What was Jeroboam's sin?

• A. He worshiped the Lord alone
• B. He built a temple to the Lord
• C. He returned to idol worship
• D. He set up golden calves and led the people to idolatry

Answer: (D)

Jeroboam’s sin centers on leading Israel into idolatry by setting up golden calves at Bethel and Dan and directing the people to worship there instead of going to Jerusalem to worship the Lord as God had commanded. This act directly violated God’s commandment against making idols and against worshiping any other god, and it aimed to keep the people loyal to him rather than to the God of Israel. Because of this choice, he introduced sustained spiritual compromise for the northern kingdom and drew judgment on his line. The other ideas don’t fit as well: worshiping the Lord alone would align with God’s commands; building a temple for the Lord would support proper worship; while returning to idol worship is related, the specific and decisive action was establishing the calves and leading the people into idolatry.