And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.
The thing that became a sin was Jeroboam's golden calves and the rival worship centers at Bethel and Dan, for the people went to worship before the calf even unto Dan instead of going to Jerusalem to worship. This worship turned Israel away from the true worship of God and dishonored the worship at the temple in Jerusalem. Jeroboam set up the separate centers to keep the people from going to Jerusalem, thwarting God's purpose that their going to Jerusalem would restore unity and reunite the kingdom. Establishing two places for worship divides God's people.
The warning of this sin should have led Jeroboam to repent and abandon his wicked plans, but he hardened his heart and chose his own way. The idolatry led the people into performing and permitting terrible evils, spreading into more corrupt forms until it helped turn nearly all the people toward nature worship. Ahab continued to encourage these sinful forms of worship at Bethel and Dan, then went further by turning the people from worshiping Jehovah to worshiping Baal.
The same spirit Jeroboam manifested endangers people today with work of the same character, and as the Judge of all the earth lays the awful results to Jeroboam's charge, so the results of their wrong course will be laid to the charge of all who follow his example. By the same principle, establishing two places for tithe-paying divides God's people, for the medical work and the ministry are to be one united interest with no separation.
The thing that became a sin was Jeroboam's golden calves and the rival worship centers at Bethel and Dan, for the people went to worship before the calf even unto Dan instead of going to Jerusalem to worship. This worship turned Israel away from the true worship of God and dishonored the worship at the temple in Jerusalem. Jeroboam set up the separate centers to keep the people from going to Jerusalem, thwarting God's purpose that their going to Jerusalem would restore unity and reunite the kingdom. Establishing two places for worship divides God's people.
The warning of this sin should have led Jeroboam to repent and abandon his wicked plans, but he hardened his heart and chose his own way. The idolatry led the people into performing and permitting terrible evils, spreading into more corrupt forms until it helped turn nearly all the people toward nature worship. Ahab continued to encourage these sinful forms of worship at Bethel and Dan, then went further by turning the people from worshiping Jehovah to worshiping Baal.
The same spirit Jeroboam manifested endangers people today with work of the same character, and as the Judge of all the earth lays the awful results to Jeroboam's charge, so the results of their wrong course will be laid to the charge of all who follow his example. By the same principle, establishing two places for tithe-paying divides God's people, for the medical work and the ministry are to be one united interest with no separation.