What do Aaron and Jeroboam have in common? Do you remember the story of the golden calf in Exodus 32? In the first verse of that chapter, “the people gathered together to Aaron, and said to him, ‘Come, make us gods that shall go before us…’” They asked for gods, so Aaron took their golden earrings, made a molded calf and said, “This is your god, O Israel, that brought you out of the land of Egypt” (32:2-4). He made one image and said it was their god!
In 1 Kings 12, Jeroboam was fearful of the people going back to Jerusalem to worship. After asking advice, Jeroboam “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!’” (12:26-28). He made two images and gave them to the people as their gods!
Who was worse: Aaron with one “god” or Jeroboam with two “gods”? There is no “worse”! Any level of idolatry is sinful! Think about that in our society and in our lives today (Col. 3:5b).