God sent a prophet from Judah through the hostile country of Israel to denounce King Jeroboam. At Bethel, as Jeroboam acted as priest and prepared to offer incense on the altar, the prophet delivered God's message with a clear and strong voice: O altar, altar! Thus says the LORD: 'Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men's bones shall be burned on you.' He then declared a sign from the LORD that the altar would split apart and the ashes would pour out. God wanted Jeroboam and all Israel to know His displeasure with their idolatry. Furious, Jeroboam ordered the prophet's arrest, but God intervened, withering and freezing the king's arm in place. At the same moment, the altar cracked and its ashes poured out as foretold. Jeroboam's attitude changed abruptly, and he begged the prophet to intercede for him. After the prophet prayed, the king's arm was restored to normal. Grateful, Jeroboam invited the prophet to dine with him, but adhering to God's instructions, the prophet refused, stating that he would neither eat bread nor drink water in that place, nor return by the same way he came, as commanded by the word of the LORD.

God, having responded to Solomon's apostasy by committing Himself to ripping a part of His kingdom from His descendants, sought a suitable ruler for the remaining tribes. He found Jeroboam, a talented and ambitious Ephraimite whom Solomon had placed in charge of Joseph's labor force. God, recognizing potential in Jeroboam, made him two promises through the prophet Ahijah: one conditional and the other unconditional. Upon Solomon's death, Jeroboam seized upon the people's unrest over heavy taxation and forced labor. Just before the coronation of Solomon's son, Rehoboam, Jeroboam challenged him to lighten the burdensome service and heavy yoke imposed by Solomon, promising loyalty in return. When Rehoboam refused and threatened to increase the burden, certain tribes rebelled against the house of David. Jeroboam's kingdom, called the Kingdom of Israel, consisted of ten tribes and lay to the north of Judah, often referred to as the northern kingdom.

Jeroboam I, a significant figure in Israel's history, emerged during the latter part of Solomon's reign, a time marked by Solomon's laxity toward God's commands and growing idolatry. God noticed Jeroboam's potential as a leader, likening him to someone with the capability of a David, and promoted him within the kingdom. After Solomon's death, when Rehoboam, Solomon's son, became king, the people of Israel complained about heavy taxation and sought relief. Rehoboam's rejection of their plea and his ultimatum led to a secession, with Jeroboam becoming king of the northern tribes of Israel. As king, Jeroboam enacted measures driven by a selfish concern for his own position and a disregard for God's promise to establish him if he obeyed. Fearing that the people would return their loyalty to Rehoboam by worshiping at the temple in Jerusalem, Jeroboam devised a plan to prevent this. Politically astute and pragmatic, he established alternative worship sites at Bethel and Dan, leveraging their historical and religious significance. Bethel was revered as a holy place due to Jacob's encounter with God there, while Dan was associated with Moses' grandson, adding to its perceived sanctity. Jeroboam set up altars at these locations, presenting them as logical and honorable choices for worship, despite God's command to worship in Jerusalem. Further, Jeroboam introduced the worship of golden calves, echoing the incident in Exodus 32, and declared them as gods of Israel, connecting his actions to historical events to make them seem acceptable. His arguments, though close to truth in some aspects, gradually weaned the people away from God's truth, exploiting their desire for convenience in religion. Through these covert, inch-by-inch changes, Jeroboam introduced false doctrine that eventually became established, leading to the abandonment of true worship practices among the people of Israel.