When the tribes of Israel divided as a result of Rehoboam's bad leadership, 10 tribes fell under the leadership of Jeroboam, a man who had been on King Solomon's staff. The 10 tribes under Jeroboam's rule were known as Israel. Two tribes of Israel stayed under the rule of Rehoboam and were known as Judah. We saw in our Bible study yesterday that Rehoboam did not rule wisely, and he took bad advice. Jeroboam was not a great king either, and he influenced the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel to be influenced by idols.
1 Kings 12 tells us that after the kingdom divided and he became king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, King Jeroboam became concerned. He became concerned because the Southern Kingdom of Judah contained Jerusalem. Jerusalem contained the temple, the place where the Israelites went to worship God. He was concerned because he knew that his people would want to go to the Jerusalem temple to worship God. He was worried that because the people of the Northern Kingdom would go to the Jerusalem temple in the Southern Kingdom of Judah, the Northern Kingdom would eventually revolt against him and "give their allegiance to King Rehoboam of Judah" (verse 27). As a result, he built two gold calves and told the people in the Kingdom of Israel to worship those calves instead of going to worship God in the temple in the Southern Kingdom of Judah (verse 28). As a result of his decree, "this became a great sin, for the people worshiped the idols" (verse 30).
King Jeroboam's decree set the entire nation of Israel on a path of sin and disobedience. They began worshiping these idols instead of worshiping God. This was not good. Ultimately, God sent a prophet to warn Jeroboam and the Northern kingdom to stop their idol worship in 1 Kings 13. Just like this idol worship broke God's heart, our idol worship breaks His heart. When we worship other people or things instead of God, He is both heartbroken and angry. There is no room for the worship of anyone but Him.
We do not worship false idols like the Israelites did, but we have other false idols in our lives that we have made our gods. Our gods can be our careers, money, our looks, other people, or even a pastime such as golf or another sport. Any time we put something other than God in the place that he deserves, we have made an idol. What idols do you have in your life? Acknowledge those idols today and admit them to God. Tell Him that you are sorry for putting anyone or anything in the place that He deserves.
25 Jeroboam then built up the city of Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and it became his capital. Later he went and built up the town of Peniel.
26 Jeroboam thought to himself, “Unless I am careful, the kingdom will return to the dynasty of David. 27 When these people go to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the Temple of the Lord, they will again give their allegiance to King Rehoboam of Judah. They will kill me and make him their king instead.”
28 So on the advice of his counselors, the king made two gold calves. He said to the people, “It is too much trouble for you to worship in Jerusalem. Look, Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of Egypt!”
29 He placed these calf idols in Bethel and in Dan—at either end of his kingdom. 30 But this became a great sin, for the people worshiped the idols, traveling as far north as Dan to worship the one there.
31 Jeroboam also erected buildings at the pagan shrines and ordained priests from the common people—those who were not from the priestly tribe of Levi. 32 And Jeroboam instituted a religious festival in Bethel, held on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in imitation of the annual Festival of Shelters in Judah. There at Bethel he himself offered sacrifices to the calves he had made, and he appointed priests for the pagan shrines he had made. 33 So on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, a day that he himself had designated, Jeroboam offered sacrifices on the altar at Bethel. He instituted a religious festival for Israel, and he went up to the altar to burn incense.
