And he made an house of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi.
He built temples on hilltops and appointed priests from common people who were not from the tribe of Levi.
This verse describes how King Jeroboam deliberately broke God's laws by setting up unauthorized worship places and appointing unqualified priests who weren't from the priestly family line.
📚 Historical Context
After Solomon's death, the kingdom of Israel split in two. Jeroboam became king of the northern kingdom and feared his people would return to Jerusalem to worship, which might reunite them with the southern kingdom. To keep them loyal, he established alternative worship sites with golden calves and appointed his own priests, directly violating God's command that only Levites could serve as priests.
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