More thoughts from my reading of 1st Kings.
In chapter 11 Ahijah the prophet goes to Jeroboam son of Nebat and prophesies to him that the kingdom will be divided with Jeroboam taking ten tribes from King Rehoboam to be his kingdom. The Lord through Abijah tells Jeroboam that, if he will follow God's law and serve Him only, that God will give him a house and kingdom as he did for David. Here God gives Jeroboam a dream: a divine destiny for his life.
In chapter 12 Jeroboam worries that the people will turn back to King Rehoboam and the House of David if they are allowed to go to the Temple in Jerusalem to worship Yahweh. To prevent this, he sets up golden calves in high places at Bethel and Dan, appoints priest who are not Levites to serve at those high places, and tells the people that these idols are the "gods" that brought them up out of Egypt.
Jeroboam took true vision and destiny that was from the Lord, and out of fear and insecurity in his calling he attempted to fulfill that dream in idolatrous ways rather than trusting God for its completion and fulfillment. Even Godly dreams can become idols. Lord, keep me from idolatrous ways of human efforts to fulfill your true dreams and visions for me.
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