I Kings 12: 1 – 33
For want of a counselor
12 And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. 2 So it happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it (he was still in Egypt, for he had fled from the presence of King Solomon and had been dwelling in Egypt), 3 that they sent and called him. Then Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying, 4 “Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.” 5 So he said to them, “Depart for three days, then come back to me.” And the people departed. 6 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, and he said, “How do you advise me to answer these people?” 7 And they spoke to him, saying, “If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.” 8 But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him, and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him. 9 And he said to them, “What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?” 10 Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you should speak to this people who have spoken to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us’—thus you shall say to them: ‘My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s waist! 11 And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!’ ” 12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had directed, saying, “Come back to me the third day.” 13 Then the king answered the people roughly, and rejected the advice which the elders had given him; 14 and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!” 15 So the king did not listen to the people; for the turn of events was from the LORD, that He might fulfill His word, which the LORD had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat. 16 Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying: “What share have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Now, see to your own house, O David!” So, Israel departed to their tents. 17 But Rehoboam reigned over the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah. 18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was in charge of the revenue; but all Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. Therefore, King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste to flee to Jerusalem. 19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day. 20 Now it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back, they sent for him and called him to the congregation and made him king over all Israel. There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only. 21 And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. 22 But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, 23 “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying, 24 ‘Thus says the LORD: “You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.” Therefore, they obeyed the word of the LORD, and turned back, according to the word of the LORD. 25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim and dwelt there. Also, he went out from there and built Penuel. 26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom may return to the house of David: 27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah.” 28 Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!” 29 And he set up one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. 30 Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan. 31 He made shrines on the high places, and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi. 32 Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. So, he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made. 33 So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in his own heart. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel and offered sacrifices on the altar and burned incense.
Who do you turn to when you have issues in your life? Your phone, social media, a co-worker, or friend? Have you considered the priority order of who you go to? Maybe the order of whom you take your life challenges speaks to your spiritual walk maturity. Consider this:
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” – Philippians 4:6
Instead of finding someone or something to take your request to, take it to God. After all He Is the Wonderful Counselor. It sounds simple, almost overstated. But when something happens in your life and you need help, is your initial reaction to act or take it to prayer? Keep in mind, prayer is not meant to be a long, drawn out oration with fancy words and a formula for success. It is your heart petitioning your emotions and making a request to our God.
“Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.” – Proverbs 15:22
It’s not a question of whether an unbeliever can be wise; it’s about seeking someone with similar values when addressing an issue. The person with whom you seek wise counsel should be the one that also shares the most important relationship in your life, Jesus Christ. It’s not that we can’t glean information from those not following the Lord, but ultimately, it’s those who hold the same value system as us that we should seek wise counsel from.
A lot of time even believers seek out counselors who have some type of worldly degrees. I would say that for believers this road is the wrong road and can lead to additional problems. Here is some good advice from our Holy Spirit;
Proverbs 11: 14, “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.
Proverbs 15: 22 “Without counsel, plans go awry, but in the multitude of counselors they are established.
Proverbs 24: 6, “For by wise counsel you will wage your own war, and in a multitude of counselors there is safety.
Isaiah 41: 28 “For I looked, and there was no man; I looked among them, but there was no counselor, Who, when I asked of them, could answer a word.
Nahum 1: 11, “From you comes forth one Who plots evil against the Lord, A wicked counselor.
Today we are going to see this fact brought out. Solomon has died and left the kingdom to his son Rehoboam. A benefit left for Rehoboam was that men who served his dad as counselors in all areas were still available for advice. He did not pay attention to their counsel. Instead, he surrounded himself with his buddies who had no wisdom at all, only prideful arrogance. Well, we will see how their kind of advice works out.
