Jeroboam, Son of Nebat

           History is defined and created by every man who takes the story of his time and makes it his story. This means that a single man can change the economical, geographical, social, judicial and even spiritual fate of a nation. We see this happen often throughout history from the Muslim prophet, Muhammad, to the Jewish messiah, Jesus, to the more the modern scientists and philosophers like Charles Darwin, Spurgeon and Gandhi. One such figure in Ancient World history (B.C.) is Jeroboam, son of Nebat.

           As is recorded in 1 Kings 12, Jeroboam led ten of the twelve tribes of Israel in a revolt against their current king, and set himself up as the rebel ruler of a new kingdom. His rebellion, however, did not stop there. As we read in verses 26-27, Jeroboam realizes that since the only religious center of the previous kingdom is still occupied by his rival – Rehoboam, son of Solomon, son of David – it is probable that the people who have rebelled with him will think twice and return to the kingdom wherein their temple stands. To prevent this return to the House of David and the Temple of Jehovah, Jeroboam: “took counsel, and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, ‘You have gone up to Jerusalem 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.’” (1 Kings 12:28-29)

        Any reader who is familiar with the previous events of Jeroboam’s story may find themselves, at this new action of his, quite shocked. For Jeroboam did not rebel against the House of David and the rule of Rehoboam without incentive. A few chapters previously in Jeroboam’s life, he had just been taken by King Solomon and promoted to overseer of the King’s forced labor projects for the two tribes of Joseph. One day, as Jeroboam was traveling beyond Jerusalem, he was met by the prophet Ahijah. As the text describes: “Ahijah had dressed himself in a new garment, and the two of them [this is, Jeroboam and Ahijah] were alone in the open country. Then Ahijah laid hold of the new garment that was on him and tore it into twelve pieces. And he said to Jeroboam, ‘Take for yourself ten pieces, for thus says the LORD the God of Israel, “Behold, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and I will give you ten tribes … because they have forsaken me and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of Moab, and Milcom the god of the Ammonites … Nevertheless I will not take the kingdom of out his [Solomon’s] hand … But I will take the kingdom out of his son’s hand and I will give it to you, ten tribes. … and you shall be king over Israel. 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 … I will give Israel to you.” (1 Kings 11:29-38)

        Yet as the first act of Jeroboam, we see him making for the people of Israel two golden calves (seemingly reminiscent of Aaron’s golden calf on mountain Sinai) and thus leading them away from the God who had given him this his new kingdom. How Jeroboam could have taken the words of Ahijah, fulfilled their prophecy and then turned his back on the God of that prophecy is hard to understand. Though one thing is certain, and that is that Jeroboam did not walk in God’s ways, keep his statutes or his commandments. Because of this, we see another prophet arise, this time to foretell not Jeroboam’s ascension, but end of his house and the destruction of his altar to the golden calves:

        “And behold, a man of God came out of Judah by the word of the Lord to Bethel. Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make offerings. And the man cried against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said, ‘O alter, alter, thus says the LORD: “Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who make offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.”’ And he gave a sign the same day, saying, ‘This is the sign that the LORD has spoken: “Behold, the altar shall be torn down, and the ashes that are on it shall be poured out.’” (1 Kings 13:1-3)

        Even after this, Jeroboam does not repent. In the next chapter, he is given a final chance as the prophet Ahijah returns to the scene:

        “At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick. And Jeroboam said to his wife, ‘Arise, and disguise yourself, that it not be known that you are the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh. Behold, Ahijah the prophet is there, who said of me that I should be king over this people.’ ... Jeroboam's wife did so. ... But when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, he said, ‘… Go, tell Jeroboam, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: ‘Because I exalted you from among the people and made you leader over my people Israel ... yet you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commandments and followed me with all his heart ... but you have done evil above all who were before you ... and have cast me behind your back, therefore behold, I will bring harm upon the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam every male, both bond and free in Israel, and will burn up the house of Jeroboam, as a man burns up dung until it is all gone ... for the LORD has spoken it.’”’” (1 Kings 14:1-11)

        Here we see that though Jeroboam has turned his back on the God who made him king, he still seems to have more faith in Jehovah’s prophecies than any divinations of his own newly-erected gods and priesthood. But this does not lead him to repentance.

        So through the act of a single man, the nation of Israel rejected the LORD their God, and served images of gold, which could neither see, nor hear their cries when, some hundred years later, they were conquered by the Assyrians and carried off into captivity. Jeroboam, son of Nebat, left behind him a terrible legacy, wherein he would always be remembered as the man who turned Israel away from the LORD.