Book of Common Prayer

A psalm of David when he was in the Desert of Judah.

A psalm of David.

²¹ Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem. He brought together 180,000 capable young men from Judah and the tribe of Benjamin. He had decided to go to war against Israel. Solomon’s son Rehoboam wanted his fighting men to get the kingdom of Israel back for him.

²² But a message from God came to Shemaiah. He was a man of God. God said to him, ²³ “Speak to Solomon’s son Rehoboam, the king of Judah. Speak to all Judah and the tribe of Benjamin. Also speak to the rest of the people. Tell all of them, ²⁴ ‘The Lord says, “Do not go up to fight against the Israelites. They are your relatives. I want every one of you to go back home. Things have happened exactly the way I planned them.” ’ ” So the fighting men obeyed the Lord’s message. They went home again, just as he had ordered.

Golden Calves at Bethel and Dan

²⁵ Jeroboam built up the walls of Shechem. It was in the hill country of Ephraim. Jeroboam made Shechem his home. From there he went out and built up Peniel.

²⁶ Jeroboam thought, “My kingdom still isn’t secure. It could very easily go back to the royal family of David. ²⁷ Suppose the Israelites go up to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the Lord’s temple. If they do, they will again decide to follow Rehoboam as their master. Then they’ll kill me. They’ll return to King Rehoboam. He is king of Judah.”

²⁸ So King Jeroboam asked for advice. Then he made two golden statues that looked like calves. He said to the people, “It’s too hard for you to go up to Jerusalem. Israel, here are your gods who brought you up out of Egypt.” ²⁹ He set up one statue in Bethel. He set up the other one in Dan. ³⁰ What Jeroboam did was sinful. And it caused Israel to sin. The people came to worship the statue at Bethel. They went all the way to Dan to worship the statue that was there.

³¹ Jeroboam built temples for worshiping gods on high places. He appointed all kinds of people as priests. They didn’t even have to be Levites. ³² He established a feast. It was on the 15th day of the eighth month. He wanted to make it like the Feast of Booths that was held in Judah. Jeroboam built an altar at Bethel. He offered sacrifices on it. He sacrificed to the calves he had made. He also put priests in Bethel. He did it at the high places he had made. ³³ He offered sacrifices on the altar he had built at Bethel. It was on the 15th day of the eighth month. That’s the month he had chosen for it. So he established the feast for the Israelites. And he went up to the altar to sacrifice offerings.

¹⁸ Once again the leaders called in Peter and John. They commanded them not to speak or teach at all in Jesus’ name. ¹⁹ But Peter and John replied, “Which is right from God’s point of view? Should we listen to you? Or should we listen to God? You be the judges! ²⁰ There’s nothing else we can do. We have to speak about the things we’ve seen and heard.”

²¹ The leaders warned them again. Then they let them go. They couldn’t decide how to punish Peter and John. They knew that all the people were praising God for what had happened. ²² The man who had been healed by the miracle was over 40 years old.

The Believers Pray

²³ Peter and John were allowed to leave. They went back to their own people. They reported everything the chief priests and the elders had said to them. ²⁴ The believers heard this. Then they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Lord and King,” they said, “you made the heavens, the earth and the sea. You made everything in them. ²⁵ Long ago you spoke by the Holy Spirit. You spoke through the mouth of our father David, who served you. You said,

²⁷ In fact, Herod and Pontius Pilate met with the Gentiles in this city. They also met with the people of Israel. All of them made plans against your holy servant Jesus. He is the one you anointed. ²⁸ They did what your power and purpose had already decided should happen. ²⁹ Now, Lord, consider the bad things they say they are going to do. Help us to be very bold when we speak your word. ³⁰ Stretch out your hand to heal. Do signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”

³¹ After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit. They were bold when they spoke God’s word.

³¹ Again the Jews who had challenged him picked up stones to kill him. ³² But Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many good works from the Father. Which good work are you throwing stones at me for?”

³³ “We are not throwing stones at you for any good work,” they replied. “We are stoning you for saying a very evil thing. You are only a man. But you claim to be God.”

³⁴ Jesus answered them, “Didn’t God say in your Law, ‘I have said you are “gods” ’? (Psalm 82:6) ³⁵ We know that Scripture is always true. God spoke to some people and called them ‘gods.’ ³⁶ If that is true, what about the one the Father set apart as his very own? What about this one the Father sent into the world? Why do you charge me with saying a very evil thing? Is it because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’? ³⁷ Don’t believe me unless I do the works of my Father. ³⁸ But what if I do them? Even if you don’t believe me, believe these works. Then you will know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” ³⁹ Again they tried to arrest him. But he escaped from them.

⁴⁰ Then Jesus went back across the Jordan River. He went to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed. ⁴¹ Many people came to him. They said, “John never performed a sign. But everything he said about this man was true.” ⁴² And in that place many believed in Jesus.