“Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan. He made shrines on the high places, and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi…So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in his own heart. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar and burned incense.” (1 Kings 12:30-31, 33)

After the days of King Solomon, the twelve tribes of Israel divided into two kingdoms. The first leader of the northern kingdom was a man named Jeroboam – one of the more interesting and tragic figures of Israel’s history. Jeroboam was anointed and called by God, but very quickly became more interested in holding onto power than in honoring the God who gave it to him.

When Jeroboam led the 10 northern tribes in their rebellion, he wanted to break every tie with the southern kingdom of Judah. However, the city of Jerusalem was in Judah – and it was to that place that all the children of Israel were commanded to bring their sacrifices. Afraid to allow his people to visit Jerusalem and Judah, Jeroboam set up his own altars at the cities of Dan and Bethel.

The Bible simply tells us, “Now this thing became a sin.” It was a sin when Jeroboam suggested it, but it was more of a sin when the people followed it. The people were so attracted to the religion of Jeroboam that they went as far as Dan (at the far north of Israel) to worship at the shrine of the golden calf there. Today, you can visit Israel and the site of ancient Dan and see exactly where the altar and golden calf stood.

Jeroboam went even further; “he made shrines on the high places.” He made more places of worship than the main centers at Bethel and Dan. These high places were even more convenient for the people.

Then he abolished the priesthood that God commanded, he “made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi.” Jeroboam rejected the commandments of God regarding the priesthood of Israel, and established a priesthood of his own liking.

Jeroboam arranged for a special feast to be held “in the month which he had devised in his own heart.” This is a good summary of Jeroboam’s religion – it was devised in his own heart. Jeroboam is an example of those who create their own religion according to their own taste.

For the most part, the world today believes in the religion of Jeroboam. Not necessarily his particular expression of golden calves and high places, but a religion created according to its own taste. You could say that Jeroboam believed in “Jeroboamism” – it was all devised in his own heart. He was his own priest and created his own theology – basically, he created a god in his own image.

The tendency to do the same is in us all, but fortunately God has revealed to what He is like – He tells us in the Bible. We come to realize that my opinion about God isn’t any better or worse than that of anyone else – but what God says about Himself in the Bible reveals to us the God who is really there; not just the figment of my imagination or the creation of my own heart.

It is up to each of us to carefully examine our own idea of God and ask: “Did I make this myself or does God Himself tell me this in the Bible?” At the end of it all, all the gods we make in our own image are illusions – the God of the Bible is the one who is there, He is not silent, and He is the one who can rescue and help us.

Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily. Also I will make justice the measuring line, and righteousness the plummet; the hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters will overflow the hiding place.” (Isaiah 28:16-17)

Isaiah 28 is an amazing chapter. It begins as a rebuke to the drunkards of Israel and continues as a confrontation of the leaders of Israel. These men hid in their “covenant of death” and their “refuge of lies.” In response to such wickedness, God laid out a different plan – His plan. Therefore, He said, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation.” In contrast to the weak, narrow foundation of the wicked (“we have made lies our refuge, and under falsehood we have hidden ourselves,” Isaiah 28:15), God has a solid foundation for our life – “a stone for a foundation.”

What is this foundation? 1 Peter 2:6 applied this passage directly to the Messiah, Jesus Christ. He is the foundation for our lives, and only with a secure, stable foundation can anything lasting be built. Anything “added on” to the house, not built upon the foundation, is sure to end up in wreckage.

Who lays this stone? God said, “Behold, I lay in Zion.” Therefore, it is God’s work. We are unable to provide the right kind of foundation for our lives, but God can lay a foundation for us. We are asked to behold God’s foundation, appreciate it, wonder at it, value it, and build our lives upon it.

The more you look at it, the better it is. You see that it is “a tried stone.” Our Messiah was tried, was tested, and was proven to be the glorious, obedient Son of God in all things. You see that it is “a precious cornerstone.” Our Messiah is precious, and a cornerstone. The cornerstone provides the lines, the pattern for all the rest of the construction. The cornerstone is straight and true, and everything in the entire building lines up in reference to the cornerstone. Finally, you see that it is “a sure foundation.” Our Messiah is a sure foundation, and we can build everything on Him without fear.

Since God used the picture of a building with the image of “a stone for a foundation,” He continued on with that theme. He would make “Justice the measuring line, and righteousness the plummet.” In God’s building, it isn’t just as if He establishes the cornerstone and then walks away and allows the building to be built any way it pleases. Instead, He keeps the building straight with justice and righteousness.

Anyone not build upon this foundation will come to tragedy. As Isaiah said, “The hail will sweep away the refuge of lies, and the waters will overflow the hiding place.” The ungodly leaders of Jerusalem “made lies their refuge,” and found a hiding place “under falsehood” (Isaiah 28:15). But the storms of life and God’s judgment would sweep away their refuge of lies and their hiding place. They had built on the wrong foundation, and would therefore see destruction.

It might be that Jesus had this passage in mind when He spoke the words of Matthew 7:24-27. Don’t be like the foolish man; build your life on the sure foundation. If your life is on that sure foundation – then thank Him for it and enjoy it today!

“Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the LORD, more than all who were before him. And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him.” (1 Kings 16:30-31)

The 12 tribes of Israel had divided into two kingdoms – Israel in the north and Judah in the south. The first ruler of the northern kingdom was Jeroboam, who was succeeded by his son Nadab. King Nadab was assassinated and a new dynasty was established by Baasha who was followed by his son Elah. King Elah was assassinated by Zimri, who replaced him on Israel’s throne. Zimri’s reign only lasted a few days until he was killed and replaced by Omri who began the fourth dynasty to reign over the northern kingdom of Israel.

Omri was bad; his son Ahab was worse. We read, “Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him.” Each of the previous kings of Israel walked in the wicked pattern of Jeroboam. Ahab distinguished himself in being worse than Jeroboam.

His father Omri was a political and economic success for Israel but a spiritual failure. Ahab picked up where his father left off. It can be said of some sons, “He has his father’s eyes.” It could be said of Ahab, “He has his father’s lies.”

Jeroboam intended to serve the Lord through idolatrous images (such as the golden calf) and in disobedient ways (altars and high places other than Jerusalem). Ahab introduced the worship of completely new, pagan gods. In his disobedience Jeroboam said, “I will worship the Lord, but do it my way.” Ahab said, “I want to forget about the Lord completely and worship Baal.” In his later years, Solomon tragically went after pagan gods. Yet Omri and Ahab were far worse in that they commanded the worship of idols.

We also read, “He took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him.” Even as the foreign wives of Solomon led to his spiritual downfall, so Ahab’s foreign wife Jezebel led him and the nation into deep idolatry.

To the natural eye, it seemed like the marriage partnership between Tyre and Israel was ideal for Israel. Tyre was near the height of its national strength. If a secular historian observed these events, he probably would have strongly approved of this marriage between Ahab and Jezebel, calling it a brilliant political and economic move. But when we consider in the spiritual dynamic, it was a disaster for Israel.

It is a lasting lesson for us: never fail to consider the spiritual dynamic. If it works politically, economically, or socially but fails spiritually – then it fails. We should learn what Ahab never seemed to learn.