In every man's soul is a search for God,
evidenced by some form of worship or religion in all cultures, including the
most primitive. But for many, that
search ends in the discovery of an easy religion, one that cost little. We find this inclination in King Jeroboam,
ruler of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.
God had commanded all Jews to worship in the holy city of Jerusalem. Jeroboam was fearful that if Israel were to
worship in that holy city, they would join forces with the Southern Kingdom and
unite against him. To prevent worship in
Jerusalem, Jeroboam set up two cities of worship: one in the city of Dan and
the other in the city of Beersheba. The reason
Jeroboam gave to curtail worship in Jerusalem was that the city was too far to
travel.
We read in 1 Kings 12:28, "So the king consulted,
and made two golden calves, and he said to them, 'It is too much for
you to go up to Jerusalem; behold your gods, O Israel.'" In other words, the journey to Jerusalem is "too
much for you" for worship. I have built
two cities of worship much closer to you; worship there instead. Thus, the inhabitants of Israel worshipped in
these two nearby cities rather than in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had appointed.
For many, this has been their search: a religion
that cost little, offers minimal sacrifice, and least commitment.
King David, on the other hand, sought a form
of worship that cost him much with a price to pay. In 2 Samuel 24:24 David uttered, "'For I
will not offer burnt offerings to the Lord my God which cost me nothing.'"
So David bought the
threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver."
Herein is the
contrast: disciples of the Lord seek a religion that is demanding; those who
are not His disciples do not.
True worship cost.
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