“Jeroboam had set a standard by which all subsequent kings would be measured. Faithful kings were those who ‘walked in the ways of David.’ Unfaithful kings ‘walked in the ways of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin.’ The sins of Jeroboam were his actions pertaining to the worship of God, when he altered the time, place, manner, and offices of worship for pragmatic reasons, by his own authority and thus ‘caused Israel to sin.’
He presumed to change the elements of worship, introducing to the people two golden calves which he presented as visible representations of the ‘God who brought them out of Egypt,’ thus instituting a means of worshipping God which He had not appointed. The church falls into the same error today when it presumes to introduce means of worshipping God which He has not ordained.
He presumed to change the place of worship, from the central temple in Jerusalem to the two high places in Dan and Bethel, thus shifting the focus of Israel away from God's appointment to what seemed more practical and pleasing to the people. The church falls into the same error today when it forsakes the central focus of worship- which is upon the heavenly Tabernacle (of which the temple in Jerusalem was a copy and a type)-and encourages each local body to approach God in whatever way seems most pleasing and fulfilling to them.
He presumed to change the authority over worship, from the priests appointed by God to those of his own choosing, who would presumably carry out his innovations without challenge. The church falls into the same error today when it resumes to create offices and governments in the body which God has never appointed.
He presumed to change the time of worship, altering the observance of God's appointed feast day to a day and month devised in his own heart. The church falls into the same error today when it creates special days of man's own devising.
If it was a great sin for Jeroboam merely to alter the date and time for the observance of a feast which God had commanded His people to observe, how much more when the church creates special holy days without any warrant at all from God's Word? (Comin, 107-8)
