Gold Calves Cannot Deliver

1 Kings 12:25-33
    25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and dwelt there. Also he went out from there and built Penuel. 26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, "Now the kingdom may return to the house of David: 27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah."
    28 Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!" 29 And he set up one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. 

    30 Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan. 

    31 He made shrines on the high places, and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi.
    32 Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made. 33 So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in his own heart. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar and burned incense.

Jeroboam tried to stop Israel going back to the house of David with God’s promise and blessings.  If they went to Jerusalem to worship, they could also realign with Rehoboam and reunite with Judah, leaving Jeroboam out of the picture.  He forgot that the LORD had handed him the other tribes, leaving only Judah to the king.  Blinded by pride to lose control, he made golden calves for Israel to worship just as Aaron did long before (Exodus 32:4, 8).  He even used the same phrase saying, “Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt.”  This idolatry repeated itself in rebellion against the LORD’s first commandment to have no other gods before the one true God. The LORD.   Fear of losing control to the king who rebelled against God led Jeroboam to make the same fatal mistake.  Therefore the people of God were led further from obedience and its fruits of the promise.  They proved that the fallen sinful nature of man was absolutely corrupt and that they needed redemption unobtainable by human effort to keep God’s law which was His word (Romans 3:20, 8:3, Galatians 2:16).  We learn that our reasoning and works cannot lead is to the righteousness of obedience that is only possible in a regenerated life with God Himself living in us to choose rightly in the New Covenant of grace.  We do not therefore pursue other gods or worship golden calves of our own construction, but serve the living God through His Son Jesus the Christ by the enabling and guidance of His indwelling Holy Spirit.