In 1 Kings 12:28–31 the writer confronts us with the great sin of Jeroboam. This is the single most important action of his reign and caused his name to be known by the writers of the Bible as Jeroboam the man who made Israel to sin.
Interestingly, the root of the verb translated as “took counsel’ is the same as the verb used to speak of Rehoboam’s consulting with the two groups of men concerning his answer to the people of Israel. There is a difference here, however, because there is no information given to inform the reader with whom he took counsel. This leaves the possibility open that he consulted no one but himself. Never does the Word of God accuse any other person or group of persons to being responsible for this monumental transgression. At the end of the day, the leader is always responsible for his decisions, but sometimes there are others who goad him to what is done.
There is nothing in the text to suggest that the words that he speaks to the people have any other source but himself. No matter what the advice he had received, the words are almost certainly his own.
We ought to notice that Jeroboam speaks to the people deceitfully. We learn from the previous verses that he was concerned about the possibility of the people of Israel returning their allegiance to Rehoboam, if they continued going to the temple in Jerusalem at the times of the great feasts. Nevertheless, when he speaks to them, he mentions nothing about this and places matters in another context. In suggesting that they have gone up to Jerusalem long enough,
it may be that he is implying that the journey was too arduous, and that he intended to provide an easier place to reach.
His solution is that he caused two golden calves to be made and declared that they were the gods who brought the people out of Egypt. This action was outright idolatry and, therefore, a direct violation of the second commandment in that he caused graven images to be made and worshipped. The question comes, Was it a violation also of the first commandment, You shall have no other gods before me
? There is a difference of opinion at this point, because some commentators believe that each of the calves was intended to be viewed as a visible representation of Yahweh. Others believe that they were intended to represent another deity to whom the deliverance from Egypt was to be ascribed. We do not have enough data to make a judgment one way or another.
28 So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”