The death of Solomon, as always with the death of a king who had ruled powerfully for a long time and had been somewhat autocratic, resulted in hopes being raised among the people that things might now be made better for them. They appear to have been quite satisfied with the thought of Rehoboam being their king, as long as he would meet them halfway, and they actually gathered at Shechem to negotiate with him for that purpose. It was a real opportunity. Had Rehoboam took worthwhile counsel and made concessions, and retained the loyalty of Israel, the combined kingdom would have remained a power, and the tributaries watching in expectation might have hesitated about making trouble. But let Israel and Judah once become divided into two nations, and the driving force and the power base would be lost, and men like Hadad in Edom and Rezon in Damascus (11.14-25) would soon ensure the collapse of the empire. And ever waiting in the wings for the collapse of the empire was the powerful Shishak of Egypt in a revived Egypt, just waiting for his opportunity to break up the trade monopoly which Solomon had built up.
12 And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king.
Shechem was the place to which Israel had first gathered under Joshua for the reading of the Law and the renewal of the covenant (Joshua 8.30-35), and the place where Joshua had renewed the covenant after the initial stages of the invasion were over and Israel were settled in the land (Joshua 24.1-28). It was a recognized place at which YHWH had recorded His Name. It was the place where the stone of witness had been set up (Joshua 24.26) and it may well be that the regular reading of the covenant required by the Law of Moses took place at Shechem whose two local mountains Ebal and Gerizim, together with the valley that lay between them, formed a natural Amphitheatre (Deuteronomy 27.1-26). Its very sacredness gave a sense of solidity and assurance to Israel.
This is a reminder to us that while Jerusalem had finally been established as the Central Sanctuary, (even though the existence of the Tabernacle was still within living memory), there were other sanctuaries at which YHWH could be legally worshipped. Later we learn of an altar on Mount Carmel that was declared to be an altar of YHWH usable by Elijah (18.30-32). And Elijah mentions other such acknowledged altars of YHWH (19.10).
2 So it happened, when Jeroboam the son of Nebat heard it (he was still in Egypt, for he had fled from the presence of King Solomon and had been dwelling in Egypt), 3 that they sent and called him. Then Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam, saying,
Israel had not forgotten Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who had fought their corner with Solomon, and they recognized that he was just the man to negotiate on their behalf in this situation. So, they sent to Egypt where he was a refugee, calling on him to come and be their negotiator and mediator. And once he had arrived he and the elders of Israel went to negotiate with Rehoboam.
4 “Your father made our yoke heavy; now therefore, lighten the burdensome service of your father, and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.”
The Israelites then sent a group of leaders to put their requirements to Rehoboam. Their terms were very simple. They were prepared to acknowledge Rehoboam as their king on condition that he could assure them that he would lighten the heavy burdens that his father had put on them with his building schemes and constant demands. They wanted a relaxation of the pressure on them so that they could concentrate more on their own welfare and their families.
5 So he said to them, “Depart for three days, then come back to me.” And the people departed.
Rehoboam then asked for three days in which he could consider the matter before he gave his reply. This was not unreasonable as they would want him to come forward with some concrete proposals. They saw kingship in Israel as something resulting from a covenant between the king and the people. Even in the case of Solomon he had been made king while the Hebron covenant with David had still been active, and his kingship was later renewed and acknowledged by Israel (1 Chronicles 29.22). So, they went away feeling quite hopeful. Concessions on taxes and on labor levies were often a regular feature on the accession of a new ruler, something evidenced in inscriptions.
6 Then King Rehoboam consulted the elders who stood before his father Solomon while he still lived, and he said, “How do you advise me to answer these people?”
Rehoboam then called together his father’s old counsellors, men of wide experience and politically astute, and asked them how, in their view, he should reply.
7 And they spoke to him, saying, “If you will be a servant to these people today, and serve them, and answer them, and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”
The elders reply was that in their view if he was willing to meet the men of Israel half way, with a little humility, and consider Israel’s genuine grievances, recognizing while one of his duties as king was to serve his people, he would win them over and they would become his loyal subjects permanently. They recognized the goodwill and sense of loyalty that Israel had towards Solomon’s son, and that Israel had a genuine grievance.
8 But he rejected the advice which the elders had given him and consulted the young men who had grown up with him, who stood before him.
But Rehoboam was not happy with their advice. His father had not brought him up to consider the good of the people. Rather he had brought him up with an overbearing attitude of arrogance and self-interest. An arrogant and despotic father rarely produces a considerate son. So, Rehoboam did not feel that what his counsellors were advising was a good idea. He felt that it was too humiliating and giving too much away. Thus, he then turned to the younger men who had grown up with him at court, and who were constantly in his presence.
