I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 1 Kings 13-14.

When I read the story about the man of God from Judah who went to Bethel to prophecy against Jeroboam I have always focused on either Jeroboam’s hand getting paralyzed and the altar splitting open, or on the old prophet who lied to the man of God to get him to break God’s command to him about not eating in the Northern Kingdom. However, I do not think I ever before noticed that the man of God prophesied that a descendant of David named Josiah would destroy the altar which Jeroboam had built. Something which did indeed come to pass.

Our biases also allow us to overlook that the writer considers the fact that Jeroboam appointed priests from among the common people to be as big of a sin as the fact that he set up idols for the people to worship. Now, considering that King David had some of his sons perform priestly duties, I think Jeroboam did not just appoint non-Levites as priests. I think he sold the priesthood to those who would say what he wanted them to say rather than what God commanded them to say or even what they thought was right. Jeroboam did not allow the priesthood to hold him accountable for his behavior. He made the priesthood accountable to him, but he was accountable to no one (or so he thought).

The writer finishes out today’s passage by telling us that under Rehoboam the people of Judah set up pagan shrines to worship at. King Solomon had built and worshiped at temples for pagan gods, but the people, for the most part, continued to worship God. Now, under Rehoboam, the people themselves began setting up pagan shrines, even establishing shrines with male and female prostitutes. While I can find no clear references on the subject, it seems probable to me that these male shrine prostitutes engaged primarily, or even exclusively, in same-sex activity.. The one thing I am sure of is that the relationship with these prostitutes was abusive.