Pastor Marshall Ochs | August 18, 2024
In this message, Pastor Marshall teaches from 1 Kings 13-14. These chapters cover the final days of Jeroboam’s reign in Israel and Rehoboam’s reign in Judah. The story begins with a prophet from Judah speaking judgment on Israel, but ends with Judah participating in the same sins of Israel. The author emphasizes the importance of obeying the word of the Lord rather than the details of each nation’s sin. Outright rebellion and subtle pride are both considered disobedience and result in disastrous consequences.
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Last week we saw that after Solomon’s death there was a civil war in Israel, and it was divided into two kingdoms. Judah became the southern kingdom, which was ruled by Solomon’s son Rehoboam and was made up of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Israel was the northern kingdom which consisted of the remaining ten tribes and was ruled by Jeroboam. Our passage today picks up with Jeroboam offering sacrifices on the altar he had built in Bethel.
Read 1 Kings 13:1-10. As Jeroboam is offering sacrifices on the altar, a man of God from Judah comes and speaks a word from the Lord. He prophesied that God would destroy this altar and the pagan priests who made offerings on it. (We see the prophesy of the destruction of the priests fulfilled 300 years later in 2 Kings 23:1-20.) Jeroboam reached out his hand and said, “Seize him.” As he did this, his hand was seized up and the altar was torn down and the ashes poured out. Jeroboam asks the man of God to ask God to heal his hand, and it was healed. Jeroboam’s response was not one of humility or repentance, but rather of manipulation - desiring to use the man of God for his own power.
As you reflect on this story, do you see any similarity in your life? Do you listen to the word of God being preached and then refuse to truly apply it to your life?
Do you have a heart of humility and repentance, or do you remain stiff-necked and unwilling to surrender to the Lord?
Do you treat corporate worship, reading a daily devotional as something to check off on your “To Do” list?
The man of God had strict instructions from the Lord to deliver the message and return home. He was not to eat or drink with the people and to return home a different way than he came. Why did God instruct him to do this? These people were in direct rebellion to God. He didn’t want this man to fellowship with people living in disobedience to God because it would be easy to allow that disobedience to infiltrate his life and his obedience to God.
Have there been times (or are you currently) in close relationships with those who do not follow God, and it has tempted you to conduct yourself in a manner that is not pleasing to God?
Do you proclaim to be a Christ follower and yet not live like one? Are you different in front of your church family than you are at home or work?
Read 1 Kings 13:11-34. The man of God sent to give the prophesy to Jeroboam ends up listening to an old prophet who deceives him and invites him to come to his house and eat and drink with him. The man of God disobeyed what God had instructed him and listens to unwise counsel which ultimately costs him his life. The focus of this story is to point out the value and necessity of knowing, listening and obeying the “Word of the Lord.” This phrase is used eleven times in this passage! We must not hear and read the word of God and not live by it. (This reminds me of James 1 – read for context)
Have you heard the Lord speaking to you through the teaching or reading of His word and chosen to not apply it or disobey?
Sin can be blatantly obvious or very subtle. Don’t ignore the prompting of the Holy Spirit when He is clearly instructing you to turn from any sin struggle. Pray and ask the Lord to reveal any area/areas of disobedience in your life – big or small – repent, receive His forgiveness and listen to the Word of the Lord.
Read 1 Kings 13: 33-14:18. We see Jeroboam continuing to live in disobedience to the Lord. When his child becomes ill, he makes a feeble attempt through his wife to manipulate God into healing his son, and he is exposed by the prophet Ahijah. When his wife returns home, their son dies as Ahijah had prophesied. There are consequences for living a life in rebellion to God’s word.
Reflecting on your life, have there been times when you have tried to barter with or manipulate God into doing things your way rather than obeying His word?
How did those circumstances turn out? What did you learn?
Read 1 Kings 14:21-24. The story shifts back to Rehoboam, (Solomon’s son) the king of the south. Rehoboam allowed the pagan practices of the northern kingdom to infiltrate the southern kingdom. Asherim poles were phallic symbols where prostitutes were paid to conduct sexual acts of worship, and the people of the land participated in these detestable pagan acts. Once again, compromises were made by Rehoboam and the people of Judah to allow sin to slither in and take hold of them – ignoring the Word of the Lord.
Read 1 Kings 14:25-31. God hated the sinful ways of Judah and judged them. Egypt attacked Jerusalem and ransacked the Lord’s Temple. Jeroboam tried to keep up appearances of wealth and prosperity by replacing the stolen gold shields with bronze.
Wealth, idol worship, immorality, etc., can slowly infiltrate our lives and become increasingly more important to us than God. When God is removed from the way we live our lives, everything becomes meaningless, no matter the earthly value we place on it.
Are there possessions, lifestyles, relationships, careers, social interests that have been put above God in your life?
Return to Him! He is waiting with open arms for your repentance! Nothing is better than the relationship with God through His Son, Jesus! Be obedient to the Word of the Lord!