V.11 The priest back at home, who should have been a guardian of God’s truth, weakly goes along with the king’s plans and makes an altar, copying the plan which the king had sent him. Many believers today are doing the same thing. They are worshipping at altars that are copies of the Old Testament Jewish laws. For instance, having a building which is called the house of God this is copying the temple idea. God says He doesn’t live now in temples (buildings) made with hands (Acts 17:24), but He lives in every believer (1 Cor. 6:19). Or having one man, appointed by the congregation, who does all the preaching, and who alone is allowed to give the bread and wine at communion — this is copying the priest idea from Leviticus, and quenches the Spirit of God (Eph. 4:30; 1 Thess. 5:19). And God says that now all believers are priests (l Peter 2:5) and that all believers are equally important (1 Cor. 12:140. If our own will, what we think, takes over, we will not be able to see anything wrong with these things (Job 34:32).
V.12-13 He probably thought that it was very attractive looking. The human mind must have some form of religion, and if left to itself, always goes to something attractive to the eye, but which is really idolatry. See verse 2 for God’s opinion. We all need to be reminded that the Word of God, as guided by the Holy Spirit, is the only authority.