The New King Has Issues

1 Kings 13 CSB

1 A man of God came, however, from Judah to Bethel by the word of the Lord while Jeroboam was standing beside the altar to burn incense. 2 The man of God cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord: “Altar, altar, this is what the Lord says, ‘A son will be born to the house of David, named Josiah, and he will sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who are burning incense on you. Human bones will be burned on you.’ ” 3 He gave a sign that day. He said, “This is the sign that the Lord has spoken: ‘The altar will now be ripped apart, and the ashes that are on it will be poured out.’ ” 4 When the king heard the message that the man of God had cried out against the altar at Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar and said, “Arrest him!” But the hand he stretched out against him withered, and he could not pull it back to himself. 5 The altar was ripped apart, and the ashes poured from the altar, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of the Lord. 6 Then the king responded to the man of God, “Plead for the favor of the Lord your God and pray for me so that my hand may be restored to me.” So the man of God pleaded for the favor of the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored to him and became as it had been at first.

We are introduced a man with no name but is identified only as “a man of God” from Judah.

Jeroboam created a cult at a minimum a hybrid false version of Judaism.

The last time a prophet came and spoke to Jeroboam it was to put him on Israel’s throne. This time will be dramatically different.

The sign that the message was from God is that the altar that was being used for false worship was going to be destroyed - Jeroboam tried to stop the prophet which was tantamount to trying to stop God… we know that won’t end well.

When Jeroboam stretched out his hand it “withered” and became useless.

The altar was torn down, the ashes poured out just the the prophet said.

It is funny, Jeroboam didn’t listen to God but still had the notion to ask the prophet to plead for God to heal his hand… he did and his hand was healed.

1 Kings 13 CSB

7 Then the king declared to the man of God, “Come home with me, refresh yourself, and I’ll give you a reward.” 8 But the man of God replied, “If you were to give me half your house, I still wouldn’t go with you, and I wouldn’t eat food or drink water in this place, 9 for this is what I was commanded by the word of the Lord: ‘You must not eat food or drink water or go back the way you came.’ ” 10 So he went another way; he did not go back by the way he had come to Bethel. 11 Now a certain old prophet was living in Bethel. His son came and told him all the deeds that the man of God had done that day in Bethel. His sons also told their father the words that he had spoken to the king. 12 Then their father asked them, “Which way did he go?” His sons had seen the way taken by the man of God who had come from Judah. 13 Then he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him, and he got on it. 14 He followed the man of God and found him sitting under an oak tree. He asked him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” “I am,” he said. 15 Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat some food.” 16 But he answered, “I cannot go back with you or accompany you; I will not eat food or drink water with you in this place. 17 For a message came to me by the word of the Lord: ‘You must not eat food or drink water there or go back by the way you came.’ ” 18 He said to him, “I am also a prophet like you. An angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord: ‘Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat food and drink water.’ ” The old prophet deceived him, 19 and the man of God went back with him, ate food in his house, and drank water. 20 While they were sitting at the table, the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back, 21 and the prophet cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Because you rebelled against the Lord’s command and did not keep the command that the Lord your God commanded you—22 but you went back and ate food and drank water in the place that he said to you, “Do not eat food and do not drink water”—your corpse will never reach the grave of your ancestors.’ ” 23 So after he had eaten food and after he had drunk, the old prophet saddled the donkey for the prophet he had brought back. 24 When he left, a lion attacked him along the way and killed him. His corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey was standing beside it; the lion was standing beside the corpse too. 25 There were men passing by who saw the corpse thrown on the road and the lion standing beside it, and they went and spoke about it in the city where the old prophet lived. 26 When the prophet who had brought him back from his way heard about it, he said, “He is the man of God who disobeyed the Lord’s command. The Lord has given him to the lion, and it has mauled and killed him, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke to him.” 27 Then the old prophet instructed his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” They saddled it, 28 and he went and found the corpse thrown on the road with the donkey and the lion standing beside the corpse. The lion had not eaten the corpse or mauled the donkey. 29 So the prophet lifted the corpse of the man of God and laid it on the donkey and brought it back. The old prophet came into the city to mourn and to bury him. 30 Then he laid the corpse in his own grave, and they mourned over him, “Oh, my brother!” 31 After he had buried him, he said to his sons, “When I die, bury me in the grave where the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones, 32 for the message that he cried out by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel and against all the shrines of the high places in the cities of Samaria is certain to happen.” 33 Even after this, Jeroboam did not repent of his evil way but again made priests for the high places from the ranks of the people. He ordained whoever so desired it, and they became priests of the high places. 34 This was the sin that caused the house of Jeroboam to be cut off and obliterated from the face of the earth.

