Most people don't have this verse memorized, but let's give it a shot. "These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt." You give up? OK. Exodus 32:4. It seems that it was Aaron and others that said these words after having completed the task of forming a golden calf idol. A few verses later we know that God had heard the words, because He quotes them verbatim, and He isn't happy. One would think that this would end future references to this special quote, tucked deeply into the ashamed-of-ourselves drawer. Not so. 1 Kings 12:28. "Whereupon the king (Jeroboam) took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt." Jeroboam had a verse ready to defend his two new idols at Dan and Bethel. He wanted the worship in Israel as convenient as possible, and Dan and Bethel would cut down on the commute. Worship would be much easier, you wouldn't have to blow a day of travel to Jerusalem, and if you need some evidence, there's even a verse. There is. It's Exodus 32:4.
You can have a verse, but that doesn't mean it's what God said.
Poor Jeroboam!! He forgot to study the Scriptures before using them in his sermon. Sounds like some preachers I've heard before. Of course, he was using the Word for devious purposes, sort of like Satan with the Lord in Matthew 4.
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