One commentator I read wrote that Jeroboam was busy taking his people back to Egypt. When Jeroboam first comes on the scene, he is a kind of Moses. Moses pleaded with Pharaoh to ease the burden on the Israelites and Jeroboam did the same. Rehoboam was like Pharaoh at that time and said, “I’ll make life harder instead!” and then Jeroboam led the people of Israel to freedom. At this point we can see Jeroboam in a pretty good light! But then our new Moses, Jeroboam, starts the journey back to Egypt. Instead of being a Moses he becomes an Aaron who made a golden calf. He even mouths the same words as Aaron and says, “Here are your gods, who brought you out of Egypt.” (12:28b). So, he is leading his country and his family from the Promise Land back to Egypt. He is taking them from freedom to slavery, from home into exile, from life to death.