2 Chronicles 13:9
Have you not driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes for ordination with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of what are not gods.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The real kicker here is how deeply insulting it is to God's established covenant. It's not just about setting up some new religious structure; they're literally appointing individuals to serve as priests to foreign gods while claiming to worship the Lord, a practice the text calls utter foolishness.
This passage comes from a heated confrontation between King Abijah of Judah and King Jeroboam of Israel. Abijah is challenging Jeroboam's illegitimate priesthood and idolatrous practices established in the northern kingdom after the split. The verses leading up to this show Jeroboam arrayed for battle, and Abijah's speech is a bold rebuke before the fighting begins, highlighting the religious rebellion that fractured the nation.
Jeroboam's rebellion wasn't just political; it was deeply spiritual. He twisted worship into something unrecognizable.
King Jeroboam of Israel set up his own religious system in direct defiance of God's clear instructions. He appointed anyone who could bring an offering to become a priest, completely disregarding the lineage of Aaron and the Levites, whom God had specifically chosen and consecrated for service.
God's Chosen Service
God's design for worship was intentional and sacred. He set apart the family of Aaron to serve as priests and the tribe of Levi to assist them. This wasn't a matter of who was talented or who could afford the best sacrifice, but who God Himself had appointed.
Jeroboam's actions created a false priesthood, a human-made system that mirrored the pagan practices of surrounding nations. This corrupted worship offered no true connection to the living God.
What does it mean to offer sacrifices to 'what are not gods'?
The core of Jeroboam's deception lay in its superficiality. He allowed anyone to become a priest simply by bringing a bull or seven rams. This was a mockery of true worship.
Empty Rituals
True sacrifice, as ordained by God, was about obedience, repentance, and a covenant relationship. It pointed toward Christ and the forgiveness of sins. Jeroboam's 'sacrifices' were merely a transactional means to gain religious status. They were offered within a system that had no divine backing, making them utterly meaningless in the eyes of the true God.
When we engage in religious acts without genuine faith, obedience, or a right relationship with God, our offerings can become just as hollow. We might go through the motions of worship, prayer, or service, but if our hearts are far from God, or if we are following a path He hasn't authorized, we are essentially sacrificing to 'what are not gods' – to emptiness.
Understand the original words
kohen · Hebrew Noun
Individuals set apart by God for the specific task of interceding for the people, offering sacrifices, and teaching the Law; they are mediators between God and the congregation.
millu'im · Hebrew Noun
The act of setting someone apart for a holy office; it involves divine sanction and ritual cleansing, which, when performed outside of God's prescribed law, is illegitimate.
The verse highlights the stark religious and political divide following the kingdom's split, where the Northern Kingdom of Israel, under Jeroboam, deliberately undermined true worship by creating a false priesthood and idolatrous practices.
c. 975 BC
Death of Solomon
Solomon's son Rehoboam inherits the throne, but his harsh response leads to the division of the united kingdom.
c. 975 BC
Division of the Kingdom
The ten northern tribes break away, forming the Kingdom of Israel with its capital eventually in Samaria. The southern kingdom, Judah, retains Jerusalem and the temple.
c. 931 BC
Jeroboam's Golden Calves
King Jeroboam of Israel sets up golden calf idols in Bethel and Dan, establishing alternative worship centers to prevent his people from going to Jerusalem.
c. 931 BC— this verse
Jeroboam's Illegitimate Priesthood
Jeroboam also forbids the Levites from serving in Jerusalem and appoints his own non-Levite priests, ordaining them with the same kind of improper sacrifices mentioned in 2 Chronicles 13.
This passage details God's specific, holy instructions for ordaining Aaron and his sons as priests, highlighting the sacred and divinely appointed nature of the Levitical priesthood that Rehoboam's actions violated.
Deuteronomy 12:30-32Here, God warns Israel against adopting the detestable practices of the surrounding nations, including their worship and sacrifices, directly paralleling the accusation that Israel had made priests like the peoples of other lands.
1 Samuel 2:27-36This passage prophesies judgment against Eli's corrupt household and the unauthorized priestly practices, mirroring the consequence of appointing priests based on personal desire rather than divine authority, as seen in 2 Chronicles 13.
1 Kings 12:28-33This passage describes Jeroboam's establishment of false worship centers with non-Levitical priests and unauthorized festivals, providing the historical context for the 'peoples of other lands' and their practices that Abijah accuses the Northern Kingdom of imitating.
The real kicker here is how deeply insulting it is to God's established covenant. It's not just about setting up some new religious structure; they're literally appointing individuals to serve as priests to foreign gods while claiming to worship the Lord, a practice the text calls utter foolishness.
This passage comes from a heated confrontation between King Abijah of Judah and King Jeroboam of Israel. Abijah is challenging Jeroboam's illegitimate priesthood and idolatrous practices established in the northern kingdom after the split. The verses leading up to this show Jeroboam arrayed for battle, and Abijah's speech is a bold rebuke before the fighting begins, highlighting the religious rebellion that fractured the nation.
This passage comes from a heated confrontation between King Abijah of Judah and King Jeroboam of Israel. Abijah is challenging Jeroboam's illegitimate priesthood and idolatrous practices established in the northern kingdom after the split. The verses leading up to this show Jeroboam arrayed for battle, and Abijah's speech is a bold rebuke before the fighting begins, highlighting the religious rebellion that fractured the nation.
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c. 909 BC
Battle of Ramah
The armies of Israel and Judah clash. King Abijah of Judah delivers a powerful speech to the northern army, condemning their religious innovations and highlighting their illegitimate priesthood.
"Have you not driven out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and made priests for yourselves like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes for ordination with a young bull or seven rams becomes a priest of what are…" — The real kicker here is how deeply insulting it is to God's established covenant. It's not just about setting up some new religious structure; they're literally appointing individuals to serve as pri…
