonderful opportunity Jere
boam had to go down into history as a
great king! But Jereboam squandered
his opportunity and instead of being
remembered as one of Israel's great
kings, he is known as the one "who
made Israel to sin." Instead of lead
ing the Israelites to deeper loyalty
and love of God, he corrupted the wor
ship of the people in three ways:
He set up golden calves at Dan and
Bethel, persuading the people to wor
ship there instead of making the long
trip back to Jerusalem where they
would worship in Solomon's Temple.
He made priests of those who were not
of the tribe of the Levi and establish
ed the harvest feast at a time contrarv
to the instructions of God through
Moses. '
" - God was greatly displeased with
" Jereboam. We should notice that God
was not 'ondemning Jereboam of his
administrative failures as king. He
did much that was good for his peo
ple. His great sin lay in the breaking
of the commandment of God against
idolatry "Thou hast gone and made
thee other gods."
Jerusalem and its Temple were still
at the heart of the religious life of
the children of Israel and all good
Jews were still expected to go there
to worship. Jehoram was King of Ju
dah, with his seat of government in
-Jerusalem and Jereboam feared his
competition. If the people of Israel
went at stated times to Jerusalem to
worship, he was afraid they might get
'to like the king of Judah and go over
to him. So, in order to avoid this
competition, he set up two shrines of
his own at Dan and Bethel and per
mitted idolatrous rites and worship
there. He also established new altars,
new feasts, unauthorized priests and
brazen worship of bull calves.
v God's judgment on Jereboam is seen
first in the serious illness of his child.
Afraid to go to the prophet himself,
Jereboam sends his wife, dressed as a
peasant woman, to the prophet for
help. Ahijah, warned of God, recog
nizes the queen and through her sends
a message of pending destruction of
'Jereboam's kingdom. :
" The punishment came in the person
of Abijam, son of Jereboam, who in
: vaded Jereboam's territory and inflict
ed a stinging defeat on his armies.
; Bethel, Jeshanah and Ephriam fell. It
was a fearful blow fatal to Jereboam
and draining the life-blood of Israel.
. Of Jereboam, George Rawlinson has
' written: "Jereboam is not condemned
for his ambition, for his self-seeking,
- or for his rebellion against the house
of David, but emphatically for his re
ligious innovations. .To himself no
: doubt they seemed masterpieces of
' worldly policy. They suited the tem
- per of the people: they effectually se
cured the maintenance of his kingdore
! in a state of separation from Judah;
they remained in full vigor to the last
v days of the monarchy. But they had
in them a root of bitterness, which
proved fatal to the state. They were
of human device; they had no divine
sanction;' and they rested on falsity."
(These comments on based on copy
righted outlines produced by the Di
vision of Christian Education, Nation
al Council of Churches of . Christ,
; U. S. A., and used by permission.)
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CHURCH
NEXT SUNDAY
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HEnxrsrj) baptist ccusca :
C W. DnEntt Ptator ,f
Sunday SchooL 9:45 A. 1L
Morning Worship, 11 :0C o'clock. .
Evening Worship, 8 o'clock.
i Mid-week Services, Wednesday t
8 P.M. .i . , ,
BETHLEHEM CHURCH OF
CHRIST "
Joe Brickhouae. Pastor
First Sunday , '
11 A. M. and 8 P. M.
What thrill to land that old "granddaddy.
of All fish . . . to f bit vicious tug at the Unt
. . . to Us tUver ld gleaming la the sun
$i he rolls and hnakt the rarpce.. into we j
vt. ritAMMit out a 1m water with a final-1
ltflj IMWHWt . . vn " "
mat islath and into the Undlni net Be ll
i TbeetteholiWetlme, Yo ttfl tkoaj U If
hundred times over abotrt yonr new v9fk
that special lure, the deep hols to the lake,'
the big rock where 'granddad" used to Ha.
Bat aomehow you cant pit it aU la words, It
was your own personal espfrisac with Old
i In a way reUgion and fishing are alike. Yon ,
Wt put religion aU Is worda either. If a not
just rdet for living, or doetrlaet, or spiritual
flad. Ifa vonr strursde with Ood Until yen
. " . T. . ...... . "...
tnrttMtr your rroutona mm ana otcome
'., Camo t6 church There vett will learn
know and love Ood. tta aa on treat es .
wrnieofa Ufetimean eternal Ufetbne.'
