25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim , and lived there. And he went out from there and built Penuel . 26 Jeroboam said in his heart , "Now the kingdom will return to the house of David . 27 " If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem , then the heart of this people will return to their lord , even to Rehoboam king of Judah ; and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah ." 28 So the king consulted , and made two golden calves , and he said to them, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem ; behold your gods , O Israel , that brought you up from the land of Egypt ." 29 He set one in Bethel , and the other he put in Dan . 30 Now this thing became a sin , for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan . 31 And he made houses on high places , and made priests from among all the people who were not of the sons of Levi . 32 Jeroboam instituted a feast in the eighth month on the fifteenth e day of the month , like the feast which is in Judah , and he went up to the altar ; thus he did in Bethel , sacrificing to the calves which he had made . And he stationed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made . 33 Then he went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth e day in the eighth month , even in the month which he had devised in his own heart ; and he instituted a feast for the sons of Israel and went up to the altar to burn incense .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Kings 12:25-33
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.