Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said, “O altar, altar! Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones shall be burned on you.’ ” 1 Kings 13:2
In this passage, we see a man of God who had received a word from the Lord. He came from Judah, a day’s journey from Israel, bearing the word from the Lord. God had given the man of God the now word or the word for this season. This word created a ripple in the kingdom of Israel. ‘O Altar O Altar,’ is the voice that resonated in the kingdom of Jeroboam.
The Altar is the place where the sins of Jeroboam began. People went from all over Israel to worship the Lord in His temple in Jerusalem. To keep people from going to Jerusalem, Jeroboam built altars and high places in Israel itself. It was a business plan to keep Israelites from visiting Jerusalem. This business plan proved to be a serious sin against God. Jeroboam built man-made altars and high places without God’s leading or plan. So many times, our business plans that are not guided by God’s will can turn into dangerous sins that bring God’s wrath down on our land and church.
God does not like the business plans we implement in the Church. God is enraged by our business plans implemented with human wisdom to grow congregation size or gain wealth. All plans in the church need to be implemented with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. A plan without the Holy Spirit’s guidance is a business plan. The business plans are motivated by lot of self-motives, including fame, rapid growth, money, etc. We are called to be servants of God implementing God’s plans and will. A lot of churches in the land are promoting their ministries, meetings, and agendas through business propaganda. It’s their ministry only.
They portray an image that God comes, speaks or appears only at their church’s meetings. This is also a business plan in which they take precedence over others. This business strategy is known as the Self strategy where their ministry or self is better or important than others. God is fed up with these strategies and those who do business in God’s name. You will either have God’s word or your business strategy. Stay away from business strategies if you want God’s word. A saint once – You be a caretaker of the word, let your team be the caretaker of everything else including money. You can’t be the caretaker for both at the same time.
Jeroboam established an alternative place to worship instead of worshipping in the temple at Jerusalem. The place of worship built by Jeroboam may have spared most of the Israelites from walking, but it led them to idol worship. Even if you have to travel a great distance, go to a church where God is truly present. Jeroboam subtly established an alternative place of worship. The altar pattern was the same, and the worship was similar to that of the Temple in Jerusalem, but it was not done in God’s will or according to God’s plan. The alternative place to worship was a man-made temple to promote their business strategy. Look and be cautious with preachers like Jeroboam who sutly create alternatives for worship, bible reading, prayer. The pattern is the same, but the presence of God is not.
Don’t be deceived by outward appearance of church; instead, be led by the Holy Spirit. We must be strong in our fundamentals, such as prayer, repentance, and the importance of Cross of Jesus. False altars and wicked ways are the root causes of all sins in Jeroboam’s kingdom. Here comes the young man of God, bearing a word from God that exposes the root cause of all sins, namely the false altar. He reveals the root cause of all sins, provides a from word from God, shows a sign that the word from God is true, and finally reveals the remedy for sins. The man-made altar will split, and the shrine’s priests will be sacrificed on the same altar.
After the word from God pierces the sin, its upto the person to accept the piercing and turn to God in repentance or rebel against the word from God and in turn rebel against God. Its either the word of God pierces the sins and nullifies the sins or the sins nullifies the word from God.
Within 10 lines or 5 min talk the young man of God conveyed the entire word from God. It was clear and sharp. He discussed the underlying problem as well as the remedy. A word from God pierces or wounds the sin in a sinner. Because this word came from the Lord, it caused a ripple in the Kingdom. When we have a word from God, we don’t need elaborate or over emphasize. We simply need to convey it as it is. God’s power was visibly present when the young man of God conveyed the exact word he received from God. He did not add to or subtract from the word he received from God. The young man of God presented in the pure form in which he received from God. These days, when we receive a word from God, we add or subtract from it based on our needs and situations. Adding or subtracting from the word from God causes it to lose its power. The young man’s riches or wealth is that he is the bearer of heaven’s power and will.
He lay hold of so much power that the king and his troops could not move to lay a hand on him. It was as if – And Elisha prayed, and said, “Lord, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.” Then the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha 2 Kings 6:17. It was as if the young man of God was surrounded by horses and chariots of fire. When this man of God spoke a word from God, he went against the beliefs of an entire nation. The man of God went up against Jeroboam and his troops. If he did not have the backing of God’s authority and power, Jeroboam would have killed him.
