by Rolaant McKenzie
June 25, 2023
King Solomon of Israel (970–930 BC), whom God blessed with great wisdom and was initially faithful in following the Lord, turned away from following Him with a whole heart later in life. He had married many foreign women who, when he was old, turned his heart away to serving other gods.
God warned Solomon to repent and turn back to Him, but he did not, instead favoring the gods of his wives. Because of his role as king, his actions misled Israel to lapse in their faithfulness to the only true God and follow after the gods Ashtoreth, Chemosh, and Molech, who promoted sexual immorality and child sacrifice.
Because of Solomon’s unfaithfulness, God promised to tear most of the kingdom away when his son became king (1 Kings 11:1-13). The means of this would come through one of his servants, a man named Jeroboam, whom he had appointed as manager over forced labor in Jerusalem.
Jeroboam Sacrificing to the Golden Calf by Jean-Honoré Fragonard (April 5, 1732 – August 22, 1806)
After the death of King Solomon, a split in the kingdom took place over the issue of forced labor. King Rehoboam (930–913 BC), Solomon’s successor, heard the plea of the representatives of the northern tribes of Israel led by Jeroboam, who was recalled from Egypt where he had sought refuge from Solomon’s attempts to kill him. But he decided not to listen to the wise counsel of the elders who served his father to lighten the load of the people. Instead, Rehoboam promised to make their yoke heavier (1 Kings 12:1-16).
This caused a revolt among the people, and Jeroboam (930–909 BC) was made king of the ten northern tribes of Israel. Instead of reflecting on the why God judged the nation with division, Jeroboam, seeking to protect himself and consolidate his rule, departed from the Lord and instituted idolatry among the people. He set up shrines in Bethel and Dan (southern and northern areas of the kingdom), making two golden calves and appointing priests who were not of the tribe of Levi. This was to be an alternative to worship at the temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 12:25-33).
This development caused another division among the people of Israel:
“For the Levites left their pasture lands and their property and came to Judah and Jerusalem, for Jeroboam and his sons had excluded them from serving as priests to the LORD. He set up priests of his own for the high places, for the satyrs and for the calves which he had made. Those from all the tribes of Israel who set their hearts on seeking the LORD God of Israel followed them to Jerusalem, to sacrifice to the LORD God of their fathers.” (2 Chronicles 11:14-16)
Those who migrated to the southern Kingdom of Judah strengthened Rehoboam’s reign for a time because they were faithful and obedient to God (2 Chronicles 11:17).
A similar division is taking place in society today due to the promotion of the LGBTQ+ religion by activists, global organizations, major corporations, and education and medical institutions. It is a cult, like those of the ancient Canaanite gods, that proudly insists on sexual immorality and child sacrifice.
This is particularly seen in church organizations, where fidelity to God’s word is challenged with greater intensity. For many years, Christians in Lutheran, Methodist, Anglican, and other denominations have watched as the LGBTQ+ religion has infiltrated and taken over many of their churches.
For example, the 38th German Protestant Church Congress took place in Nuremberg, Germany, June 7-11, 2023. More than 60,000 participants from Germany and other countries descended on the city for sermons, debates, and Christian music performances.
Quinton Caesar, in a closing ceremony speech of this gathering, blasphemed God to promote the LGBTQ+ religion by declaring, “God is queer.” In saying this, he echoed the blasphemy of Jeroboam to the people of Israel when he set up the golden calves as objects of worship: “Behold your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt.” (1 Kings 12:28)
Like those faithful to God in the northern kingdom of Israel who departed and went south to Jerusalem, many Christians in record numbers seeking to follow God’s word have departed from church organizations who have adopted the LGBTQ+ religion.
King Ahab (874–853 BC), the seventh king of Israel after Jeroboam, led Israel into the worship of false gods through the influence of his Phoenician princess wife, Jezebel of Tyre. At a critical time in Israel during a severe drought, the prophet Elijah challenged Ahab and the people of Israel gone astray to meet him on Mount Carmel with 850 “prophets” of Baal and Asherah.
“Elijah came near to all the people and said, ‘How long will you hesitate between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” But the people did not answer him a word.'” (1 Kings 18:21)
The people soon saw that the false gods of the false prophets could neither hear nor respond to their cries to burn the sacrifice on the wooden altar they had made, and that at the prayer of Elijah the God of Israel responded and consumed the sacrifice he set on an altar of twelve stones. As a result, the people repented of their unfaithfulness and returned to God (1 Kings 18:36-39).
As we are increasingly pressured by institutions of society to bow and worship the LGBTQ+ religion, it will be tempting to compromise our faith in God and His word and go along with this satanic agenda. It is becoming a common occurrence that those who express any kind of disagreement or opposition to this religion face various kinds of sanctions, including violence.
We need to determine in our own minds the answer to this question, for like light and darkness, the two cannot have fellowship (2 Corinthians 6:14):
“Will I follow the Lord Jesus, or LGBTQ+?”
Stay faithful to Jesus. Speak and live the truth in love. God is still gathering people to Himself (John 6:37-40).
© 2023 Rolaant McKenzie – All Rights Reserved
E-Mail Rolaant McKenzie: rolaant@gospeloutreach.net
Website: http://www.gospeloutreach.net/
