Single lesson
Jeroboam Sets Up the Golden Calves
1 Kings 12:25–33
This lesson helps children follow the order of Jeroboam’s actions and notice what the passage says about them. Students will sequence the account, identify key choices, and observe how Jeroboam replaced worship at Yahweh’s house with arrangements he made himself.
Before you teach
In this passage, Jeroboam builds Shechem and Penuel, then says in his heart that the kingdom may return to David’s house. He fears the people will turn again to Rehoboam if they go to offer sacrifices at Yahweh’s house in Jerusalem, so he makes new worship arrangements in Bethel and Dan.
Students will be able to retell the order of Jeroboam’s actions in 1 Kings 12:25–33 and identify that he replaced worship at Yahweh’s house with arrangements he made himself, which the passage calls sin.
Welcome: Listen for the order
5 minTell the children they will listen for the sequence of actions in this passage. Read verse 25 and note that Jeroboam built Shechem, lived there, then went out and built Penuel. Ask everyone to listen for what Jeroboam says, makes, sets, ordains, and does next.
1 Kings 12:25
Read and explain: Jeroboam’s fear about Jerusalem
7 minRead verses 26–27 aloud. Explain that Jeroboam says in his heart that the kingdom may return to David’s house. He fears that if the people go to offer sacrifices in Yahweh’s house at Jerusalem, their hearts will turn again to Rehoboam. This shows the worship place already named in the passage was Yahweh’s house at Jerusalem.
1 Kings 12:26, 1 Kings 12:27
Discuss: The calves and the people’s response
6 minRead verses 28–30. Jeroboam took counsel, made two calves of gold, and told the people, ‘Look and behold your gods, Israel’. He placed one in Bethel and one in Dan. The passage then gives a clear judgement: ‘This thing became a sin,’ and it says the people went even as far as Dan to worship before the one there.
1 Kings 12:28, 1 Kings 12:29, 1 Kings 12:30
Make and respond: Sequence strip cards
8 minGive children paper cards to draw or write five steps from the passage: built cities, feared the people would return, made two calves, made priests and high places, ordained a feast and went up to the altar. Children place the cards in order, then retell the account using words from the verses where possible.
1 Kings 12:25, 1 Kings 12:27, 1 Kings 12:28, 1 Kings 12:31, 1 Kings 12:33
Closing: What do these verses show?
4 minReview the whole sequence together. Emphasise that the people had been going to Yahweh’s house at Jerusalem, but Jeroboam set up calves, priests, a feast, and an altar he had made himself. Ask children to name one choice Jeroboam made and one response the people made from the passage itself.
1 Kings 12:27, 1 Kings 12:28, 1 Kings 12:30, 1 Kings 12:31, 1 Kings 12:32, 1 Kings 12:33
Questions to explore
What was Jeroboam afraid would happen if the people went to Jerusalem?
Look at the words about the kingdom returning to David’s house and the people turning again to Rehoboam.
1 Kings 12:26, 1 Kings 12:27
What did Jeroboam make and where did he place them?
Read the verses that name the two calves of gold and the two places where he set them.
1 Kings 12:28, 1 Kings 12:29
Which words in the passage show that Jeroboam’s worship arrangements came from him rather than from Yahweh’s house at Jerusalem?
Compare the mention of ‘Yahweh’s house at Jerusalem’ with the repeated phrases about what Jeroboam ‘made’ and what he ‘devised of his own heart’.
1 Kings 12:27, 1 Kings 12:31, 1 Kings 12:32, 1 Kings 12:33
Make, think or respond
Story Sequence Cards
What you’ll need
- plain paper or card
- pencils or textas
- scissors
- Bible
Try it together
- Read 1 Kings 12:25–33 again and identify five main actions in order.
- Help each child draw or write one action on each card.
- Mix the cards up, then work alone or with a partner to put them back in order.
- Ask each child to retell the account using their cards and at least one phrase from the passage.
This activity helps children follow the order of Jeroboam’s choices and notice how the passage moves from his fear to actions that the text calls sin.
Adapt for your group
- For younger children, prepare simple picture prompts for the five actions and let them place the cards in order while you reread the verses.
- For older or confident readers, ask them to add the exact verse number to each card and explain which verses describe Jeroboam’s actions and which verse states the result for the people.
An optional closing prayer
You could pray: ‘God, please help us listen carefully to your word and learn from Jeroboam’s choices in this passage. Help us understand what these verses say and remember them well. Amen.’
Read the Bible passage World English Bible Classic
1 Kings 12
25 Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim, and lived in it; and he went out from there and built Penuel.
26 Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom will return to David’s house.
27 If this people goes up to offer sacrifices in Yahweh’s house at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn again to their lord, even to Rehoboam king of Judah; and they will kill me, and return to Rehoboam king of Judah.”
28 So the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold; and he said to them, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Look and behold your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”
29 He set the one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan.
30 This thing became a sin, for the people went even as far as Dan to worship before the one there.
31 He made houses of high places, and made priests from among all the people, who were not of the sons of Levi.
32 Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like the feast that is in Judah, and he went up to the altar. He did so in Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made, and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places that he had made.
33 He went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and went up to the altar to burn incense.
World English Bible Classic. Public domain.