Good Morning Friends,
The nation of Israel was split in two after
Solomon’s death. The southern kingdom was ruled by Solomon’s son, Rehoboam and
the northern kingdom by a former official in Solomon’s court named Jeroboam. Jeroboam
led the northern nation away from the Lord. He established new places of
worship so the people would not go to Jerusalem to worship. He set up golden
calves as idols and called the people to worship them. And God sent a prophet
to warn Jeroboam and the people of the northern kingdom.
“By the word of the LORD a man of God came from
Judah to Bethel, as Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make an offering. He
cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD: ‘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.”’ That same day the man of God gave a sign: ‘This is the sign the LORD
has declared: The altar will be split apart and the ashes on it will be poured out.’”
(1 Kings 13:1-3)
Jeroboam refused to listen to the word from the
Lord spoken by God’s prophet. Instead, he stretched out his hand against the
prophet to seize him. But God answered that threat in a miraculous way. “But
the hand he stretched out toward the man shriveled up, so that he could not
pull it back. Also, 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.” (1
Kings 13:4-5)
Jeroboam let the prophet go … but he still
would not listen to or heed the warning the prophet had spoken.
“Even after this, Jeroboam did not change his
evil ways.” (1 Kings 13:33)
God spoke so clearly to Jeroboam and the people
and they refused to listen. They were going to follow their own way, no matter
how clearly God spoke.
I wonder … how often are we guilty of the same
sin. Although God has spoken so very clearly in His Word about so many issues
that we face in life … how often have we refused to listen. In what ways are
you guilty of following your own way, no matter how clearly God has spoken to
you?
His, by Grace,
Steve
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