“I am the LORD your God …. You shall have no other gods before me.” Deuteronomy 5:6-7 | “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
When Jeroboam became king of the northern tribes of Israel, he feared losing control if the people continued to worship in Jerusalem. To solve this, he built altars in Bethel and Dan, placing golden calves there and declaring them to be Israel’s gods. This act of idolatry—trading the powerful and faithful God of Israel for fashioned works of man’s hands—led the nation into deep spiritual corruption.
Today the restoration of the Dan altar is more advanced than the one at Bethel, yet both remind us of the danger of compromising God’s commands for convenience or personal gain. Rather than trusting in God’s sovereignty, Jeroboam relied on his own wisdom, leading himself and others astray. This cautionary tale warns us against creating “altars” in our own lives— anything we worship and elevate above God in our hearts.
Worship belongs to the Lord alone. Christ’s sacrifice has torn down every barrier between us and God, enabling us to revere Him in spirit and truth. Let’s guard our hearts against idolatry and steadfastly honor God as King.
Today the restoration of the Dan altar is more advanced than the one at Bethel, yet both remind us of the danger of compromising God’s commands for convenience or personal gain. Rather than trusting in God’s sovereignty, Jeroboam relied on his own wisdom, leading himself and others astray. This cautionary tale warns us against creating “altars” in our own lives— anything we worship and elevate above God in our hearts.
Worship belongs to the Lord alone. Christ’s sacrifice has torn down every barrier between us and God, enabling us to revere Him in spirit and truth. Let’s guard our hearts against idolatry and steadfastly honor God as King.
Scripture Focus
1 Kings 12:25-33
Insight
“The dearest idol I have known,/ Whate’er that idol be,/ Help me to tear it from Thy throne,/ And worship only Thee.” (William Cowper, 1772)
Bible In A Year
- 1 Samuel 22-23
- Psalm 131
- 2 Corinthians 13