After 2 miracles, the prophets authenticity has been proven so Jeroboam tries to gain his favor - prophets must not be for sale.

The phrase not to “go back the way you came” - may not literally mean to take the same road but it was a common phrase indicating “be different” or “avoid past mistakes” - avoiding the past mistakes it most likely what is in view here.

The third player here is a “certain old prophet” who heard about this new guy.

The old prophet found the new prophet and encouraged him to come eat with him - the new guy repeated what the Lord had told him but…

For some reason the old guy lies - he tells the new guy that God had given him that he should come back and eat with him - so he did.

The Lord now does speak through the old prophet informing the young guy that because he disobeyed he was going to die and be buried apart form his ancestors (that was a bad thing in Jewish tradition).

Like Jeroboam the man of God had listened to bad counsel rather that heeding a direct word from the Lord. God promised Jeroboam he would be king but he didn’t trust because he feared the people would leave unless he created a new way to worship - the prophet believed that and angelic message contradicted God’s earlier word.

Several themes emerge here - 1. God opposes idolatry, semi-idolatry, or any form of non-Mosaic religion. 2. The Lord shares His word with the prophets who are then responsible for preaching it and keeping it. 3. It is important to discern whether a so-called word from the Lord is true of false prophecy. 4. God’s word will come true no matter what the circumstances.

Even after seeing and hearing all of the Jeroboam did not repent and actually doubled down - this is what caused his house to be (tough word) “obliterated” from the face of the earth.

1 Kings 14 CSB

1 At that time Abijah son of Jeroboam became sick. 2 Jeroboam said to his wife, “Go disguise yourself, so they won’t know that you’re Jeroboam’s wife, and go to Shiloh. The prophet Ahijah is there; it was he who told about me becoming king over this people. 3 Take with you ten loaves of bread, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy.” 4 Jeroboam’s wife did that: she went to Shiloh and arrived at Ahijah’s house. Ahijah could not see; he was blind due to his age. 5 But the Lord had said to Ahijah, “Jeroboam’s wife is coming soon to ask you about her son, for he is sick. You are to say such and such to her. When she arrives, she will be disguised.” 6 When Ahijah heard the sound of her feet entering the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam! Why are you disguised? I have bad news for you. 7 Go tell Jeroboam, ‘This is what the Lord God of Israel says: I raised you up from among the people, appointed you ruler over my people Israel, 8 tore the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it to you. But you were not like my servant David, who kept my commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what is right in my sight. 9 You behaved more wickedly than all who were before you. In order to anger me, you have proceeded to make for yourself other gods and cast images, but you have flung me behind your back. 10 Because of all this, I am about to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam: I will wipe out all of Jeroboam’s males, both slave and free, in Israel; I will sweep away the house of Jeroboam as one sweeps away dung until it is all gone! 11 Anyone who belongs to Jeroboam and dies in the city, the dogs will eat, and anyone who dies in the field, the birds will eat, for the Lord has spoken!’ 12 “As for you, get up and go to your house. When your feet enter the city, the boy will die. 13 All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He alone out of Jeroboam’s house will be given a proper burial because out of the house of Jeroboam something favorable to the Lord God of Israel was found in him. 14 The Lord will raise up for himself a king over Israel, who will wipe out the house of Jeroboam. This is the day, yes, even today! 15 For the Lord will strike Israel so that they will shake as a reed shakes in water. He will uproot Israel from this good soil that he gave to their ancestors. He will scatter them beyond the Euphrates because they made their Asherah poles, angering the Lord. 16 He will give up Israel because of Jeroboam’s sins that he committed and caused Israel to commit.” 17 Then Jeroboam’s wife got up and left and went to Tirzah. As she was crossing the threshold of the house, the boy died. 18 He was buried, and all Israel mourned for him, according to the word of the Lord he had spoken through his servant the prophet Ahijah. 19 As for the rest of the events of Jeroboam’s reign, how he waged war and how he reigned, note that they are written in the Historical Record of Israel’s Kings. 20 The length of Jeroboam’s reign was twenty-two years. He rested with his ancestors, and his son Nadab became king in his place.

