If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah.
If these people go up to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices in the LORD's temple, then their hearts will turn back to their master, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to serve Rehoboam king of Judah.
Jeroboam is worried that if his people keep worshiping in Jerusalem, they'll abandon him and go back to serving the southern kingdom's king instead.
📚 Historical Context
After Solomon's death, the kingdom of Israel split into the northern kingdom under Jeroboam and the southern kingdom under Rehoboam, due to growing tensions and Rehoboam's harsh leadership. Jeroboam, as the new king of the north, worried that if his people traveled to Jerusalem for worship at the temple, they would reaffirm their loyalty to Rehoboam and potentially rebel against him, threatening his rule. This fear reflected the deep religious and political divisions in the nation.
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