1 Kings 12:28 After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.”
When was the last time we read about golden calves in the Scriptures? That’s right. When Moses was up on the mountain receiving the first ten commandments, his brother Aaron was down below making idols and initiating a new religious practice. Rinse and repeat.
The stories of the Scriptures do repeat. Different characters, but the same story repeatedly. Over the last couple of chapters the story of Moses has been repeated, but with Hadad the Edomite being the first one to play the part of Moses (11:17). Hadad flees to Egypt, is accepted by the Pharaoh, given land and allowed to prosper. Then Hadad wants to return to his own country. Sound familiar?
Then Jeroboam takes up the leading role. He exits Egypt only to face a rebellion, just like Moses faced a leadership rebellion. Aaron becomes the rebellious one and lead the people astray.
Our text echoes back to Exodus 32 where Aaron listens to the people and makes a golden calf, just as Jeroboam does in our current text. Notice the similarity to the wording from Exodus 32:4. “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” These repeated words clue us in to the meaning of the text.
“It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem” echoes the words of the spies who returned from visiting the Promised Land prior to their entrance and gave the negative report. The people are as giants. We can’t go up.
If we pay close attention to the details we hear these echoes all through the text of the Hebrew Bible. So we are in the middle of a testing of the people. Who will they follow? Will they choose the LORD?
When things get tough, to whom will they turn? They are following the rebellious leader, just like the people followed Aaron. When you follow a rebellious leader, you can expect negative results. Rinse and repeat.
So what can we learn from this? The first thing we ought to learn is that following a rebellious leader leads to downfall. People’s character gets established over time, and over time change can take place. But to trust a leader who has been untrustworthy is foolishness.
The second thing we can learn is that words matter, but actions matter more. Jeroboam’s character has been shown. We would say that he engaged in focus group decision making. He was more concerned about where he fit than about the welfare of the people who were under him.
So in order to preserve his place in society, he makes not one but two golden calves. If Aaron could sin and still have a place in society, then making two calves will ensure that I will stay in place! He was about convenience. Set up a local place of worship so that the people don’t go back to Jerusalem and realize their sin.
Convenience gets people in trouble. The voting fiasco last time around happened primarily because it was made too convenient. Sitting at home ordering food, so you don’t have to get up and walk, will get you in trouble.
Life is more than avoiding convenience. Growth involves pushing against a strain. Going against the flow builds muscle and character. Aaron failed this test. The people complained a few times and he proposed a solution.
We can’t make everyone happy. Embrace the conflict, struggle, difficulty. That is where growth is.
The Arnold Journey 