9 And he said to them, “What advice do you give? How should we answer this people who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?”
He asked them how they felt that he should reply to Israel’s request for their yoke to be made lighter. The answer was really a foregone conclusion, for to a man they were as arrogant and despotic as Rehoboam himself. They were the younger aristocrats of the court who saw themselves as being God’s gift to the world in the wrong sense, and they had grown up under Solomon’s despotic rule all being born with silver spoons and not having a need or a care of hardship.
10 Then the young men who had grown up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you should speak to this people who have spoken to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter on us’—thus you shall say to them: ‘My little finger shall be thicker than my father’s waist! 11 And now, whereas my father put a heavy yoke on you, I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!’”
These younger men in contrast with the aged counsellors, but probably mature in age, for Rehoboam himself was 41 years of age (14.21) and by this time he had eighteen wives, sixty concubines, twenty eight sons and sixty daughters – (2 Chronicles 11.21) had grown up with him at court, and they gave him the answer that fitted in with his own attitude. Let him show the men of Israel who was in charge and let them know that he was even more of a man, and even tougher, than his father. Let him inform the rebellious people that his little finger was thicker than his father’s thighs. In other words that he would do precisely as he liked. So, whereas his father had simply beaten them with whips, he would beat them with scorpions. The intention was to frighten them into submission. And if they would not submit, so much the worse for them.
12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had directed, saying, “Come back to me the third day.”
Thus, when Jeroboam and all the elders of Israel came on the third day to receive Rehoboam’s reply he was ready to put them in their place. How dare they come and demand things from the new king.
13 Then the king answered the people roughly, and rejected the advice which the elders had given him; 14 and he spoke to them according to the advice of the young men, saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scourges!”
He answered the people roughly, ignoring the advice of the wiser old men, and relying on the counsel of his contemporaries. Let Israel recognize that they were not dealing with any soft option. If his father had made their yoke heavy, he would add to it and make it heavier. His father may have chastened them with whips, but he would beat them with scorpions, the creatures whose painful sting was almost beyond bearing. They would be made to pay for their insubordination.
15 So the king did not listen to the people; for the turn of events was from the LORD, that He might fulfill His word, which the LORD had spoken by Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam the son of Nebat.
Rehoboam’s remarks were so foolish that there could only be one explanation for it. It was of YHWH Who allowed all this to happen in order to bring about His purposes. That did not, of course, excuse Rehoboam, whose behavior was simply that of a spoiled and very arrogant person. He had behaved as he had been brought up to behave, following the example of his father.
16 Now when all Israel saw that the king did not listen to them, the people answered the king, saying: “What share have we in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. To your tents, O Israel! Now, see to your own house, O David!” So, Israel departed to their tents.
The people of Israel, however, were in a determined mood. They had been prepared to cooperate, but their lives had become so unbearable that what Rehoboam threatened could only take them over the edge. When they heard that he had not listened to them, they boldly declared that they no longer ‘had anything to do with him and his kingdom. They no longer saw themselves as being in the Davidic covenant, or saw the Davidic house as having authority over them. They no longer saw the son of Jesse as their inheritance. From now on ‘David’ (Rehoboam) could look after his own house. They would return to the freedom of their own homes no longer under ‘David’s’ yoke. It was a total rejection of any covenant that they had had with David or his house.
The consequence of all this was that Israel returned to their homes. They would choose their own king. Considering the forces that were at Rehoboam’s disposal it was a decision that required some bravery. But they clearly felt that they had had enough, come what may.
17 But Rehoboam reigned over the children of Israel who dwelt in the cities of Judah.
Rehoboam still had total control over all who dwelt in the cities of Judah, including Jerusalem, and, we learn, also part of Benjamin. These had never been as much affected by the continual labor levies as the remainder.
18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who was in charge of the revenue; but all Israel stoned him with stones, and he died. Therefore, King Rehoboam mounted his chariot in haste to flee to Jerusalem.