Communicate as it is when we receive a word from God, even though many Jeroboams will become angry and raise their hands to kill you. The truth always hurts. You can’t please both God and the worldly king at the same time. If you please God, the worldly ruler will be hurt and vice versa. Because the word of God will cause a lot of opposition, God wanted the young man of God to leave the land immediately after declaring the word. He would have been killed if he had remained. The young man of God who was saved from Jeroboam’s hand by God’s power was killed by God’s power for disobeying God’s instruction. The cost of carrying God’s word is total obedience to God’s instruction.
The young man was aware of and demonstrated God’s power, but he was unaware of the cost of disobedience. Death was the penalty for disobedience for the young man of God. The price or penalty for disobedience may be different for us. It could be losing our voice, God stops to reveal His word to us, settling in Jeroboam’s kingdom and adjusting to sinful life, and so on. Whatever the cause of disobedience, if God does not speak to us, we must repent and leave our Jeroboam’s kingdom in order to be a part of God’s plans. Even if there is no particular benefit, we must be the carriers of God’s word.
We are like a postman who brings letters from God with specific messages. We do not own the letters and do not charge for them. If God finds out what we are hiding or earning from the letters, we will be fired or replaced. The young man of God directly pointed the root cause of the sins rather than sugar coating the root cause in a pleasant manner. The man of God came on the scene and shook Jeroboam’s kingdom. The word of God he spoke caused a big ripple, indicating that God is still in control and has the final say. The word carried so much power that Jeroboam’s hand was withered when he went against the word.
It’s a good thing that Jeroboam didn’t move his entire body. If he had moved his entire body, it would have been withered. God’s word is always backed up by a tremendous quantity of His power and authority. The power never depends on the vessel’s strength or ability.
Where are the young men of God like this? Who had a word from God and were backed by God’s raw power. He spoke with such authority that it shook the entire kingdom. Those who objected to this word were silenced instantly. The young man had received a word from God, as well as instructions to follow until he returned to Judah. The life of young man of God was an example of how the power of God that struck Jeroboam’s hand could also strike him in the event of disobedience. God’s power a two-edged sword. God’s Power strikes those who go against the word on one side, and on the other side, if there is any disobedience, it can strike the life of the vessel or carrier.
The young man of God was struck by God’s power and was killed. In this generation, there are many preachers and pastors who have been struck by God’s power. They had the word from God a long time back, but due to disobedience, they were struck by God’s power and lost the word of God. They might even have big ministries and churches, but they don’t have a word from God. Some of them have become like the old prophet who settled in Jeroboam’s kingdom. They even got adjusted to the sinful ways of the kingdom of Jeroboam. As a consequence of their disobedience, they lost their voice and God’s word. The young man of God was disobedient in following God’s instruction.
Examine your lives to see where you were disobedient to follow God’s instructions. The young man of God was killed in this case, but in some cases, people are not killed but have lost their voice or God has ceased speaking to them. They might even be showered with blessings. God trusts His people with His now word, but if we are disobedient to follow it completely, we may end up like the young man of God (not death) but without a voice. This is evident in Saul’s life. God commands Saul to slaughter all Amalekites, but he spares Agag and the best of the sheep, oxen, fatlings, and lambs. A small act of disobedience made him lose his entire kingdom.
Ask Holy Spirit’s help in revealing the areas of disobedience in your lives. The young man of God who has lost their voice or word may end up like the old prophet who settled in Jeroboam’s kingdom.
There are only two options: either you have a word from God or you don’t.
For the young man of God, safeguard the word of God by following God’s instructions completely.
For the old prophet – Come out of Jeroboam’s kingdom. Repent and seek the face of God.
Disobedience does not have to be a big sin; it can be as simple as how you handle money, treat people, and so on. We may not be disobedient in big commands. Be careful in the smaller things. The young man of God may be unaware of the cost of disobedience. If you have word from God, be careful to obey all instructions God completely if any. The word from God has absolute power; however, if you disobey the instruction, the power can destroy you. It is an honor to be a vessel that carries God’s word.
