1 Kings 12:33
“He went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day in the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and went up to the altar, to burn incense.”
What does 1 Kings 12:33 mean?
King Jeroboam has just split Israel's kingdom and is worried his people will drift back to worshiping in Jerusalem. So he creates his own religious calendar and altar in Bethel, inventing a feast date that mirrors (but differs from) the authentic one in Jerusalem. The detail about doing this "of his own heart" shows he's making up religion to serve his political needs rather than following what God actually commanded. This passage illustrates how easy it is to build something that looks and feels spiritual on the surface, complete with impressive ceremonies and sincere-sounding devotion, while actually being driven by fear, control, or self-interest instead of genuine faithfulness.