A Walk with the Kings of Israel Wednesday

A New Reign

Jeroboam reigned 22 years in the northern kingdom. God sent a prophet to cry out against the corrupt altar that Jeroboam built, instead of repentance anger filled Jeroboam. He did not turn back to God.

Jeroboam’s son gets ill at this time and he sends his wife in disguise to inquire of the prophet Ahijah about his son’s outcome. This is the same prophet who brought the first word from God to Jeroboam. The very word that told him that God hand-picked him to be king of most of Israel. I imagine he probably sent his wife in disguise because his pride left him unable to humble himself. That is what it seems anyway. Jeroboam had a great opportunity but because of his failure to follow God, he lost his chance. Instead he used his influence to lead the people away from God. He knew the consequences because God told Jeroboam what He expected from him in the beginning of this assignment. Jeroboam did not prove faithful.

Ahijah has bad news for Jeroboam. His wife goes back to tell him this is what the Lord says:

“7 Go, tell Jeroboam that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I raised you up from among the people and made you a leader over my people Israel. 8 I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, but you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes. 9 You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have provoked me to anger and thrust me behind your back.”
-1 Kings 14:7-9

Now Jeroboam was deemed the one who did more evil than all before him. I shudder to think of what that means? Remember God wiped out the world because of all the evil in Noah’s days. Was Jeroboam even more evil than all of them? Those people in Sodom and Gomorrah where there were none righteous but Lot and his family. Was Jeroboam more evil than all of them? There was great evil in the world yet Jeroboam surpassed it.

Jeroboam looked like he had a great start but the end was disastrous all because He did not seek the One who established his rule. Is there anything we can learn from this for today? Our country will not prosper until we humble ourselves before our holy God and turn back to Him. The economic crisis, energy crisis, and the other devastation is a way to get our attention. Will we turn back to our King? Oh I hope so with all my heart.

Here are just some of the consequences of Jeroboam’s disobedience as listed in the rest of chapter fourteen. If you have the time I encourage you to read it all. The consequences are very serious. We must take our God and obedience to Him seriously. He is good but He is also just. His ways never change.

Consequences:
1-Because of Jeroboam’s sin, the kingdom will be torn away from his family line.
2-The ill boy will die when his mom steps into town.
3-Disaster will come to Jeroboam and his family.
4-No one in Jeroboam’s family will have proper burial except the young son who dies because he is the only one God found any good in.

Now those are some serious consequences. But Jeroboam did some pretty bad things. I think the key to understanding God in regards to his treatment of Jeroboam is knowing and remembering that God sees our hearts. Not one of us is perfect. We all sin. God sees the intentions of our hearts. David committed sins as well but God knew his heart. God also knew Jeroboam’s heart. God is the only righteous one to judge because He does see straight into our hearts.

The next in line for the kingdom is Nadab, the son of Jeroboam. We know the kingdom is torn from this family though so it will not surprise us that he only reigned for two years. He persisted in the evil his father did in the Lord’s eyes.

During a siege against the Philistines, one of Nadab’s brother Israelites from the tribe of Issachar struck him down. His name was Baasha and he becomes the next king of Israel. He also killed all of the rest of Jeroboam’s family fulfilling the prophecy given through the prophet Ahijah. Next week we will take a look at Baasha’s reign.

1-We have a great influence in the world around us. Do we use our influence on it or does it influence us?

2-Above all else my heart’s desire is to prove faithful to God. What about you? Is there anything you can say you have not been faithful to do up to this point? If so why not do it now?

3-Any thoughts you want to share about our country, our distance from our God, and the state we are in?

4-What is the condition of your heart? Will you spend some time asking God about what He sees? Remember there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). Listen to the Holy Spirit and His guiding. If there is sin then confess it and move on. If it is clean then hear God say well done, my faithful one.

Copyright 2008-Refresh My Soul Ministries-Angela Parsley