Jeroboam's Golden Calves

1 Kings 12

25 Then Jeroboam a built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. And he went out from there and b built Penuel. 26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, "Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of David. 27 If this people c 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, to Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and return to Rehoboam king of Judah." 28 So the king took counsel and d made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, "You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. e Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt." 29 And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. 30 Then f this thing became a sin, for the people went as far as Dan to be before one. 1 31 He also made g temples on high places and h appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites. 32 And Jeroboam appointed a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month like i the feast that was in Judah, and he offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he made. And he placed in Bethel j the priests of the high places that he had made. 33 He went up to the altar that he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, in the month that he had devised from his own heart. And he instituted a feast for the people of Israel and went up to the altar k to make offerings.

  1. Cross References
    Judges 9:45
    And Abimelech fought against the city all that day. He captured the city and killed the people who were in it, and he razed the city and sowed it with salt.
  2. Cross References
    Judges 8:17
    And he broke down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city.
  3. Cross References
    Deuteronomy 12:5 - 6
    But you shall seek the place that the Lord your God will choose out of all your tribes to put his name and make his habitation there. There you shall go.
  4. Cross References
    2 Kings 10:29
    But Jehu did not turn aside from the sins of Je...
    2 Kings 17:16
    And they abandoned all the commandments of the ...
    2 Chronicles 11:15
    And he appointed his own priests for the high p...
    2 Chronicles 13:8
    And now you think to withstand the kingdom of t...
    Hosea 8:5 - 6
    I have spurned your calf, O Samaria. My anger b...
    Hosea 10:5
    The inhabitants of Samaria tremble for the calf...
    Hosea 13:2
    And now they sin more and more, and make for th...
    1 Kings 14:9
    But you have done evil above all who were befor...
  5. Cross References
    Exodus 32:4
    And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden calf. And they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!
    Exodus 32:8
    They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them. They have made for themselves a golden calf and have worshiped it and sacrificed to it and said, 'These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!'
  6. Cross References
    1 Kings 13:34
    And this thing became sin to the house of Jeroboam, so as to cut it off and to destroy it from the face of the earth.
    2 Kings 17:21
    When he had torn Israel from the house of David, they made Jeroboam the son of Nebat king. And Jeroboam drove Israel from following the Lord and made them commit great sin.
  7. Cross References
    1 Kings 13:32
    For the saying that he called out by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel and against all the houses of the high places that are in the cities of Samaria shall surely come to pass.
  8. Cross References
    1 Kings 13:33
    After this thing Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but made priests for the high places again from among all the people. Any who would, he ordained to be priests of the high places.
    2 Kings 17:32
    They also feared the Lord and appointed from among themselves all sorts of people as priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the shrines of the high places.
    2 Chronicles 11:14 - 15
    For the Levites left their common lands and their holdings and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jeroboam and his sons cast them out from serving as priests of the Lord.
    2 Chronicles 13:9
    Have you not driven out the priests of the Lord, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes for ordination with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of what are no gods.
  9. Cross References
    Leviticus 23:33 - 34
    And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying.
    Numbers 29:12
    On the fifteenth day of the seventh month you shall have a holy convocation. You shall not do any ordinary work, and you shall keep a feast to the Lord seven days.
  10. Cross References
    1 Kings 13:2
    And the man cried against the altar by the word of the Lord and said, "O altar, altar, thus says the Lord : 'Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who make offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.'
    Amos 7:13
    But never again prophesy at Bethel, for it is the king's sanctuary, and it is a temple of the kingdom.
  11. Cross References
    1 Kings 13:1
    And behold, a man of God came out of Judah by the word of the Lord to Bethel. Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make offerings.
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a division of Good News Publishers.
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