31 Jeroboam built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites.
31 And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.
31 He also made temples on high places and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites.
31 And that wasn't the end of it. Jeroboam built forbidden shrines all over the place and recruited priests from wherever he could find them, regardless of whether they were fit for the job or not.
31 He made shrines on the high places, and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi.
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.
9 And it will be: Like people, like priests. I will punish both of them for their ways and repay them for their deeds.
9 And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish
9 And it shall be like people, like priest; I will punish them for their ways and repay them for their deeds.
9 The result: You can't tell the people from the priests, the priests from the people. I'm on my way to make them both pay and take the consequences of the bad lives they've lived.
9 And it shall be: like people, like priest. So I will punish them for their ways, And reward them for their deeds.
9 'And what the priests do, the people also do.' So now I will punish both priests and people for their wicked deeds.
(Read Hosea 4:6-11)
Both priests and people rejected knowledge; God will justly reject them. They forgot the law of God, neither desired nor endeavoured to retain it in mind, and to transmit the remembrance to their posterity; therefore God will justly forget them and their children. If we dishonour God with that which is our honour, it will, sooner or later, be turned into shame to us. Instead of warning the people against sin, from the consideration of the sacrifices, which showed what an offence sin was to God, since it needed an atonement, the priests encouraged the people to sin, since atonement might be made at so small an expense. It is very wicked to be pleased with the sins of others, because they may turn to our advantage. What is unlawfully gained, cannot be comfortably used. The people and the priests hardened one another in sin; therefore justly shall they share in the punishment. Sharers in sin must expect to share in ruin. Any lust harboured in the heart, in time will eat out all its strength and vigour. That is the reason why many professors grow so heavy, so dull, so dead in the way of religion. They have a liking for some secret lust, which takes away their hearts.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Kings 12:31
Commentary on 1 Kings 12:25-33
(Read 1 Kings 12:25-33)
Jeroboam distrusted the providence of God; he would contrive ways and means, and sinful ones too, for his own safety. A practical disbelief of God's all-sufficiency is at the bottom of all our departures from him. Though it is probable he meant his worship for Jehovah the God of Israel, it was contrary to the Divine law, and dishonourable to the Divine majesty to be thus represented. The people might be less shocked at worshipping the God of Israel under an image, than if they had at once been asked to worship Baal; but it made way for that idolatry. Blessed Lord, give us grace to reverence thy temple, thine ordinances, thine house of prayer, thy sabbaths, and never more, like Jeroboam, to set up in our hearts any idol of abomination. Be thou to us every thing precious; do thou reign and rule in our hearts, the hope of glory.