In
1 Kings chapter 13, there are three main characters, each one is less
than perfect and each has a different reaction to God’s Word. The
chapter begins, “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“.
This un-named man was obediently following a specific command from
God. He delivered the message to King Jeroboam while the king was in
the midst of his rebellion. “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“.
Jeroboam reacted with anger, “he
stretched out his hand from the altar and said, “Seize him!”
But the hand he stretched out toward the man shriveled up, so that he
could not pull it back“.
This could have been the turning point in the king’s life. I
believe, if he would just turn his heart to God and asked for
forgiveness, God would have restored him. He did not. Instead he
turned to the young man, “Intercede
with the Lord your God and pray for me that my hand may be restored“.
God again demonstrated His merciful nature. “So
the man of God interceded with the Lord, and the king’s hand was
restored and became as it was before“.
Please understand; God wants a personal relationship with each of
us. We do not need any man to stand between us and God. Jesus is
the only access to God we need. “Christ
who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right
hand of God, who also makes intercession for us”
(Romans 8:34).
The
king wanted to reward the young man, but he explained God commanded
him, “You
must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came“.
Too often we want to give glory to the servant instead of the One he
serves. The chapter continues; there was an “old
prophet living in Bethel”
that heard about this ‘man of God’ and the old prophet went out
after him. He found the younger man resting under a tree. I’m
sure he was hungry, tired and thirsty and still had a long walk home.
If this is where you are now, please call on God to refresh you by
His Spirit. When we are weak, He is strong. The old prophet
lied to get his way, “an
angel said to me by the word of the Lord: ‘Bring him back with you to
your house so that he may eat bread and drink water… So the man of
God returned with him and ate and drank in his house“.
One of the reasons we study God’s written word is so we are not
easily deceived. Acts 17:11 praises the church in Berea; “they
received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures
every day to see if what Paul said was true“.
God’s Word is inerrant, I am not!
God
used the old prophet to pronounce judgment on his guest, “You
have defied the word of the Lord… Therefore your body will not be
buried in the tomb of your fathers“.
When it comes to following the law of God, partial obedience is not
good enough. The law requires perfection. My confidence is in the
righteousness of Christ! The chapter ends with a sad announcement.
“Even
after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways…This was the sin
of the house of Jeroboam that led to its downfall and to its
destruction from the face of the earth“.
What are you going to do with God’s Word?