One of the lowest points in the Old Testament occurs when the kingdom of Israel that David solidified and Solomon expanded split in two. Ten of the northern tribes pulled away and formed their own country under the rebellious leadership of Jeroboam while Judah and Benjamin continued under David’s grandson, Rehoboam.
Early into this division, King Jeroboam realized he had a potential problem in that Israel’s God had chosen Jerusalem as the place for His temple where He was to be worshipped. All Israelites were to return there at least three times every year for Jewish feasts outlined in Leviticus. Jeroboam feared that as his subjects made pilgrimages into Rehoboam’s territory, they would be tempted to transfer their allegiances to the kingdom of Judah.
So Jeroboam came up with an ingenious idea that was despicably evil. I Kings 12 tells us how he commissioned sculptures of two golden calves for his people to worship in place of the one true God. He strategically positioned these at either end of his territory with the southern one in Bethel just above Jerusalem, and the other at Dan in the far north. He told his people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” (1 Kings 12:28).
And the ruse worked. Enticed by convenience, coerced by force, and distracted by loyalty, the people began frequenting these sites to make their sacrifices to lifeless golden idols. Jeroboam never told them not to worship, just to exchange their gods.
It’s likely that the idol at Bethel was destroyed shortly thereafter when Rehoboam’s son, Abijah, took that city in a battle recorded in 2 Chronicles. But the idol Jeroboam set up in Dan remained for many centuries directing the people’s worship away from the God who made and loved them to one that could not hear their prayers, much less answer them.
Incredibly, archaeologists have discovered the very platform on which Jeroboam’s golden calf at Dan once stood. This is yet another artifact that irrefutably verifies the truth of God’s Word. When Nancy and I were in Israel in 2018, we were privileged to visit this ancient site just a few miles south of the Lebanese border and we hope to return there on a future trip when hostilities subside.
This cultic shrine that has been dug out of the dirt should be a vivid reminder to all of us to beware of distractions the devil uses to divert our attention, our worship, and our total devotion away from the one true God. We would likely never fall for a metallic calf, but what about a bullish stock market, a successful career, or an engaging hobby? While none of these are inherently evil, as are wooden and stone idols, they are very attractive and the king of the “other kingdom” uses them very effectively to lure us away from the God who made and loves us.
Satan can even use very good things like our families to take our focus away from God. All of these gifts from God have their rightful places in our lives but whenever they become idols that siphon off our time, attention, and worship from God, they have taken a place they were never meant to occupy. Satan will do all he can to keep us from returning to our Savior, Jesus Christ, and to His church for which He died, for he knows that these will draw us to the higher and greater Kingdom of God.
Before we judge Jeroboam and his people too harshly, let’s pause to examine our own lives looking for those distractions the devil uses that have been particularly effective on us. Let’s ask God to reveal these to us that we might repent and turn from them with a renewed commitment to serve Him no matter the distance, the cost, or the inconvenience of doing so. Blessing, George