Jeroboam’s son was sick so he sent his wife to the prophet Ahijah to inquire about the Lord’s healing - he knew he couldn’t go himself and he was so concerned that he even had his wife go in disguise.

The prophet couldn’t see anymore - at least not physically - but the Lord allowed him to see things beyond human sight and thus, he was not fooled and knew it was Jeroboam’s wife.

The prophet has a message for Jeroboam - first, he has been more wicked than all who were before him (now that’s saying something) - because of his sinful actions this house will be wiped out - any male (child, relative, even slave) would be die and no more would come thus the house of Jeroboam could not continue.

God said is and it happened that day that his sick son died.

The rest of Israel will also pay for following Jeroboam.

Jeroboam’s reign was 22 years and he died - his son, Nadab, became king.

1 Kings 14 CSB

21 Now Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king; he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city where the Lord had chosen from all the tribes of Israel to put his name. Rehoboam’s mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite. 22 Judah did what was evil in the Lord’s sight. They provoked him to jealous anger more than all that their ancestors had done with the sins they committed. 23 They also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree; 24 there were even male cult prostitutes in the land. They imitated all the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites. 25 In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, King Shishak of Egypt went to war against Jerusalem. 26 He seized the treasuries of the Lord’s temple and the treasuries of the royal palace. He took everything. He took all the gold shields that Solomon had made. 27 King Rehoboam made bronze shields to replace them and committed them into the care of the captains of the guards who protected the entrance to the king’s palace. 28 Whenever the king entered the Lord’s temple, the guards would carry the shields, then they would take them back to the armory. 29 The rest of the events of Rehoboam’s reign, along with all his accomplishments, are written about in the Historical Record of Judah’s Kings. 30 There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam throughout their reigns. 31 Rehoboam rested with his ancestors and was buried with his ancestors in the city of David. His mother’s name was Naamah the Ammonite. His son Abijam became king in his place.

Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, was king in Judah for 17 years - the author points out that his mother was and Ammonite, highlighting Solomon’s affinity for foreign women.

Judah was no better than Israel and Rehoboam practiced idolatry like his father and just like Jeroboam.

Both kings were marked by war with each kingdom - a civil war, family fighting family.

After Rehoboam dies his son, Abijam, takes his place as the new king.

3 Takeaways

When God speaks, you must listen and fully obey.

God gave specific instructions to the unnamed prophet.

At one point he fully listened but at another point he failed.

We cannot treat His commands like suggestions or options to be revised when circumstances shift.

Don’t let convenience, fear, or persuasion dull what God has spoken

When God gives direction, follow it completely - obedience delayed or diluted is still disobedience.

You are responsible for listening to God over others.

The younger prophet knew what God said but surrendered that truth to someone else’s voice.

We each bear the responsibility to discern God’s truth.

Respect for leaders or mentors is good - but never at the expense of God’s revelation.

The Social Sciences call it “Authority Bias” - people tend to obey those they perceive as experts, even against their own knowledge or instincts. Spiritual maturity means submitting to God’s authority above all.

If God had made His will clear, no one’s opinion - no matter how spiritual they sound - should overrule it.

God’s mercy is available, God’s grace is sufficient and His justice is sure.

God mercifully warned all those involved of the consequences of their idolatry.

God is patient with us but He will only allow so much. Don’t confuse God’s patience with His permission

He gives us every opportunity to turn back in repentance.

When ignored, God’s justice will come.