1 Kings 12 (#)2: Who should we hold in awe?

Verse 27:

“If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam of Judah.”

◇ After Solomon's death, Israel was divided into the Southern Kingdom of Judah and the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The Southern Kingdom had its center in Jerusalem and possessed the legitimate succession from King David, while the Northern Kingdom lacked political and religious legitimacy. This caused Jeroboam, the king of the Northern Kingdom, to feel anxious that his people might turn their hearts back to the Southern Kingdom of Judah.

Jeroboam, the king of the Northern Kingdom, had the support of ten of the twelve tribes of Israel. However, he was uneasy. According to 1 Kings 11:31, God had promised Jeroboam through the prophet Ahijah that He would give him ten tribes of Israel. Jeroboam's kingship was not a result of lineage or the people's choice; it was established by God.

Yet, in Jeroboam's eyes, it was the people who had made him king, not God. He feared that if the people left him, he would be driven from his throne and killed. To prevent this, he tried to win over the people's hearts by making golden calves at Bethel and Dan and instructing them to sacrifice there.

The king, appointed by God, feared the people instead of God. He should have been concerned with God's will, but instead, he sought the favor of the people. The kingdom had been divided as a punishment for Solomon's idolatry, and now, in an attempt to gain the people's favor, Jeroboam's dynasty, which had made golden calves for worship, did not last beyond two generations.

Whose heart should we seek to win?

♧ Lord, help us to understand whose heart we should discern. Holy Spirit, lead us in the path of truth!