Arrogantly Rehoboam took the position that Israel could be ‘whipped into line’ he therefore sent Adoram who had total overall control over the tax revenues. It was a foolish move. For Adoram was so hated that as soon as the men of Israel recognized who was among them they stoned him to death. Hearing the news and realizing almost too late the danger of the situation Rehoboam then hurriedly mounted his chariot and fled with his bodyguard to Jerusalem.
19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.
Rehoboam learned quickly that they said what they meant and meant what they said. As far as Israel were concerned that was the end of the rule of the Davidic house.
20 Now it came to pass when all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back, they sent for him and called him to the congregation and made him king over all Israel. There was none who followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only.
The Israelites did not have to look around for a new leader. They appointed their champion Jeroboam as their king, a man with whom YHWH had made a covenant like the one that He had made with David (11.37-38). From now on only those who acknowledged the authority of the elders of Judah would follow Rehoboam.
21 And when Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah with the tribe of Benjamin, one hundred and eighty thousand chosen men who were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, that he might restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
Rehoboam was not going to take this rebellion lying down, so he assembled all the armed might that was still under his control in order to bring the rebels into line. It could only result in a vicious civil war.
22 But the word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying,
The God of Israel was not prepared to stand back and watch Israel/Judah tear itself apart in civil war. The term ‘man of God’ always indicates in Kings a prophet who was true to YHWH, independently minded because he only listened to YHWH, and mainly non-political. Shemaiah was a prophet connected with Jerusalem in contrast with Ahijah who seems to have been a prophet connected with Shiloh. Thus, God had His true prophets operating throughout Judah and Israel in different places, unknown and unsung until the time came for them to speak openly in the name of YHWH. But we need not doubt that they were constantly proclaiming the word of YHWH to all who would hear it, and especially to those who came to them to be taught. This was what kept the faith of Israel alive. Amidst all that happened YHWH was continually at work maintaining a true remnant in Israel.
23 “Speak to Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, to all the house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people, saying, 24 ‘Thus says the LORD: “You shall not go up nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel. Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.” Therefore, they obeyed the word of the LORD, and turned back, according to the word of the LORD.
The word of YHWH was simple. It was to the effect that they were not to fight against their brothers the children of Israel, because what had happened had been YHWH’s doing. They were therefore to accept it as the will of YHWH.
Please take note of the reference to Rehoboam as ‘king of Judah’. This was now what he was in YHWH’s eyes. He was no longer king over Israel.
25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim and dwelt there. Also, he went out from there and built Penuel.
Taking advantage of the short peace which had been granted because of YHWH’s intervention in Jerusalem, Jeroboam set up two political centers, one on each side of Jordan, the one in Shechem which had been at the very heart of the rebellion, and the other in Penuel.
26 And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom may return to the house of David: 27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah.”
Jeroboam would, however, eventually establish his capital city at Tirzah (14.17), but he knew that he would have to guard against the possibility of Rehoboam dealing with the Israelites in Transjordan if they felt themselves cut off from any political influence.
28 Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!” 29 And he set up one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.
Along with his attempt to strengthen Israel’s ability to resist invasion, Jeroboam turned his thoughts to the religious position. He recognized the great danger that if Israelites continued their visits to the Temple in Jerusalem at one or other of the three great feasts and went up to offer sacrifices there, their hearts might be turned back to Rehoboam, who would no doubt be on the lookout for the opportunity. And the consequence would be that they would then kill him at Rehoboam’s request and return to the service of Rehoboam. He felt that it was something that he could not risk.
Jeroboam set up two ‘calves of gold’, one in Bethel and the other in Dan, and called on Israel not to go up to Jerusalem but rather to worship at one of these two sanctuaries. The idea of the calves or possibly bulls was probably that they be bases on which the invisible YHWH would be visualized, thus replacing the Ark.
Bethel and Dan had both been sanctuaries in the past. It was thus a convenient site for Jeroboam to seize on, both because of its ancient respectability in northern Israel, and in its readiness not to stick to the norm. Bethel was an even more ancient sanctuary and was also a place where YHWH had recorded His Name. It catered for the south of Israel.