BURGESS BAPTIST CHURCH .
W. E. Thompson, Pastor
Church services second and fourth
' Sundays at 11 A. M. 1 -
Sunday School at 10:00 A. M.
'.T::-.-' o ' '
PERQUIMANS CHARGE .
CHURCHES
H. M. Jamleson, Pastor
First Sunday: '
New Hope Church, 11:00 A. M.
Oak Grove Church, 7:00 P. M.
. Second Sunday ' ' .
Winf all Church, 11:00 A. M.
Cedar Grove Church, 10 A. M.
Woodland Church, T:00 P. M.
Third Sunday
Oak Grove Church, 11:00 A. M.
New Hope Church, 7:00 P. M.
, Fourth Sunday ' ''
Cedar Grave Church, 11:00 A. M.
Woodland Church, 10 A. M.
Winf all Church, 7:00 P. M.
" Fifth Sunday '
Woodland Church,. 11:00 A. H.
Prayer Meeting each Wedneeda at
Winfall Church, 7:00 P, M.
ANDEESONS METHODIS"!
CHURCH -i- .
C H. Beale, Pastor
Church Sdmool, 10:00 A. M.
Morning Worship, 11:00 A. M sec
ond and fourth Sundays. 4 '
WOODVILLE BAPTIST CHURCH
Harvey L. Coppidge, Paster
Church ... Servicee on, second, and
fourth Sundays at 11 A. M.
First and Third Sundays at 7.45
P. M. .. , ' - -Sunday
School 9:45 A. M.
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SINCLAIR PRODUCTS U. 8. TIRES
UP RIVER FRIENDS CHURCH
James Rahenkamp, Pastor
Sunday School, 9:45 A. M.
Church Services 11 A. M, - 7:80 P. M.
Christian Endeavor, 6:80 P. M.
Prayer Service, Wednesday 7:80 P. M.
BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH
Rev. J. D. Stoner, Pastor
Sunday School 10 A. M. - .
Morning Worship 11 A. M.
Evening service 8 P. M.
PINET WOODS FRIENDS CHURCH
D. Virgil Pike, Pastor
Church School 10 A. M.
Morning Worship 11 A. M.
Young People's Meeting 7 P. H.
WHITEVILLE GROVE BAPTIST
CHURCH
Caleb Goodwin. Jr, Pastor , .
Sunday School, 10:80 A. M, every
Sunday except third Sunday.
Church sevices every third Sunday ,
at 8 P. M.
W. M. Morgan Furniture Company I
HOME FURNISHINGS HOT POINT APPLIANCES I ,
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HERTFORD METHODIST CHURCH
. A. L. Chaplin, Pastor
Church School, 9:46 A. M.
Morning Worship, 11:00 o'clock. .
Youth Fellowship, 6:45 P. M.
Evening Worship, 7:80 P. M.
Mid-week Fellowship, Wednesday
at 7:80 P. M.
BAGLEY SWAMP PILGRIM
vmj a. sannaera, raster ,
Sunday School, 10:00 A. M.
Morning Worship, 11:00 o'clock.
Young People's Meeting, 6:80 P. M.
Evening Worship, 7:80 o'clock.
Mid-week Services, Thursday it
7:80P.M. ,
HOLY TRINITY
- EPISCOPAL CHURCH
y - Rev. Charles F.'Wnlf, Rector.
9:45 A. M, Church School, every
Sunday.'
9:00 A. M., Holy Communion, lft Sun
day. 8:80 A. Mn Holy Communion, 2nd, 4th,
6th Sundays. .
11:00 A. M., Holy Communion, 8rd
Sunday.
- 11:00 A.M, Morning Prayer, 2nd,
4th, 5th Sundays.
10:00 A. M., Holy Communion, Fri
days and Saints' Days.
.If.- ii Q i n
BESSA CHUKCM OF CHRIST
We&er Perry, Pastor
2nd and 4th Sunday at 10:80 A. 1L
Morning worship on first and third
Sundays at n a. u.
Evening worship first and t!Jrd
Sundays at 7:8a P. XL ' .
- CHAPPELL HILL BAPTIST
t CHURCH
, Rev. Vivian Evans, Pastor
Sunday School second and fourth
Sundays at 11 A. M. , ' -Preaching
service at 8 o'clock every
;, fct and third Sundays.
Training Union at 7 P. II.