Definition: After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became [one] of the priests of the high places.
Explanation: Okay, letās break down this verse from 1 Kings 13:33. Itās a really important passage about how God intends to handle justice and distribution of resources within his kingdom ā which is essentially the biblical story of Israel. Hereās what it means in simpler terms: Basically, this verse says that after Jeroboam messed up and started behaving badly, he tried to reinstate priests who were previously allowed to oversee the temple and high places. Let's unpack it further: āAfter this thingā: This tells us this is happening after something specific happened ā Jeroboamās behavior. āJeroboam returned not from his evil wayā: This means Jeroboam was still behaving badly, and he wasnāt turning things around or reversing his actions. He continued to be problematic. āā¦made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high placesā: This is the key part. Jeroboam, wanting to regain power and control, tried to make again of the people who were previously allowed to oversee the temple ā the high priests. He essentially created a new group of priests to manage the templeās resources, but with a specific role assigned to those who weren't traditionally priests. āWhosoever would, he consecrated himā¦ā This is where it gets interesting. God selected these people to be priests of the high places. He chose them specifically for this purpose ā to manage and oversee the templeās wealth and privileges. He essentially gave them a special, elevated position. The overall message: This verse highlights God's plan to ensure fairness and justice . It says that after Jeroboamās bad behavior, God will use those who are considered ālowest of the peopleā ā those typically not priests ā to manage and oversee the templeās resources. This is a way for God to control wealth and power within his kingdom and make sure it's distributed according to His plan. Important Context: This verse is part of a larger story about how God wants to establish a just and righteous society. It emphasizes that God doesn't just want to punish wrongdoing, but also uses those who are marginalized or considered less important to achieve His purposes. --- Do you want me to explain any specific aspect of this verse in more detail? For example: What does "lowest of the people" mean in the context of biblical times? Why is this passage significant within the larger story of Israelās history?