30 Now this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan.
The people began to flock to Dan as their ‘central sanctuary’, something which ‘became a sin’ to them because it meant that they had turned away from following and worshiping the One and Only True God Yahweh.
31 He made shrines on the high places, and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi. 32 Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. So, he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made.
The probability is that the genuine priests of Bethel would not cooperate with Jeroboam, especially once the golden bull had been placed there. To them it would smack of Baalism (Baal was depicted in the form of a bull) and of setting up a graven image. That no doubt was why in the end he had to appoint his own priests.
In his thoroughgoing attempt to turn the people away from Jerusalem worship Jeroboam replaced the three great feasts of YHWH with a feast established in the eighth month, to celebrate the end of the harvests. This was copying the Feast of Tabernacles, which was, however, in the seventh month. He was aware that the only way in which he could achieve success was by weaning the people completely away from orthodox Yahwism. The people of Israel lived so far from Jerusalem that they had in the main probably only attended one great feast a year (compare 1 Samuel 1.3), and this was thus the alternative that he now gave them which he hoped would take their minds off the regular feasts. And he supported this by himself ‘going up’ to the altar in Bethel and offering the same kind of sacrifices (presumably through his new priests) as would be offered during the feast of Tabernacles, no doubt at the same time arranging for many other freewill offerings which would result in great feasting and celebration. He may well by this have been intending to make Bethel more popular, and it is possible that he arranged the festival quickly to celebrate the establishment of his kingship at ‘a feast of YHWH’.
Jeroboam could not have accomplished all this unless the hearts of the people had been with him. It was clearly only possible because Solomon’s own behavior had encouraged a diluted Yahwism. Loyalty to pure Yahwism had long grown dim, except among those who heeded the prophets.
We may end the passage by summing up ‘the sin of Jeroboam the son of Nebat which will have such prominence throughout Kings.
• 1). He set up two separate sanctuaries at which the people could worship, thus breaking their sense of unity. They no longer had a central sanctuary at which to gather, and seemingly no focus on the covenant (no Ark).
• 2). He set up two visible graven images that the people could look on in two separate places as they worshipped, each of which was supposed to be bearing the invisible God. Such graven images were contrary to God’s Law, and to have two figures which indicated the presence of God in two different places destroyed the idea of His essential unity, as the reference to ‘these are your gods’ emphasizes. He was virtually making God like the gods of the nations.
• 3). He established a non-Levitical priesthood consisting of men of his own choosing, instead of those chosen and set apart by God.
• 4). He himself acted as king-priest by offering incense.
• 5). He instituted a feast of his own devising to replace the three feasts of YHWH which had commemorated the deliverance from Egypt.
He was thus basically rejecting the revealed religion of YHWH and shaping a pale copy of it to his own choosing. As a result, he was misrepresenting the God of the Covenant of Sinai and rejecting all His revealed requirements. He was turning the God of Sinai into a god like any other god and removing the sense of awe and holiness that the Tabernacle had been designed to inculcate. Although he possibly did not realize it, it was an act of open rebellion against YHWH and His revelation of Himself.
We, too, can be in danger of the sin of Jeroboam, for whenever we fail to recognize our own responsibilities towards Jesus Christ as our Lord, and begin to shape our worship of God around things which are simply pleasing to ourselves, rather than around what encourages true worship, and begin to fit our ‘heavenly service’ into the shape of men’s earthly ideas instead of according to the will of God as revealed in the Scriptures, we become as guilty as Jeroboam. The sin of Jeroboam is responsible for much of the ‘worldliness’ which is in the church today.
33 So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in his own heart. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel and offered sacrifices on the altar and burned incense.
Please take note of the emphasis on the fact that Jeroboam went up to the altar of his own devising (‘the altar which he had made’) in the month which ‘he had devised of his own heart’ and ordained a strange ‘feast for the children of Israel’, with himself acting as king-priest by offering incense. In other words, he was seeking to rid Israel of all that God had required at Sinai and replacing it with devices and ideas of his own. He had basically rejected the revelation at Sinai in favor of his own innovations.
