1 Kings 12:25-33 Distorting True Religion!

Jeroboam created high places, religious centres of worship, idol practices, and also made sure that the days of worship in Israel would coincide or replace the religious festivals in Judah, ordained by God. Again, the aim was to get the people to worship in Israel, and he thought that it was important, that he as their king should lead them in this worship. As such he was doing something expressly forbidden by God. He created an artificial priesthood, false shrines of worship. His aim at the end of the day was to create something that would rival true religious worship, that God himself had ordained. I would say that his strategy is still copied today where many regimes feel threatened by Christianity and attempt to create their own version of the truth, which happens always to be a lie.