1 Kings 13

1 Kings 13:1

THE PROPHECY AGAINST JEROBOAM’S FALSE ALTARWe are going to move rather rapidly through this sectionit is history. We will be following the course of the two kingdoms, one following after the other or sometimes together or overlapping. We find that Jeroboam, who came to the throne in the northern kingdom, was given an opportunity to really serve God. Yet his fear was that the tribes in the north would go back to Jerusalem to worship. That might reunite the kingdom, and he wanted to keep it separate. So Jeroboam set up two golden calves for the people to worship, one in Samaria and one in Bethel. Let me pause here a moment. It is interesting to note when Josiah reigned. It was almost three hundred years later, but the prophet of God marks him out now. He was a good king and he reigned thirty-one years. Josiah led in one of the five great revivals that took place during the period of the kings. We will consider those revivals in Chronicles. These revivals are not mentioned in Kings but in Chronicles, which gives God’s viewpoint. Revival is always from God’s viewpoint. Man is interested in numbers, but it is impossible for him to determine the real converts. God knows the hearts and knows whether a spiritual movement has taken place or not. The prophet of God prophesied against the altar, saying that God was going to raise up a man who would destroy such altars. Josiah was the one who would be raised up to accomplish that task.

1 Kings 13:3

Jeroboam was by the altar when the man of God prophesied. He was making a sacrifice to a golden calf. When the man of God was finished speaking, Jeroboam put out his hand against him. In effect, the king was saying, “Lay hold on him. He is to be slain.” When the king pointed to the man of God, his hand dried up; that is, it withered and became paralyzed.

1 Kings 13:5

The king changes his tune very definitely and begs the man of God to ask the Lord that his arm might be restored. The king’s hand is restored to him, and in appreciation he offers to take the man of God home with him and reward him.

1 Kings 13:8

The man of God will not compromise with evil and idolatry. This is quite remarkable. This is the place to say that there is a lot of double-talk and subterfuge in supposedly fundamentalist Christian circles. I have recently read a statement issued by a certain seminary that claims to be fundamental, and is trying to build a reputation as a conservative school. I have never before read such double-talk in any statement. It claims a super piety and a super intellectualism that is nothing in the world but a denial of the things of God. There is such compromise today in Christian circles! I don’t mean that we are to become ugly and cantankerous, or to not speak to certain individuals or have fellowship with them. That is not the point. But what we do need is to have a clear-cut, honest statement of where we stand theologically. My Christian friend, many believers are supporting organizations that they are not sure are sound. If you don’t know whether or not a ministry is giving out the Word of God, you ought to check into it. It is important, and God will hold you responsible for how you invest your money. These are evil days in which we live. They were evil days during the time of Jeroboam, and this prophet was not about to stay and have lunch with the king. He refused to become involved with him. However, in the next several verses we find that he was deceived by another prophet into disobeying the Lord and suffered the sad consequences. Although he was wary of association with an idolatrous king, he was deceived by a man who claimed to have counter directions from God. My friend, when the church of God today gets involved in the things of the world and makes all kinds of compromises, it is a stench in the nostrils of Almighty God. We are living in days that are much like Jeroboam’s, and we need to exercise the same caution and discernment that was needed then by God’s man. You would think that the experience Jeroboam had with the man of God would have changed him. His hand had been withered and healed. Do you think he changed?

1 Kings 13:33

Chapter 14 describes the reigns of Jeroboam and Rehoboam and sets the pace for the sordid record of the kings of the divided kingdom. There was not one good king in the northern kingdom of Israelall nineteen of them were bad kings. In the southern kingdom there were twenty kings, of which twelve of them were bad. Only eight of them could be labeled good kings. And of the eight, only five were outstanding. (See Chronological Table of the Kings of the Divided Kingdom on p. 227.) The chapter opens with Jeroboam sending his wife to inquire to Ahijah the prophet because their son is very sick. The Lord’s reply through Ahijah is that the child will die, and in addition He gives a further prophecy regarding His judgment on Jeroboam’s family.