Two Sundays ago we saw how King Jeroboam ignored the Word of God for his life and led Israel into apostasy (idolatry).
• He listened instead to his own voice and the voices of godless men, and created two golden calves as gods.
• He built shrines at high places, created his own festival and started a new religion for Israel.
This was a very sad outcome and totally uncalled for, because God had told him about his possible future with Him.
• God gave him the ten tribes and made him king. God assured him of His presence and an enduring kingdom if he keeps His commands. God’s plan for him was good.
• It really didn’t get to him. He has no faith in what God says. Instead Jeroboam believed his own voice and trust the words of men.
Is God’s Word not good? Is God’s Word so hard to believe?
• This theme runs through into chapter 13. The scene continues. 1 Kings 13:1-6.
Jeroboam was standing by the altar making an offering to his bull. He was having this worship service when a man of God from Judah stepped in.
• He launched into a tirade (13:2): “O altar, altar! This is what the Lord says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who now make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.’”
• It is a prophecy of the judgement of God, against all that Jeroboam is doing.
But who is this man? And who is Josiah? How would Jeroboam understand what is happening?
• It looks more like a crazy man jumping out from nowhere and saying crazy things about the altar.
• The man of God continued. “This is the sign the Lord has declared: ‘The altar will be split apart and the ashes on it will be poured out.’” (13:3)
God authenticates His Word. God gave an IMMEDIATE sign to show Jeroboam that what he has just heard is the word OF God and FROM God.
• Almost instantly 13:5 “the altar was split apart and its ashes poured out according to the sign given by the man of God by the word of the LORD.”
• God authenticates His servant and His Word. “If you see this happening at My Word, then know that what I said is true and will come true. And this man is My prophet and he speaks My Word.”
As this was taking place, Jeroboam was raising his hand to order his men to arrest this man of God.
• At that very moment, his hand shrivelled up (paralysed) and he couldn’t pull it back.
Two supernatural acts of God in ONE instant - the altar was torn down and the King’s hand paralysed.
• With his hand frozen, Jeroboam had no choice but to change tack. He asked the man of God to help him.
• 13:6 “Intercede with the Lord YOUR GOD and pray for me that my hand may be restored.”
• The man of God prayed and the King’s hand was restored. Another miracle!
Three miracles in a row. God is present. He authenticates His servant and His Word!
• God made His presence felt. Why? Just to show off some feats. I don’t think so.
• He intruded into Jeroboam’s life to stop him in his tracks and wake him up from his slumber.
• God came to show him MERCY and extend GRACE. Turn around while you still can!
Why do I say that? Because the author ends with this comment;
• 13:33 “33Even after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways…” That’s what the Lord intended.
• “… 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.
• Did the King see the hand of God in all of this? No.
13:34 34This was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its downfall and to its destruction from the face of the earth.”
• God did not cause the downfall. God’s plan was to give him an enduring Kingdom!
• His sin led to his downfall. Not that God did not show mercy and give Jeroboam a chance, but that he has rejected God and “turned his back on Him”. (cf. 14:9)
God’s Word is sure. God’s Word is certain. God’s Word is true and will come true.
• I believe this to be the thrust of the chapter and what the author wants us to see.
• Because following this encounter with the King, he tells us more about what happened to this man of God.
Look at the many interesting twists and turns (we read that a couple of weeks ago):
? After this confrontation, the King invited the man of God to his house for a meal but the man of God says he was commanded not to by the Lord. He took another road home.
? 13:11ff. a certain old prophet in Bethel heard about him and sought him out, inviting him to his house for a meal. He said no, saying he was commanded not to by the Lord.
? 13:18ff. the old prophet however said that he too is a prophet and that an angel had spoken to him about inviting him home. He was lying.
? Oddly the man of God agreed (without any attempt at verifying). This is odd considering the fact that this old prophet is from Bethel, where idolatry prevails.
? And then during the meal, the true Word of the Lord came – and it came through this old prophet! The Lord says, “You have not kept my commands.” (13:21)
? And that “his body will not be buried in the tomb of your fathers” (13:22), meaning he will die away from home.
? Indeed on his way back on a donkey, a lion killed him. But the lion did not eat his body nor maul the donkey. Another odd situation.
? The old prophet took his body and buried him in his own tomb.
? He told his sons to bury him when he dies, with the man of God. He recognised him now as a true prophet of God who spoke the Word of God.
? 13:32 “For the message he declared by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel and against all the shrines on the high places in the towns of Samaria will certainly come true.”
We are clueless about many details in this story. We have many questions.
• The author did not want to clarify nor satisfy our curiosity by explaining more. This wasn’t his intention.
• But he did highlight the thing that matters. You can tell from reading this story – one phrase stands out - the Word of the Lord.
Nine times he uses this phrase.
13:1 - by the word of the Lord a man of God came from Judah…
13:2 – he cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord.
13:5 – the altar was split apart and its ashes poured out according to the sign given by the man of God by the word of the Lord.
13:9 – for I was commanded by the word of the Lord.
13:17 – I have been told by the word of the Lord.
13:18 – old prophet lied and said, “an angel said to me by the word of the Lord…”
13:20 – then correctly, the word of the Lord came to the old prophet…
13:26 – the lion killed him, “as the word of the Lord had warned him.”
13:32 – old prophet said to his sons: “For the message he declared by the word of the Lord… will certainly come true.”
The Word of the Lord is the THRUST of the story. Did you hear what God says? Do you believe what God says?
• We have this contrast between what God says and what man says. It started from chapter 12.
• God’s Word comes with signs that authenticates it.
• The old prophet spoke a lie with no proof. God spoke the truth and the man’s body was kept miraculously for burial in a foreign land, as God so determined.
Only the Word of the Lord is sure, it is certain, it is true and will come true.
So let me conclude with this, what did the Lord says to Jeroboam?
• 13:2 “O altar, altar! This is what the LORD says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who now make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.’”
• Josiah (640-609BC) is the 15th King of Judah, after King Rehoboam (922-915BC) – that’s 290 years from this time.
• King Josiah will arise and he will destroy all the idols and the high places, in the Southern as well as the Northern Kingdoms.
Let’s read this account in 2 Kings 23:15-20.
15 Even the altar at Bethel, the high place made by Jeroboam son of Nebat, who had caused Israel to sin-even that altar and high place he demolished. He burned the high place and ground it to powder, and burned the Asherah pole also. 16Then Josiah looked around, and when he saw the tombs that were there on the hillside, he had the bones removed from them and burned on the altar to defile it, in accordance with the word of the LORD proclaimed by the man of God who foretold these things.
17The king asked, "What is that tombstone I see?"
The men of the city said, "It marks the tomb of the man of God who came from Judah and pronounced against the altar of Bethel the very things you have done to it."
18 "Leave it alone," he said. "Don't let anyone disturb his bones." So they spared his bones and those of the prophet who had come from Samaria (Bethel in Samaria).
19 Just as he had done at Bethel, Josiah removed and defiled all the shrines at the high places that the kings of Israel had built in the towns of Samaria that had provoked the LORD to anger. 20Josiah slaughtered all the priests of those high places on the altars and burned human bones on them. Then he went back to Jerusalem.
Exactly as the Lord said, 290 years later!
The Word of God is sure, it is certain, it is true and it will come true.
If you are facing uncertainties in life, come back to the only One who is certain about your life.
Seek Him with all your heart and He shall direct your path. Listen to His Word and obey Him.
