Can I pray for you in any way? Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com In Christ, Mark
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
Even after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways, but once more appointed priests for the high places from all sorts of people. Anyone who wanted to become a priest he consecrated for the high places. This was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its downfall and to its destruction from the face of the earth.
At that time Abijah son of Jeroboam became ill, and Jeroboam said to his wife, "Go, disguise yourself, so you won't be recognized as the wife of Jeroboam. Then go to Shiloh. Ahijah the prophet is there — the one who told me I would be king over this people. Take ten loaves of bread with you, some cakes and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy." So Jeroboam's wife did what he said and went to Ahijah's house in Shiloh.
Now Ahijah could not see; his sight was gone because of his age. But the Lord had told Ahijah, "Jeroboam's wife is coming to ask you about her son, for he is ill, and you are to give her such and such an answer. When she arrives, she will pretend to be someone else."
So when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps at the door, he said, "Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why this pretense? I have been sent to you with bad news. Go, tell Jeroboam that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'I raised you up from among the people and made you a leader over my people Israel. I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, but you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes. You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have provoked me to anger and thrust me behind your back.’
'Because of this, I am going to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel — slave or free. I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns dung, until it is all gone. Dogs will eat those belonging to Jeroboam who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country. The Lord has spoken!' “
“As for you, go back home. When you set foot in your city, the boy will die. All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He is the only one belonging to Jeroboam who will be buried, because he is the only one in the house of Jeroboam in whom the Lord, the God of Israel, has found anything good.”
"The Lord will raise up for himself a king over Israel who will cut off the family of Jeroboam. This is the day! What? Yes, even now. And the Lord will strike Israel, so that it will be like a reed swaying in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land that he gave to their forefathers and scatter them beyond the River, because they provoked the Lord to anger by making Asherah poles. And he will give Israel up because of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit."
Then Jeroboam's wife got up and left and went to Tirzah. As soon as she stepped over the threshold of the house, the boy died. They buried him, and all Israel mourned for him, as the Lord had said through his servant the prophet Ahijah.
The other events of Jeroboam's reign, his wars and how he ruled, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel. He reigned for twenty-two years and then rested with his fathers. And Nadab his son succeeded him as king.
1 Kings 13:33-34, 14:1-20
This ends this reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
For the last few chapters of 1st Kings, we have seen the evil, sinful ways of King Jeroboam…the one God had chosen to lead the Northern Kingdom. And even after God showed mercy to Jeroboam in the last chapter, healing and restoring his shriveled hand after he tried to have the man of God seized, we read where Jeroboam “did not change his evil ways, but once more appointed priests for the high places from all sorts of people”. He consecrated “anyone who wanted to become a priest” for the high places and this became “the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its downfall and to its destruction from the face of the earth”.
As Chapter 14 opens, we find Jeroboam’s son, Abijah, fall ill and Jeroboam wanting to find out would happen to him. You get a sense that Jeroboam might have been afraid that God was punishing his son for his evil ways…for the way he had deceived God by making it appear he was remorseful for his sin when he really wasn’t.
And so, this king who was so good at deception decided to use it again to approach a known prophet of God…a prophet named Ahijah who had brought God’s message to Jeroboam that he would be king. We read where Jeroboam had his wife disguise herself so she wouldn’t be recognized as his wife as she traveled to Shiloh to see Ahijah. Jeroboam had planned his ruse carefully, even down to the detail about the gift she should take the prophet. For he had her take “ten loaves of bread…, some cakes and a jar of honey” to Ahijah to find out what would happen to their son.
Jeroboam thought he was so sly. But he failed to know one important truth.
God cannot be deceived.
For while Jeroboam’s wife was on her way to meet Ahijah who had lost his sight because of his age, the Lord spoke to Ahijah saying:
“Jeroboam's wife is coming to ask you about her son, for he is ill, and you are to give her such and such an answer. When she arrives, she will pretend to be someone else."
And so the gig was up even before Jeroboam’s wife arrived. What a surprise it must have been to her as “Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps at the door” and said, "Come in, wife of Jeroboam.” Imagine what she must have felt.
Imagine how we must feel as well as God exposes our attempts to get away with sinful behavior. It seems like we have an inclination to try and get away with things…even though we know well that God sees through to the very inclinations of our heart. And when we’re exposed, we’re let feeling guilty and shamed…as we should be for our actions.
It would be far easier to just not try and deceive God in the first place.
I’m sure this is what Jeroboam’s wife must have been thinking as Ahijah continued speaking to her saying:
“Why this pretense? I have been sent to you with bad news. Go, tell Jeroboam that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'I raised you up from among the people and made you a leader over my people Israel. I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, but you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes. You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have provoked me to anger and thrust me behind your back. Because of this, I am going to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel — slave or free. I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns dung, until it is all gone. Dogs will eat those belonging to Jeroboam who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country. The Lord has spoken!’ “
And Ahijah continued:
“As for you, go back home. When you set foot in your city, the boy will die. All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He is the only one belonging to Jeroboam who will be buried, because he is the only one in the house of Jeroboam in whom the Lord, the God of Israel, has found anything good. The Lord will raise up for himself a king over Israel who will cut off the family of Jeroboam. This is the day! What? Yes, even now. And the Lord will strike Israel, so that it will be like a reed swaying in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land that he gave to their forefathers and scatter them beyond the River, because they provoked the Lord to anger by making Asherah poles. And he will give Israel up because of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit."
One word. Wow!
Indeed, Ahijah was sent with bad news but one couldn’t argue that Jeroboam had not earned God’s wrath. His wicked leadership had led his people down the road of sin and disobedience which now turned into a road to destruction…with disaster promised…with a cutting off promised…and with an incineration promised. No one in Jeroboam’s house…in the house of Israel would find a proper burial. In God’s eyes, they didn’t deserve one.
But there was one who would get a proper interment…Jeroboam’s sick son who would die as soon as Jeroboam’s wife set foot in Tirzah…a prophecy that sadly came true and “all Israel mourned” as they buried him.
In all, Jeroboam ruled for twenty-two years before turning the throne over to his son Nadab who had the omen of God’s promise hanging over him…that a king would be raised up to “cut off the family of Jeroboam”. The throne was not to remain his line for long.
Friends, is there not a very clear message for us in today’s passage.
First, we should never try to get away with sin, thinking in some way we can trick God into turning the other way and not seeing what we do. Any effort such as this is not even worth trying as you will fail and fail miserably. Just ask Jeroboam and his wife.
Second, God does not take kindly to anyone who tries to deceive Him. Note the judgment rained down on Jeroboam, his people and his throne. Don’t think for a second that God can’t bring wrath down upon us as well.
In the end, it’s far easier to live above board…seeking God’s will and way in everything we do to ensure we aren’t doing anything outside of His expectations for us. That way when He looks into our hearts, all He sees is what he wants to see…obedient hearts centered on righteousness and holiness…centered on living a life that only draws His favor.
Amen.
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
http://www.faithhopeandlove.info/
Send any prayer requests to faithhopegodlove@aol.com
No comments:
Post a Comment