Jeroboam set up two golden calves for the ten northern tribes to worship rather than the God who resides in the temple at Jerusalem. Why? “If they go up to offer sacrifices in the temple of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord and to Rehoboam king of Judah.”
Jeroboam changed religions so he could maintain his political position. I like what Dilday says, “Added to that serious sin were others. Jeroboam changed the date of the sacred harvest festival from the seventh month, as God had commanded, to the eighth month. He appointed non-Levitical priests in defiance of God’s command. He himself officiated at the altars of worship. He maintained the ‘high places,’ allowing the people to worship Yahweh at the locations of pagan shrines.
Dilday goes on, “He was guilty of redesigning the faith for his own personal ends. When today’s politicians join the church to get votes, when high achievers unite with a prestigious congregation for ‘social reasons,’ when opportunists identify with a certain religious group because it is popular, are their actions any better than Jeroboam’s? Not really. A religion of convenience…is an abomination to God and is condemned by history as was the substitute faith of Jeroboam. He was branded forever as, ‘Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel sin.'”
Chuck
“Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.” Colossians 3:9-10