Fear of Man Creates False Worship - 1 Kings 10-13

1 Kings 12:25-33 (ESV)

Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. And he went out from there and built Penuel. And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of David. If this people 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.” So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.” And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. Then this thing became a sin, for the people went as far as Dan to be before one. He also made temples on high places and appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites. And Jeroboam appointed a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month like 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 the priests of the high places that he had made. 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 to make offerings.

The above story occurs immediately after the nation of Israel is split into two nations.  Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, becomes king over Judah and Benjamin (soon to become known as the Southern Tribes), while Jeroboam, Solomon’s long time enemy, becomes king over the other ten tribes (soon to become known as the Northern Tribes). This split in the kingdom was discipline from God because of Solomon’s sin of worshipping other gods.  God promised the southern kingdom to Jeroboam but instructed him to not follow other gods.  However, the cycle now repeats itself.   Jeroboam is fearful that if people of his ten tribes were to go back to Jerusalem they might turn back to God.   If they turn back to God they will follow Rehoboam.   That would lose his hold on power.   To remedy his fears, he creates this false god system.  So the very discipline God brings unto the nation due to false worship of foreign gods, is extended through Jeroboam’s same worship.  Jeroboam is fearful that people worshiping the true God of Israel would lose his position of power, even though God promised him he would be blessed:

1 Kings 11:38 (ESV)

And if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways, and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, I will be with you and will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you.

It is when we fail to believe God’s promises that we often fall into disobedience to God.  One fear leads to another sin.   This is how Solomon started the fall away from God.   Jeroboam simply keeps the cycle going.   Almost every king of the Northern Tribes will do the same until they are destroyed centuries later.  Fear produces disobedience.