Jeroboam's Golden Calves

YOU’D THINK that being anointed king over the northern tribes because of Solomon’s disobedience to God would have caused Jeroboam to be more careful about his theology. We follow up last week’s study with the consequences of Jeroboam’s decision to set up altars with golden calves. Contrary to some who teach that the golden calves were idols representing God, we believe the locations—Bethel (“House of El”) and Dan, at the foot of Mount Hermon—point to the Canaanite father-god El, whose main epithet was “Bull El.” Mount Hermon was El’s “mount of assembly,” which is one of the reasons we argue that El was Shemihazah, leader of the sons of God who rebelled in Genesis 6:1–4. Because Jeroboam drew the northern tribes back into the worship of El, who was known as Dagon to the Philistines and Milcom (Molech) to the Ammonites, God sent a prophet to decree that a future king named Josiah would desecrate Jeroboam’s altars by sacrificing the priests of the high places and burning human bones on them. Bear in mind that Jeroboam began his reign over the northern kingdom in 930 BC and Josiah would not become king of Judah until 640 BC, 290 years later! Question of the week: Is there a difference between the terms “Jesus Christ” and “Christ Jesus”?