1 Kings 14:21-24 Idols!

 “And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king. He reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. His mother’s name was Naamah, an Ammonitess. Now Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they provoked Him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, more than all that their fathers had done. For they also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and wooden images on every high hill and under every green tree. And there were also perverted persons in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations which the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.” ‭‭I Kings‬ ‭14‬:‭21‬-‭24‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked Him to jealousy with their sins: These sins provoked the LORD to jealousy because they were essentially sins of idolatry. Israel turned their back on the God who loved and redeemed them, and like an unfaithful spouse, they pursued spiritual adultery with idols.

b. There were also perverted persons in the land: This specifically describes prostitutes associated with the worship of idols. It is possible that the term perverted persons refers to both men and women cultic prostitutes. However, the term was used in Deuteronomy 23:17-18 in distinction to feminine cultic prostitutes.

c. They did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel: Considering the depth of depravity among the Canaanite nations, this is a strong statement. (Guzik)

Idols!

Our world today is full of idols that are distracting us from the Lord! Electronics, social media, politics, sexual and the like. 

I become easily distracted with the news when I should be in prayer talking to God or studying the Bible. 

Lord help us turn back to You and please bring a revival to our country, in the name of Jesus Christ I pray. Amen.

Will you join me in prayer for a revival?

Blessings 

1 Kings 14:19-20 Rested with his fathers!

“Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he made war and how he reigned, indeed they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel. The period that Jeroboam reigned was twenty-two years. So he rested with his fathers. Then Nadab his son reigned in his place.”

‭‭I Kings‬ ‭14‬:‭19‬-‭20‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. He rested with his fathers: 2 Chronicles 13:20 tells us that the LORD struck him, and he died. (Guzik)

“He died not the common death of all men, but by some remarkable stroke: beside the loss of five hundred thousand of his men in one battle with Abijah king of Judah (2 Chronicles 13:17)” (Trapp).

Rested with his fathers!

This is a polite way of saying he died when in fact the Lord struck him and he  died of a stroke. 

When my father died a friend told me, you are now mortal. Not knowing what he meant I asked and he replied, the previous generation is gone and you’re next. For some looking at our own mortality is difficult, but with me I look forward to going home to Heaven.

"Death is not the end, but the beginning of something far more glorious."

Billy Graham

Do you look forward to going home?

Blessings 

1 Kings 14:17-18 The Word of the Lord!

 “Then Jeroboam’s wife arose and departed, and came to Tirzah. When she came to the threshold of the house, the child died. And they buried him; and all Israel mourned for him, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke through His servant Ahijah the prophet.” I Kings‬ ‭14‬:‭17‬-‭18‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. According to the word of the LORD which He spoke through His servant Ahijah the prophet: The prophecy about Israel’s national exile would not be fulfilled for centuries. Yet it was demonstrated as true because the immediate prophecy of the death of Jeroboam’s son was exactly fulfilled. (Guzik)

The word of the Lord!

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭24‬:‭35‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

“Let Your mercies come also to me, O Lord— Your salvation according to Your word.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119‬:‭41‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

If God says it, it will happen according to His word!

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,”

‭‭II Timothy‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Do you believe the word of the Lord?

Blessings 

1 Kings 14:12-16 Apostasy

 “Arise therefore, go to your own house. When your feet enter the city, the child shall die. And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he is the only one of Jeroboam who shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something good toward the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam. “Moreover the Lord will raise up for Himself a king over Israel who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam; this is the day. What? Even now! For the Lord will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land which He gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the River, because they have made their wooden images, provoking the Lord to anger. And He will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who sinned and who made Israel sin.””

‭‭I Kings‬ ‭14‬:‭12‬-‭16‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. When your feet enter the city, the child shall die: Jeroboam sent his wife to discover the fate of his son. The bad news was that the child would die. Yet his death would be a demonstration of mercy, because at least he would be buried in honor and properly mourned. Such great judgment was coming upon the house of Jeroboam that all would see that by comparison, this son was blessed in his death.

b. He will uproot Israel from this good land which He gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the River: This would finally be fulfilled some 300 years later. God knew that the root of Jeroboam’s apostasy would eventually result in the bitter fruit of national exile. (Guzik)

Apostasy 

We all probably know someone who’s walked away from the faith like Jeroboam for one reason or another. I have a friend who knows someone who did just that and he meets with him once a month for lunch demonstrating the love of Jesus and discussing the faith.

“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition,” 

II Thessalonians‬ ‭2‬:‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Deception can lead to apostasy so we must guard our hearts and our minds by keeping in the word of God.

Do you study your Bible daily?

