The Psychology of Idolatry

Introduction

Summary of the Text

After Rehoboam (son of Solomon) provokes the people of Israel to reject him as king they make Jeroboam king over the ten tribes of Israel. Now, King Jeroboam goes to Shechem and refortifies it. Then he goes out and does the same for Penuel, west of Shechem, across the Jordan river (v25). It should be noted that both Shechem and Penuel were important in the history of the Hebrews. Why does he choose places with such remarkable historical, spiritual and national significance? He understands the power of worship and reasons with himself that if the people go to Jerusalem to worship God, their hearts will return back to Rehoboam and they will kill him! (v26-27) The text shows us the workings of his heart and the plan of action that he devises as a result.

So, just like Rehoboam earlier, he takes counsel and makes two golden calves and decrees to the people of Israel in very plain terms that they no longer need to go to Jerusalem to worship God and like Aaron, in his moment of high rebellion against God, presents the works of his hands as the gods who brought Israel into freedom out of Egypt. (v28) He took one of the golden calves and placed it in Dan in the north and one in Bethel in the South. (v29)

Apparently, the one in Dan became really popular and the text tells us that this was a great sin in Israel. (v30) The fact that Jeroboam the son of Nebat had rebelled against God and is repeated through the rest of the books of 1 and 2 Kings until Israel goes into captivity. Next, he makes a temple or a shrine around the two idols. And being the progressive king that he is, he gives equal opportunity to all people to apply for the position of priest in these two temples, except the ones who God commanded to be his priests, that is Levites (v31). Next, taking cues from the feast that was in Judah he set up a feast in the temple at Bethel, exactly one month after the Feast of Tabernacles was supposed to be in Judah. He performed the ordination ceremony of his priests and himself offered sacrifices and burned incense. (v32) The text tells us that the devising of what month this feast should be held in came straight from the deliberations of his own heart.

How Awesome is This Place

In order to properly understand this text, it would be worthwhile to examine the locations involved in the text, some of which have already been mentioned. Let us look first at Shechem and Penuel where Jeroboam first comes to dwell before his great sin. The importance of Shechem is present in this very chapter where in v1 the people had gathered to make Rehoboam king. After that failed, Jeroboam now made Shechem his capital by refortifying it and created a second capital across the Jordan in Penuel, most probably to strengthen his allegiance to the two and a half tribes who had their inheritance beyond the Jordan river and protect the kingdom from potential Eastern incursions. What is special about Shechem and Penuel? Both places had recorded theophanies. The Lord had appeared to Abraham at Shechem, promising him there, “To your descendants I will give this land.” And then he built an altar to God there. Likewise, Penuel is where Jacob wrestled with God and was blessed by him. Penuel figures in the book of Judges as well and that tells us that it had probably become a city of some importance.

Shechem on the other hand is even more interesting. Shechem is smack in the middle of the the two mountains Ebal and Gerazim where God had commanded through Moses that the covenant renewal ceremony must take place at those two mountains with Ebal bearing, symbolically, God’s covenant curses and Gerazim bearing God’s blessings. Genesis 12 onwards, where Abraham builds an altar to God, mention is made in Shechem of the Great Tree of Moreh or the Oak of the Teacher or the Diviner’s Oak that is possible that the Canaanites who dwelt there used that tree for divination. After the Israelites conquered Shechem under Joshua (Joshua 24), the town still had spiritual significance. It went from pagan sorcery and divination to a covenant renewal service and memorials in the form of two mountains regarding how God judges covenant-breakers and blesses covenant-keepers. Shechem is also where Joseph’s bones were buried in the place that Jacob had bought from the dwellers of Shechem. So, these two, Penuel and Shechem are the two places where Jeroboam strategically set up military re-enforcements.

Next, the text gives us the two place where Jeroboam places idols: Bethel and Dan. Jeroboam is very strategic in where he places the idols of his making. Dan in the north came to be associated with worship, false as it was, after the events of Judges 18. There is narrated a most brazen rejection of God in Israelite history. Through indolence and lack of vigilance the Danites had given up their land to the neighbouring Philistines in the times of the Judges and insteading of calling out on God and fighting the Philistines, the Danites left their post and went out to find a new home for themselves. Dan not in the book of life in Revelation 7.

Bethel in the South was here Jacob had experienced a theophany and had seen a stairway to heaven on which angels were ascending and descending. Bethel was also a border town on the boundary between the split kingdoms of Israel and Judah. In fact, if ayone from the northern kingdom were to go to Jerusalem, they would have to go through Bethel. So, why bother going to Jerusalem when you can worship at your convenience, without having to pay toll at the border?

Narnia “Last Battle”