Changes

== A new religious system ==

== A new religious system ==

Jeroboam was not satisfied with his kingship. He feared that if his people continued to go up to Jerusalem (here "up" means "to a higher elevation" and not "north"), they might revolt against ''him'' and reestablish the [[United Kingdom]]. Therefore he did two things that would provoke [[God]]'s vengeance. First he threw out all the [[Levi (tribe)|Levites]] from his country, and appointed his own priestly class. Then he set up two golden calves, exactly like the infamous Golden Calf that [[Moses]] destroyed centuries ago. He set up one in [[Dan (tribe)|Dan]] and one at [[Bethel]]. The Levites fled, and so too did all members of the Ten Tribes who still wanted to worship the One True God. Jeroboam does not seem to have cared: he set up "high places," altars of [[Baal]], and [[Asherah]] poles all over his kingdom. He even ordained his own feast, on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the year, exactly one month later than the [[Feast of Tabernacles]].<ref name=Catholic/><ref name=WebBible/><ref name=Aust/><ref name=GeoCities/>

Jeroboam was not satisfied with his kingship. He feared that if his people continued to go up to Jerusalem (here "up" means "to a higher elevation" and not "north"), they might revolt against ''him'' and reestablish the [[United Kingdom]]. Therefore, he did two things that would provoke [[God]]'s vengeance. First he threw out all the [[Levi (tribe)|Levites]] from his country, and appointed his own priestly class. Then he set up two golden calves, exactly like the infamous Golden Calf that [[Moses]] destroyed centuries ago. He set up one in [[Dan (tribe)|Dan]] and one at [[Bethel]]. The Levites fled, and so too did all members of the Ten Tribes who still wanted to worship the One True God. Jeroboam does not seem to have cared: he set up "high places," altars of [[Baal]], and [[Asherah]] poles all over his kingdom. He even ordained his own feast, on the fifteenth day of the eighth month of the year, exactly one month later than the [[Feast of Tabernacles]].<ref name=Catholic/><ref name=WebBible/><ref name=Aust/><ref name=GeoCities/>

One day, an unnamed prophet came to Bethel from the [[Southern Kingdom]] to speak a prophecy against Jeroboam.<ref name=Aust/> He declared that one day, centuries later, another king named [[Josiah]] would burn on that very altar the bones of the priests of Jeroboam's false religion. He then said that as a sign that God meant what He said, the altar would break apart and spill its ashes. Jeroboam raised his hand in anger to order the prophet's arrest, and the hand immediately shriveled up, and the altar split apart exactly as the prophet had predicted.<ref name=WebBible/><ref name=GeoCities/> Jeroboam begged the prophet to intercede with God so that his hand would be restored. It was. Jeroboam then offered the prophet food and drink, but the prophet indignantly refused, saying that God had commanded him neither to eat nor drink in the Northern Kingdom land.

One day, an unnamed prophet came to Bethel from the [[Southern Kingdom]] to speak a prophecy against Jeroboam.<ref name=Aust/> He declared that one day, centuries later, another king named [[Josiah]] would burn on that very altar the bones of the priests of Jeroboam's false religion. He then said that as a sign that God meant what He said, the altar would break apart and spill its ashes. Jeroboam raised his hand in anger to order the prophet's arrest, and the hand immediately shriveled up, and the altar split apart exactly as the prophet had predicted.<ref name=WebBible/><ref name=GeoCities/> Jeroboam begged the prophet to intercede with God so that his hand would be restored. It was. Jeroboam then offered the prophet food and drink, but the prophet indignantly refused, saying that God had commanded him neither to eat nor drink in the Northern Kingdom land.