Israel splits from Judah and sets up a new capital in Bethelto rival the city of Jerusalem but in this temple Jeroboamplaced a golden calf. All of this mocks the beautiful covenant established between Yahweh and the faithful but, as the people will discover when the Assyrians invade, it is impossible to replace Yahweh’s fidelity and love with a mere golden calf. We might well ask what the followers of this idol were thinking when they centered their lives on the false hope of an inanimate statue. And when we do, we also ask ourselves where we might find golden calves in our own lives.
Hosea predicts ruin and destruction for the followers of the calf. He points out the ways and places that wickedness, perversity and falsehood are cultivated in this false spirituality. He also describes the folly of relying on the power of chariots and warriors and the turmoil of the tribes when superior forces overrun their cities.
Hosea reminds his readers that they are called to sow justice but instead of reaping fruitful crops the bitter wormwood plant which, because of its bitterness, cannot serve as fodder or animals or birds. In the hope of reaping rich harvest, those who are lured by false promises and false gods will instead gather in the bitterness they themselves have sown.
Hosea asks each of us to examine what it is we sow, and what it is we hope to harvest. Is it fertile and bountiful goodness, or the bitter fruit of wormwood? Only we can know.
Following King Solomon’sdeath, the territory of Israel was split into two, the northern (10 tribes renamed as Israel) and southern (the tribes of Benjamin and Judah renamed Judah) kingdoms. (1 Kings 12) The rest of these annals labeled Kingscontinues the story of these two kingdoms. James Mays in HARPERCOLLINS BIBLE COMMENTARY (Mays 290) characterizes chapters 14 to 16 in the following way: They summarize the last fifty years or so of the reigns of Jeroboam’stransgression and Rehoboam’sfolly. “Judah’s transgression involved illicit sacrifice outside of Jerusalem at high places and is said to have been the fault of both the people and their kings”. This culpability and apostasy were counterbalanced by king Asa’sattempts to reform his people. Yahweh remained faithful to the covenant. By contrast, Israel’s kings led the people astray; King Ahaband his queen Jezebelsupported state-sponsored worship of idols and in particular the god Baal. Yahweh, despite the repeated cycles of abuse, continues to maintain his part of the bargain with these stiff-necked, hard-hearted peoples. What are the lessons these people or we today have learned from our God?
Reading these historical narratives is a bit like reading the tiny abstracts of soap operas or evening drama. We watch the endless returning to past misdeeds. It seems as though no one is listening, no one is paying attention; yet Yahweh remains faithful.
Jesus, when asked by his disciples the question How often are we to forgive others their transgressions?answers seven time seven or in other words, endlessly. Both the Father and the Son demonstrate goodness, and mercy, tempered with justice.
So today we might unravel these stories toward the end of 1 Kings and we might investigate what went on before and after these difficult times of the Divided Kingdom. Putting these chapters into context we might understand the circumstances in which these people found themselves. We might better see our enemies as reluctant learners, and we might also see ourselves as these same reluctant learners.
Why does God continue to love us when we refuse or are unable to learn the lessons of history? Why is it that God forgives us endlessly when we have ignored and even laughed at the lessons history has to offer?
Because God is love, and God loves us fiercely. We know this because we have read the first letter of John, chapter 4 verses 7 to 16. We know this because countless times we have asked for forgiveness and have received healing and pardon. We know this because we have been graced to witness countless reconciliations of bitter enemies. We know this because we can feel the arms of Christ the Comforter stretched between ourselves and those with whom we are in conflict. We know this because once we begin down the path of peacemaking, the world begins to look like the beautiful Eden we thought we had abandoned, and because from that moment onward, we are never the same.
First written on July 30, 2008 and posted today as a Favorite.
Mays, James L., ed. HARPERCOLLINS BIBLE COMMENTARY. New York, New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 1988. 520. Print.
The nameless woman returns to her city and as her foot touches the threshold . . .This is a story which tells of the two kings of the split kingdom of David – Israel with her king Jeroboam in the north and Judah with her king Rehoboamin the south. Notes, websites and histories can give us a visual of the lineages and a few are listed below.
What we miss when we read history without scripture is the detail, and we have it in abundance in this short chapter. There is the child, Abijah, the two kings, the wife who is not named and Naamah, the mother who is. There are other ancillary characters. http://bible.cc/1_kings/14-1.htm
We can put ourselves in the timeline and in the space to try to see, hear, smell and hear these sights and these people . . . but what strikes me is this . . . this is a story which might happen to any one of us. And who am I?
Am I the nameless wife and mother who fears the death of her child? Am I married to the son of Solomon who finds his kingdom split? Am I the besieged king or the aggressor, the shield maker, the guard, the prophet, the chronicler? Do I have a loyalty to the north or south? Do I believe Jeroboam to be maligned or do I know him to worship idols? Do I follow Rehoboam blindly or do I question? In this vivid picture . . . Where am I? Who am I? What am I doing?
We know that Jeroboam feared re-unification of these split kingdoms because he would no longer collect the temple worship taxes which he now did since setting up his own capital. We know that Rehoboam, son of Solomon, scrambled to keep these two territories united, fearing invasion from Assyria, Persia, Egypt and others. We know that one king was buried with honor and the other was not. And we know why.
I have such empathy for the nameless woman in this story. She dies as she is bidden yet she is powerless before these men and apparently before her God. She moves like a shadow.
I also have empathy for the woman Naamah whose son leads Judah to do evil in the sight of the Lord. What does she think of the cult prostitutes the leadership has encouraged? Does she agree that they are a means to worshiping God? Does she dare to speak if she disagrees?
What do these women think? What do they say? What do they hold dear?
Today’s story calls us to think of our journey . . . do we travel light . . . do we travel alone . . . where do we stop along the way . . . what waters and feeds us?
The nameless woman in today’s story is told that her child will pass away as she returns home . . . so in that moment she knows that she will not see him again. What does she feel?
The nameless woman in today’s story returns to her city and as her foot touches the threshold . . . her child dies. What does she say?
The nameless woman in today’s story sees her child buried . . . with all of Israel mourning. What does she pray?
Oh, Father in heaven, spare us from the tragedies which are too hard to bear. Save us from the people from whom we might suffer irreparable damage. Keep us always close to you. Protect the ones we love. Save us from harm. Feed us. Nourish us. Be our column of smoke and fire and protect us on our way as you did the Israelites who journeyed out of slavery and into freedom with you always guiding. Alert us to the dangers. The noise of this world is sometimes so overwhelming. Sound the alarm when we stray. Hold us closely. You are our rock and our refuge. We give thanks to you, our awesome God. Amen.
Written on January 13, 2008 and posted today as a Favorite.
The Noontimes 