The Shechem Rewrite – Take Ten Tribes
by Eric Engelmann
All content © 2024 Static Force, LLC
When Are We?
931 BC. After Solomon and before the prophets.
Where are we?
Shechem. Not far from Samaria. About 40 miles north of Jerusalem is.
Have We Been Here and Now Before?
Not at this time, but we've talked about Shechem in previous episodes. Abraham entered the promised land and the Lord appeared at Shechem. Joshua was here. Shechem has been a busy place.
Why are we here now?
The ten tribes will soon try to forget about the original meaning of the rock at Shechem. They’ll also try to forget the words spoken at the nearby mountains of blessings and curses.
Some History
Shechem is within hearing distance of the words spoken by the tribes on the nearby mountains of blessings and curses, Ebal and Gerezim. Joshua had all the Israelites speak to each other close by.
Not long ago the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite prophesied to Jeroboam that he will reign over ten tribes of Israel. But Ahijah said the plan was for Jerusalem to remain in the hand of David's descendants. That meant for Jeroboam's ten tribes to worship Yahweh in Jerusalem, they would regularly be exposed to the kingdom of David's descendants.
Shortly after this prophecy, Solomon -- one of David's descendants, tried to kill Jeroboam.
Jeroboam has a choice. One option -- trust God that the same faithfulness David's line was receiving from Yahweh would be the same faithfulness his own line would receive. Other option -- guide his ten tribes into some other religion.
Scripture
Listen for the word, "Shechem"
1 Kings 12
Verse 25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and lived in it; and he went out from there, and built Penuel. 26 Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to David’s house. 27 If this people goes up to offer sacrifices in Yahweh’s house at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me, and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.” 28 So the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look and behold your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”
NOTE: Jeroboam has bad motivations for rewriting history and trying to get back to his supposed historic roots. He's ignoring the law of Moses, and the ministries of Joshua and the Judges to go back to a temporary error Aaron made in making the golden calves hundreds of years before.
Verse 32 Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast that is in Judah, and he went up to the altar. He did so in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made, and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made.
33 He went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and went up to the altar, to burn incense.
That’s the end of the passage.
Jeroboam's feast was created to rival the Feast of Booths celebrated in Jerusalem.
Is God Liberal or Conservative?
Neither. He made a deal to give ten tribes to Jeroboam. That’s a very liberal thing. A release from slavery and the old ways of David's kingdom into an age where the northern tribes could more freely follow their own destiny.
On the other hand, the Most High said up front Jeroboam would not get all the tribes, and things would go well for Him if he worshiped the Most High and not idols. This could be considered a very conservative stance for the new nation to accept.
In the Future
In the next few seconds, Jereboam will point his finger toward a man who dares speak against the new nation’s state religion. Jeroboam will have prayer to bring it back to his chest.
Further in the future, Jeroboam's line will die out at the hands of another idol-worshipping famliy.
Further in the future, Jesus will speak to a woman at a well not far from here and tell her that the heavenly Father seeks those who will worship in Spirit and in Truth.
May we make good choices in light of the blessings and curses set before us. In Jesus' Name.
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