And he set one in Bethel, and one he put in Dan. Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan. — First Kings 12:29-30
Biblical balance is not always found between two available options. First Kings 12:25-33 teaches this principle in an incredible way, providing insight for those seeking to discern what’s being said in the current sufficiency controversy.
Because of Solomon’s disobedience, God took ten tribes from his son, Rehoboam, and gave them to Solomon’s enemy, Jeroboam (I Kings 11:9-13, 26-40). Once Jeroboam became king of the northern tribes, he promptly forsook God and sinned in ways worse than King Solomon. The primary feature of King Jeroboam’s sin were two golden calves, idols to be worshiped as part of his newly constructed religion (I Kings 12:28, 31-32). To prevent the nation from returning to David’s descendants and worshiping at God’s temple in Jerusalem, Jeroboam placed one idol in Bethel, near the southern border of Israel’s territory, and the other idol in Dan, near the northern border. This way, every worshipper in Israel would be located between Bethel and Dan, and presumably would choose a place of worship closer than the temple in Jerusalem (I Kings 12:26-30).
OLD ERROR, NEW APPEAL
One baffling quality of Jeroboam’s folly is its familiarity with Israel’s first breach of God’s covenant. Jeroboam virtually quotes Aaron who crafted Israel’s first golden calf at Mount Sinai. Both these idolatrous leaders told the people that their calves were “your gods, O Israel, that brought you up from the land of Egypt” (Exodus 32:4; I Kings 12:28).
Jeroboam took an old error and made it newly appealing to his contemporaries.
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