I Kings 12:26f: "Jeroboam thought to himself, 'The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.' After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, 'It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up our of Egypt.' One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. And this thing became a sin"
The theme of Jeroboam's leadership was "whatever it takes to keep my position." Jeroboam had been crowned king by the tribes of Israel that had rebelled against Solomon's son, Rehoboam. Soon after Rehoboam had come to the throne, representatives of the tribes of Israel came to him to complain about the heavy yoke of burdensome labor that his father, Solomon, had placed upon them. Now they wanted the son to lift this burden from them. Rehoboam not only refused to listen to the people, he decided that he would be even more ruthless than his father had been. In response, the people rebelled against the king and appointed Jeroboam king. Only the tribe of Judah remained faithful to the son of Solomon.
Jeroboam had been promised by the Lord through the prophet Ahijah that he would be king of ten tribes of Israel. God promised Jeroboam that if he would be obedient by keeping the Lord's statutes and commands, God would be with the new king and would build a dynasty for him as enduring as the one built for David.
What Jeroboam lacked was faith. After being crowned king, Jeroboam became worried that if the people went to Jerusalem (to the land of Judah loyal to Rehoboam) to sacrifice offerings to the Lord, then his subjects would return their loyalty to his rival. Jeroboam did not seek the Lord, but decided that he would consult his advisors. Apparently they were able to sway the king to build shrines in his own territory, in direct defiance to the Lord's command that He was to be worshipped at the temple in Jerusalem. Jeroboam also decided to validate the improper venue of worship by crafting false idols and recognizing them as the ones who brought deliverance to the Israelites from Egypt centuries before. Jeroboam was commiting cosmic treason against the Sovereign Lord by praising lifeless idols and crediting them with what God had accomplished years before.
Whereas God had promised Jeroboam a lasting dynasty, the king's fear of loss of the throne and his lack of faith in the promises of God brought about his downfall. The king was more concerned with maintaining the loyalty of his subjects over doing what was right in the eyes of the Lord. Ultimately, this brought the very thing he feared most: the destruction of his kingdom.
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