Blessings 

1 Kings 14:7-11 Obstinate and Incorrigible!

 “Go, tell Jeroboam, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Because I exalted you from among the people, and made you ruler over My people Israel, and tore the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it to you; and yet you have not been as My servant David, who kept My commandments and who followed Me with all his heart, to do only what was right in My eyes; but you have done more evil than all who were before you, for you have gone and made for yourself other gods and molded images to provoke Me to anger, and have cast Me behind your back— therefore behold! I will bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every male in Israel, bond and free; I will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as one takes away refuse until it is all gone. The dogs shall eat whoever belongs to Jeroboam and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the field; for the Lord has spoken!” ’”

‭‭I Kings‬ ‭14‬:‭7‬-‭11‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. You have done more evil than all who were before you: Saul was a bad man and a bad king. Solomon was a good king but a bad man. Though both men were bad, Jeroboam was far worse. He became the measuring line for the bad kings of Israel to come.

i. God compared Jeroboam unfavorably to David with the words, as my servant David“who though he fell into some sins, yet, first, he constantly persevered in the true worship of God, from which thou are revolted; secondly, he heartily repented of and turned from all his sins, whereas thou are obstinate and incorrigible” (Poole).

b. And have cast Me behind your back: This was a powerful description of intense contempt towards God, as in Ezekiel 23:35 - Because you have forgotten Me and cast Me behind your back, therefore you shall bear the penalty of your lewdness and your harlotry.

i. “The last reason implies a neglect, a scorning of God. It is the same figure of speech used to describe God’s forgiveness of our sins. He puts them behind His back, or in other words, He forgets them. That is good news when it describes God’s treatment of our sins [Isaiah 38:17], but it is tragically bad news when it describes a person’s treatment of God.” (Dilday)

c. I will bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every male: Jeroboam could have had a lasting dynasty, but he wasted the promise of God with his unbelief, idolatry, and outright rejection of God.

i. Every male: “Means literally ‘he who urinates against the wall’” (Patterson and Austel). (Guzik)

Obstinate and incorrigible!

We’ve all known someone like Jeroboam and just maybe, we were once like that! I know I was!

But notice the difference between David and Jeroboam, “he heartily repented of and turned from all his sins (David) whereas thou are obstinate and incorrigible (Jeroboam)” (Poole).

I have repented and accepted the grace of Jesus Christ.

Have you?

Do you know someone who is obstinate and incorrigible? If so pray for them.

Blessings 

1 Kings 14:4-6 Bad News!

 “And Jeroboam’s wife did so; she arose and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. But Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were glazed by reason of his age. Now the Lord had said to Ahijah, “Here is the wife of Jeroboam, coming to ask you something about her son, for he is sick. Thus and thus you shall say to her; for it will be, when she comes in, that she will pretend to be another woman.” And so it was, when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps as she came through the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why do you pretend to be another person? For I have been sent to you with bad news.” I Kings‬ ‭14‬:‭4‬-‭6‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. Ahijah could not see: As it turned out, there was no reason for the wife of Jeroboam to wear a disguise. Old age made Ahijah unable to see.

b. The LORD had said to Ahijah, “Here is the wife of Jeroboam, coming to ask you something about her son”: The woman’s disguise and Ahijah’s blindness didn’t matter, because God told Ahijah the truth of the matter.

c. I have been sent to you with bad news: From this, the wife of Jeroboam learned two things. First, that the news was bad. Second, that though she thought she was sent to Ahijah by her husband, in truth Ahijah was sent by God with a message to her and Jeroboam. (Guzik)

Bad News!

Life is hard and full of ups and downs, good and bad news. It’s how we react to bad news that is supposed to set us apart as Christians from the rest of the world! For we know that the world is not our home and Jesus is preparing a place for us as His Father has many mansions!

I can’t wait to go home!

What about you?

Blessings 

1 Kings 14:1-3 Fortune Teller’s!

 “At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam became sick. And Jeroboam said to his wife, “Please arise, and disguise yourself, that they may not recognize you as the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh. Indeed, Ahijah the prophet is there, who told me that I would be king over this people. Also take with you ten loaves, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him; he will tell you what will become of the child.”” ‭‭I Kings‬ ‭14‬:‭1‬-‭3‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam became sick: Jeroboam was a king, but even kings have trouble common to men. His sick son troubled him and prompted him to seek the help of a prophet.

i. “Prophets were commonly consulted on health matters (2 Kings 1:2; 4:22, 40; 5:3).” (Wiseman)

b. Disguise yourself, that they may not recognize you as the wife of Jeroboam: This was a familiar pattern for Jeroboam. In his time of need, he turned to the true God and men of God. He knew that idols could not help him in any true crisis. Yet he also knew that he had rejected God and His prophets, and so he told his wife to wear a disguise.

i. “How foolish! Jeroboam thought that the old prophet could penetrate the vail that hid the future, but not the disguise in which his wife wished to conceal herself.” (Meyer)

c. He will tell you what will become of the child: Jeroboam did not tell his wife to pray for their son, or to ask the prophet to pray. He wanted to use Ahijah the prophet as a fortuneteller instead of seeking him as a man of God.

i. “It would have been more pious if he had begged the prophet’s prayers, and cast away his idols from him; then the child might have been restored to him, as his hand was. But most people would rather be told their fortune than their faults or their duty.” (Matthew Henry)

(Guzik)

Fortune Teller’s!

Matthew Henry’s commentary is to the point, Jeroboam didn’t repent and was just interested in knowing the fortune for the child!

“But most people would rather be told their fortune than their faults or their duty.” (Matthew Henry)

But there’s a difference in going to a prophet of God for prayers and a soothsayer for fortune telling!

“For the idols speak delusion; The diviners envision lies, And tell false dreams; They comfort in vain. Therefore the people wend their way like sheep; They are in trouble because there is no shepherd.” ‭‭

Zechariah‬ ‭10‬:‭2‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

King Saul had the same problem, instead of repenting he sought out a soothsayer wanting to know his fortune!

When we are troubled, instead of wanting to know our fortune, repent and seek the Shepherd Jesus and it will be well with your soul.

Blessings