There are many who are like Jeroboam who because of self-will and human wisdom led an entire nation, for more than two centuries, away from the right worship of God. The prophet pronounced God’s judgment against the house of Jeroboam….”And he will give Israel up because of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit.” 1 Kings 14. He changed the place of worship, he changed the Priesthood, he changed the sacrifices, and he made an idol for the people to bow to. There were no perfect spiritual leaders in Israel, but Jeroboam stands out as especially bad because he set up the system of religious corruption that influenced the entire nation which would ruin the nation forever. Consider the following:

• Nadab ” walked in the way of his father [Jeroboam]” – 1 Kgs 15:25,26 
• Baasha ” thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam” – 1 Kgs 16:1,2
• Zimri “in walking in the way of Jeroboam” – 1 Kgs 16:18
• Omri “walked in all the way of Jeroboam” – 1 Kgs 16:25
• Ahab “it had been a light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam” 1 Kgs 16:30
• Ahaziah “walked….in the way of Jeroboam”, 1 Kgs 22:51
• Jehoram “cleaved unto the sins of Jeroboam”, 2 Kgs 3;1
• Jehu ” from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them “, 2 Kgs 10:29
• Joash ” followed the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat ” 2 Kgs 13:1
• Jehoash ” did that which was evil in the sight of the LORD; he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam “, 2 Kgs 13:10
• Jeroboam “departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam “, 2 Kgs 14:23
• Azariah “departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin.”, 2 Kgs 15:8
• Menahem “departed not all his days from the sins of Jeroboam”, 2 Kgs 15:17
• Pekahiah “departed not from the sins of Jeroboam”, 2 Kgs 15:23
• Pekah ” departed not from the sins of Jeroboam the son “, 2 Kgs 15:27

These all followed the tradition of Jeroboam. Jeroboam is like many false teachers, like many change agents today, who bring innovations into the church which take many people, even many generations away from the plain Gospel. These kings did not depart from the error. There are many in denominations who perpetuate the error they didn’t invent. There are others with famous names, like Martin Luther, who were the original innovators and today the error is perpetuated so that today’s leaders “do not depart from the sins of _______” (fill in the blank).

When you are thinking about how to increase membership in the local church, stick with the Word of God. When you are thinking about how to make the church more spiritual, stick with the Bible. When you are thinking about how to attract the community to worship with you, stick to the Bible. There are many innovations brought into the church by the so-called “change agents” which are for all intents and purposes, just like the action taken by Jeroboam. If you fling open the door of the local church to that which turns worship into entertainment, which turns the church from doctrinal soundness to denominational dogma, then you may go down in infamy for being just like Jeroboam.

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