Historian Jamar Tisby has said, “There’s a popular phrase that says ‘history repeats itself.’ More accurately, history doesn’t repeat itself—history rhymes.” 

His quote came to mind as I was reading the story of King Jeroboam in 1 Kings 12. Considered a defender of the oppressed, Jeroboam was made King by the people of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. However, to ensure that the people would remain loyal to him and to consolidate his power, Jeroboam began to dismantle the religious and social structures that had been part of Israelite history and culture. To discourage worship at the temple in Jerusalem in the Southern Kingdom of Judah, Jeroboam built several new temples at Bethel and Dan. Instead of appointing Levites as priests as prescribed by the Torah, he allowed anyone–qualified or unqualified–to serve in the new temples. Jeroboam had 2 golden calves made–which he placed at Bethel and Dan–and declared that they should be worshipped as “God who led you out of Egypt.” He offered sacrifices to the golden calf at Bethel, leading the people to do the same. In addition, he introduced a new calendar based on the Egyptian calendar, replacing the traditional dates of Jewish holidays and diminishing their significance. It all has a familiar ring to it.

While there was condemnation of Jeroboam’s new policies–particularly from “A Man of God” who arrived in Bethel at the installation of the golden calf–the people of Israel who had made Jeroboam their king gave him their loyalty and devotion. Jeroboam reigned as king for 22 years in Israel.

But Jeroboam’s reign was offensive to God. Ahijah, an old blind prophet, pronounced God’s judgement on Jeroboam and his house in 1 Kings 14:9-10: “You have made yourself other gods and cast false idols in their honor. You have aroused My wrath by putting Me behind you. Therefore, beware. I will bring destruction to Jeroboam’s house.” And because the people of the Northern Kingdom had supported Jeroboam’s destructive policies and become complicit in his evil, God had a word for them too. “[God] will abandon Israel because of Jeroboam’s wickedness, which caused all of Israel to be wicked as well.” (1 Kings 14:16)

Jeroboam’s name became synonymous with wickedness. Every Israelite king that followed was compared to Jeroboam. Every one of them was described by this common refrain: “He walked the wicked path of Jeroboam, causing the Israelites to live sinful lives.” (The Voice translation).

Leadership matters. Character matters. Behavior matters. Government practices and policies matter. And loyalty to a corrupt leader and corrupt policies results in corruption and self-destruction.

Jeroboam’s name is remembered, but never honored. His reign is included in the annuls of the Kings, but it is a cautionary tale. The evil of his reign infected the reigns of every king who followed him for the next 200 years. The people who made him a King became complicit in his evil and became evil with him, infecting future generations.

Another story is embedded in the story of Jeroboam and the kings that followed him; it is the story of the prophets who stood against their corruption. Ahijah, Elijah, Elisha, and Amos–along with others. According to 2 Kings 17:13, “The Eternal One gave fair warning to Israel and Judah…through the mouths of the prophets and seers throughout the land: “Abandon your wickedness, and obey My commands and laws which I gave to your ancestors through the mouths of My servants, the prophets.” Sadly, the words of the prophets went unheeded and the rest is history.

History rhymes. And when it does, we will have to choose. Will we walk the path of Jeroboam or will we walk the path of justice and righteousness? Will we be the sycophants of this administration or will we be the prophets who speak for liberation? The path we are on right now is rhyming in my ears with “upheaval” and it will only take us to hell. There is still time to choose a new path, but I’m afraid that the window of opportunity is closing.