Who Am I?

     I was an official to a great king and yet I rebelled against him.  I am from Zeredah and am an Ephraimite.   My king put me in charge of his whole labor force.  One day a prophet met me on the way to Jerusalem.  He took off his brand new cloak and tore it into 12 pieces.  He gave me ten and told me that they represented ten of the twelve tribes of Judah.  God was going to take these ten tribes from my king and give them to me because these tribes did not follow God, did not do right in God’s eyes, and did not keep His laws. 

     God told me I would rule over all my heart desires and I would be king over Israel as long as I did what He told me and I followed Him, obeying his laws.  My king tried to kill me but I fled to Egypt until he died.  My king’s son went to Shechem and all the Israelites went there to make him king.  When I heard this, I went back home.  The Israelites came to me and all of us went to the new king, asking he lighten the burden placed upon the people.  The new king’s advisors thought this was favorable but the king refused their council and followed that of his friends.  He told us he would make our work harder.  This event was from the Lord, to fulfill the word the Lord spoke to me earlier.

    The people went back home and only those living in the towns of Judah were under the rule of this new king.  Another man was now in charge of the forced labor and all Israel stoned him.  The king escaped to Jerusalem in his chariot and I was made king over all Israel.  I fortified Shechem and thought to myself that the Israelites would worship in Jerusalem and follow the other king.  

     After seeking advice, I made two golden calves and told the people not to go to Jerusalem but to worship the calves.  I put one in Bethel and the other in Dan.

Even though this was a sin, the people went there to worship.  I soon built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites.  I began a festival for the people to come to the altars and make offerings. 

     Now that I have shared a little about my life with you, do you know who I am?