Even though they were not Levites

“Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites.” (1 Kings 12:31)

 

“What time is this, are you saying that on the qualifications of the priest in the Old Testament?” some might think it’s ridiculous. As times change, God must change, they may think. Because otherwise they would not have been tried to apply the black and white logic of the Old and the New Testament to God’s principles. Living tools and methods depending on the situation can be developed and changed as necessary. However, the principle of the law by God’s creation cannot be changed fundamentally. The human spirit built in God’s image and each person’s natural mission are among the unchangeable supreme principles.

 

Looking at the title, you may think this message the limited to the church and the clergy. To tell the conclusion in advance, this is an important issue that applies not only to the church but also to everyone. Some people tend to think of the Old and New Testament as a simple dichotomy, in the opposite sense. Dichotomous relative distinctions can develop exclusive tendencies. It’s like an argument in the way of “This is the case with the Old Testament, but not with the New Testament, so it is wrong and should be discarded.” They simply think that the priests and the institutions of the Old Testament were destroyed, because Israel of the Old Testament is gone. Driven by the secular trend of the end of the world, these biblical elements of priests, mission, church, worship, etc are in danger of disappearing.

God has never changed in the past or now. If He’s changed, He can’t be a true God. Idols are things that can’t breathe, talk, think and act. They have shapes of ears but cannot hear; their mouths cannot speak, and their eyes cannot see, for they are lifeless objects made by man’s hands with trimmed stones and trees. Not only are the idols of stones and trees, but also the state of spirit that does not have a life in Christ is the same. While criticizing the Pharisees’ ostentatious tradition, Jesus said this in Matthew 15:14, “they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” Those who serve lifeless idols will be put to destruction forever, because they cannot get their lives. The people of Israel have often committed the folly of making golden calves and serving them. In the wilderness of Exodus from Egypt, when Moses went up to Mount Sinai, they made a golden calf and served it as their god. But they made that mistake again while living in Canaan after then. What you can’t stop is the evil side of foolish life. Oh, when could you stop the evil appearances of life!

Jeroboam, the king of Israel the northern kingdom, made a golden calf and placed it in Dan and Bethel, and Jeroboam touted it as a god who had led Israelite out of Egypt. That is because he was worried that the hearts of the people would go to Judah, the southern kingdom, with the temple in Jerusalem. As a result of doing so, the people became idol worshippers before they knew it. Jeroboam was an evil king who remains in history, and he has become a representative model for many kings who practice evil. Then Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites. He made a random decision to observe the festival and offered a sacrifice to the calf. He carried out many changes, but none of them were correct.

Doing anything with distrust cannot lead to good results. Jeroboam was an able man, a servant to King Solomon, but he challenged the regime by impelling the people with political ambitions. He became the first king of Israel the northern dynasty one of two divided kingdoms, and in order to strengthen the royal authority, he committed many crimes with artificial policies that betrayed God the Lord and awe. Eventually, his crime brought destruction to himself and to Israel the kingdom.

 

In the Old Testament, men among the Aaron’s descendants of the Levites were ordained as priests at God’s instruction. In this times, the pastor of the church must be a disciple of Christ as a spiritual descendant of Aaron in OT and the apostles in NT. If someone were a pastor, in the same position as non-Levite priest, he will replace Christ with idols. Those who do not follow the word of Christ and make their own claims must be the worshippers of idols. Be a pastor as a true priest of Christ, who can save himself and save the world.

 

(Written by Koonoh, Pastor of JDO Presbyterian Church in Korea, on May 31st 2020)