Innovations in Worship

The transition of power from Solomon to his son Rehoboam was anything but smooth. By most standards, Solomon was a wildly successful king who established economic control over the region and built up Israel to new glory. The people were initially united in their support of Rehoboam, but a usurper named Jeroboam worked to spoil that. 

Jeroboam was a former official in Solomon’s court who rebelled against Solomon and fled to Egypt (1 Kings 11:26-40). Once Solomon died, Jeroboam returned to take another shot at seizing the throne for himself. Rehoboam handled the situation foolishly and lost control over the majority of the nation. The ten northern tribes anointed Jeroboam as their king and the nation was permanently split in two (12:16-20). 

There was significant instability in both nations for a time—the seemingly inevitable war between the two was only avoided because God intervened through the prophet Shemaiah (12:21-24). It doesn’t surprise us that Rehoboam is left picking up the pieces, but even Jeroboam is afraid of losing his grip on the situation. This coup was the result of a tense, emotional situation. Will Israel continue to follow Jeroboam when things cool down or will they revert to what they knew? To preserve his power, Jeroboam introduces new innovations to the people’s worship. Let’s look at how and why these things happen.

Jeroboam’s innovations. Jeroboam makes several changes to how worship will work in Israel. The most visible change is the golden calves that are erected as new objects of worship (12:28). These were Canaanite idols that Jeroboam even credits with Israel’s deliverance from Egypt, echoing Aaron’s sin when Moses was on Mount Sinai (Ex. 32:2-8). God’s wrath in that instance burned hot against Israel and He only restrained Himself from consuming them because of Moses’ intercession on their behalf (Ex. 32:9-14). How do you think God felt when Jeroboam did the same thing? 

Jeroboam’s other changes included new places of worship at Dan and Bethel and other shrines on high places (1 Kings 12:29-31), a new priesthood not from the tribe of Levi (12:31), and a new day for the Feast of Booths (12:33; cf. Lev. 23:33-36). These things were done as he “devised from his own heart” (12:33b).

After these changes were made, Israel was left with a religious system that greatly resembled the Mosaic system God gave their fathers. Regardless, the similarities were not enough. They were not in subjection to God and their worship was not pleasing to Him.

Many churches today have fallen into this same trap. Their practices and worship resemble the pattern found in the New Testament, but they nevertheless are altered in key ways. Our responsibility as disciples of Jesus is to obey Him fully in our worship and in everything we do (John 4:24; Heb. 10:26-31).

Rebellious attitude. Why did Jeroboam institute all these changes? Part of the answer is found in his character long before he even became king. He was already prone to rebel against authority. He was once a trusted and capable official but did not have proper respect for his king. He ruined everything about his relationship with King Solomon when instead he could have gained more authority and honor by continuing to serve him well. Is it a coincidence that a rebellious servant of a king would also be a rebellious servant of God?

This is one of the reasons why God requires us to be respectful of every authority. When we practice rebellion, we grow skilled at it! It corrupts the heart and interferes with our ability to submit to God. The practice of submission begins as children learning to obey parents and teachers and extends to our submission to government, bosses, elders, husbands, and even generally to one another. Learn how to submit or suffer the consequences.

Fear and uncertainty. The other reason why Jeroboam introduced his innovations was fear of losing power. If his people go to Jerusalem to worship God alongside the people of Judah, they might just decide they want to be a united people again. They might decide that Rehoboam isn’t so bad after all.

We can be guilty of this same kind of fear. Churches worry about dwindling numbers and a changing culture. Preachers who are financially supported by their congregations wonder how they will put food on the table if the church shrinks too much. The easy answer is to give into that fear and try to change with the culture around us. Churches have introduced myriad innovations to create mass appeal. And so we see churches in the business of entertainment, consumerism, political activism, and many other things. There is still a resemblance to the church of the New Testament—the religious flavor is still there. But in so many important ways, God’s commands have been ignored. We must have faith that God’s word is living and powerful today just as it always has been. This is not the first time in history that culture has resisted God. Those who seek God will find Him, and the word of God is still able to save us from our sins (Is. 55:10-11; Rom. 1:16-17).