Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, is a significant figure in the history of Israel, known for his rebellion against God and the establishment of idolatry in the northern kingdom. His account is primarily found in the books of 1 Kings and 2 Chronicles.

Background and Rise to Power

Jeroboam was an Ephraimite from Zeredah, and his mother was Zeruah, a widow (1 Kings 11:26). He initially served as an official under King Solomon, overseeing the labor force of the house of Joseph. Recognized for his industrious nature, Jeroboam was appointed by Solomon to a position of authority (1 Kings 11:28).

The prophet Ahijah the Shilonite played a pivotal role in Jeroboam's rise. Ahijah met Jeroboam on the road and, in a symbolic act, tore his new cloak into twelve pieces, giving ten to Jeroboam. This act signified that God would tear the kingdom from Solomon's son and give ten tribes to Jeroboam (1 Kings 11:29-31). This division was a divine judgment against Solomon for his idolatry and failure to keep God's covenant (1 Kings 11:33).

Rebellion and Establishment of the Northern Kingdom

After Solomon's death, his son Rehoboam ascended the throne. Jeroboam returned from Egypt, where he had fled to escape Solomon's wrath (1 Kings 11:40). The people of Israel, dissatisfied with Rehoboam's harsh policies, turned to Jeroboam, making him king over the northern tribes, thus fulfilling Ahijah's prophecy (1 Kings 12:20).

Religious Apostasy and Idolatry

Jeroboam's reign marked a significant departure from the worship of Yahweh. Fearing that pilgrimages to Jerusalem for worship would undermine his rule, Jeroboam established two golden calves in Bethel and Dan, declaring, "Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt" (1 Kings 12:28). This act of idolatry was a direct violation of the first and second commandments and led Israel into sin.

Jeroboam also built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, not just the Levites, further corrupting the religious practices of the northern kingdom (1 Kings 12:31). His actions set a precedent for future kings of Israel, who continued in his sinful ways, leading to the eventual downfall of the northern kingdom.

Prophetic Condemnation and Legacy

Jeroboam's rebellion against God did not go unchallenged. A man of God from Judah prophesied against the altar at Bethel, predicting its destruction and the desecration of its priests' bones (1 Kings 13:1-2). Despite witnessing miraculous signs, Jeroboam did not repent, and his house was ultimately condemned by the prophet Ahijah, who foretold its destruction (1 Kings 14:10-11).

Jeroboam reigned for 22 years, and his legacy is one of persistent rebellion against God. The phrase "the sins of Jeroboam" became synonymous with idolatry and disobedience, serving as a benchmark for the wickedness of subsequent kings (1 Kings 15:34).

Conclusion

Jeroboam's life and reign serve as a cautionary tale of the consequences of turning away from God. His actions not only led to personal ruin but also set a destructive course for the nation of Israel, highlighting the importance of faithfulness and obedience to God's commandments.1 Kings 12:28-33
Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said to them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold your gods, O Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Political Religion
... it is none the less branded as rebellion against Jehovah. ... Jeroboam may stand, finally,
as a type of the ... who suppose themselves to be worshipping God when they ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/political religion.htm

The Danger of Deviating from Divine Institutions.
... this nature, whatever may be its design, is rebellion against God. Against no other
sin hath he manifested greater ... the family and kingdom of Jeroboam, when he ...
/.../lee/sermons on various important subjects/sermon xxviii the danger of.htm

How to Split a Kingdom
... as spokesman; for he had been in rebellion against Solomon (1 ... making terms was, in
effect, asserting independence of God's will ... Jeroboam was scheming for a crown ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/how to split a kingdom.htm

The Instrumentality of the Wicked Employed by God, While He ...
... for the kingdom, the thing was not done without the knowledge or against the will
of God, who had expressly commanded it; and yet the rebellion of the ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 18 the instrumentality of.htm

The Secret of victory
... whom he and his people had kept true, besought them not to carry their rebellion
to the extreme of fighting against their fathers' God, and assured ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/the secret of victory.htm

Human Responsibility
... It is like Jeroboam. ... and the coulter, and the sword, which you use in rebellion against
the Most High ... This is God's truth; but a truth that is to be spoken with ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/human responsibility.htm

The Prophet Hosea.
... viz., still under the reign of Jeroboam, when the ... the worship of the calves, and
the rebellion against the dynasty ... than the low conceptions of God produced by ...
/.../hengstenberg/christology of the old testament/the prophet hosea.htm

The Twelve Minor Prophets.
... belongs, therefore, in all probability, to the days of Jeroboam II, when ... after a
severe rebuke of Jerusalem for her incorrigible rebellion against God (verses 1 ...
/.../barrows/companion to the bible/chapter xxiii the twelve minor.htm

Contrasted Services
... Jeroboam's religious revolution drove all the worshippers of ... issues of our foolish
rebellion against His authority ... forsaken the Lord thy God.' The experiences ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/contrasted services.htm

'Fruit which is Death'
... recurs to the political punishment of the civil rebellion. ... us the powerlessness of
Israel against the roaring ... refuges when the floods of God's judgments sweep ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/fruit which is death.htm

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