Calves of Jeroboam.

From: The New Topical Textbook By: Reuben Archer Torrey

• 1 min. read • grade level: 12

made of gold. 1 Kin. 12:28.

Blade to prevent the Israelites going w Jerusalem. 1 Kin. 12:26, 27.

CALLED THE

Golden calves. 2 Kin. 10:29. 2 Chr. 13:8⁸And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David; and ye be a great multitude, and there are with you golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods. (2 Chronicles 13:8).

Calves of Bethaven. Hos. 105.

Calves of Samaria. Hos. 8:5⁵Thy calf, O Samaria, hath cast thee off; mine anger is kindled against them: how long will it be ere they attain to innocency? (Hosea 8:5).

Placed in Dan and Bethel. 1 Kin. 12:29.

Probably from an Egyptian model. 1 Kings 11:40⁴⁰Solomon sought therefore to kill Jeroboam. And Jeroboam arose, and fled into Egypt, unto Shishak king of Egypt, and was in Egypt until the death of Solomon. (1 Kings 11:40).

Designed to represent God. 1 Kings 12:28²⁸Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. (1 Kings 12:28)

Priests appointed for. 1 Kings 12:31³¹And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi. (1 Kings 12:31). 2 Chr. 11:15¹⁵And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made. (2 Chronicles 11:15).

Sacrifices offered to. 1 Kings 12:32³²And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Beth-el, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Beth-el the priests of the high places which he had made. (1 Kings 12:32). 1 Kings 13:1¹And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord unto Beth-el: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. (1 Kings 13:1).

Feasts appointed for. 1 Kings 12:32, 33³²And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Beth-el, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Beth-el the priests of the high places which he had made. ³³So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Beth-el the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense. (1 Kings 12:32‑33).

Were kissed in adoration. Hos. 13:2²And now they sin more and more, and have made them molten images of their silver, and idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen: they say of them, Let the men that sacrifice kiss the calves. (Hosea 13:2).

WORSHIP OF

Denounced by a prophet. 1 Kings 13:1-3¹And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord unto Beth-el: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. ²And he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee. ³And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the Lord hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out. (1 Kings 13:1‑3).

Adopted by succeeding kings. 1 Kings 15:34³⁴And he did evil in the sight of the Lord, and walked in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin. (1 Kings 15:34). 1 Kings 16:26²⁶For he walked in all the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin, to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger with their vanities. (1 Kings 16:26). 2 Kings 10:29, 31²⁹Howbeit from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Beth-el, and that were in Dan. (2 Kings 10:29)
³¹But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin. (2 Kings 10:31). 2 Kings 14:24²⁴And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. (2 Kings 14:24).

Became the sin of Israel. 1 Kings 12:30³⁰And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan. (1 Kings 12:30). 2 Kings 10:31³¹But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin. (2 Kings 10:31). 2 Chr. 13:8⁸And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David; and ye be a great multitude, and there are with you golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods. (2 Chronicles 13:8).

God's people refused worship. 1 Kings 19:18¹⁸Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. (1 Kings 19:18). 2 Chr. to 11:16.

Guilt of making. 1 Kings 14:9, 10⁹But hast done evil above all that were before thee: for thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back: ¹⁰Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone. (1 Kings 14:9‑10).

Guilt of worshiping 1 Kin. 14:15, 16. 2 Kings 17:22, 23²²For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did; they departed not from them; ²³Until the Lord removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day. (2 Kings 17:22‑23).

PREDICTIONS RESPECTING

Captivity. Hos. 10:6⁶It shall be also carried unto Assyria for a present to king Jareb: Ephraim shall receive shame, and Israel shall be ashamed of his own counsel. (Hosea 10:6).

Destruction. Hos. 8:6⁶For from Israel was it also: the workman made it; therefore it is not God: but the calf of Samaria shall be broken in pieces. (Hosea 8:6). Hos. 10:8⁸The high places also of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed: the thorn and the thistle shall come up on their altars; and they shall say to the mountains, Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us. (Hosea 10:8).

Punishment of the worshippers. Hos. 8:13, 14¹³They sacrifice flesh for the sacrifices of mine offerings, and eat it; but the Lord accepteth them not; now will he remember their iniquity, and visit their sins: they shall return to Egypt. ¹⁴For Israel hath forgotten his Maker, and buildeth temples; and Judah hath multiplied fenced cities: but I will send a fire upon his cities, and it shall devour the palaces thereof. (Hosea 8:13‑14).

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The New Topical Textbook

• Boldness, Holy.

• Bondage, Spiritual.

• Burnt Offering, the.

• Calves of Jeroboam.

• Character of Saints.

• Character of the Wicked.