Trust God In The Little Things

Asa had led Judah to follow the Lord, while the the kings of Israel were promoting various gods, and Judah was quite prosperous, while Israel was continuously at war.   As a result many people moved to Judah to be able to serve God freely.  Finally, Baasha, the king of Israel attacked and built a fortified city to guard the border and prevent people moving to Judah, as I Kings 15:17 tells us.  “And Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah, and built Ramah, that he might not suffer any to go out or come in to Asa king of Judah.”

Twenty years before, when they were invaded by the Ethiopian Empire, Asa had simply trusted god for the victory, defeating and overwhelming force, but this time he hired the Syrians to attack Israel from the north, as I Kings 15:18-22 describes.  “Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house, and delivered them into the hand of his servants: and king Asa sent them to Benhadad, the son of Tabrimon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, that dwelt at Damascus, saying, There is a league between me and thee, and between my father and thy father: behold, I have sent unto thee a present of silver and gold; come and break thy league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may depart from me.  

So Benhadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains of the hosts which he had against the cities of Israel, and smote Ijon, and Dan, and Abelbethmaachah, and all Cinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali.  And it came to pass, when Baasha heard thereof, that he left off building of Ramah, and dwelt in Tirzah.   Then king Asa made a proclamation throughout all Judah; none was exempted: and they took away the stones of Ramah, and the timber thereof, wherewith Baasha had builded; and king Asa built with them Geba of Benjamin, and Mizpah.”

God was not pleased with Asa’s lack of faith, as II Chronicles 16:7-9 tells us.  “And at that time Hanani the seer came to Asa king of Judah, and said unto him, Because thou hast relied on the king of Syria, and not relied on the LORD thy God, therefore is the host of the king of Syria escaped out of thine hand.  Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen? yet, because thou didst rely on the LORD, he delivered them into thine hand.  For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.”

Instead of repenting like David did when his sin was pointed out, Asa got mad at the prophet and had him arrested.  He took out his anger on some of the people as well, as II Chronicles 16:10 tells us.  “Then Asa was wroth with the seer, and put him in a prison house; for he was in a rage with him because of this thing. And Asa oppressed some of the people the same time.”  Later, when he started having health problems, he placed his faith in the doctors, rather than in God, although he never turned away from the Lord, as we see in II Chronicles 16:11-14.  “And, behold, the acts of Asa, first and last, lo, they are written in the book of the kings of Judah and Israel.  And Asa in the thirty and ninth year of his reign was diseased in his feet, until his disease was exceeding great: yet in his disease he sought not to the LORD, but to the physicians.    And Asa slept with his fathers, and died in the one and fortieth year of his reign.  And they buried him in his own sepulchres, which he had made for himself in the city of David, and laid him in the bed which was filled with sweet odours and divers kinds of spices prepared by the apothecaries' art: and they made a very great burning for him.”

It is amazing how often we can trust God with some huge challenge when we cannot see any possible solution, yet insist on trying to do smaller things in our own power without consulting him.  We need to learn to trust God in everything.     

Twenty Years of Prosperity

Asa had set out to turn Judah back to God, and the people were following him.    However God knows how easy it is for people to lose their focus after a while, especially when they are successful.  He sent the prophet Azariah to encourage them and to warn of the danger, in II Chronicles 15:1-7.  “And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded: And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.

Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.  But when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.  And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries.  And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all adversity.  Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.”

Encouraged by the prophet’s words, Asa made every effort to turn the people more completely to God.  The victory over the Ethiopians helped to unite them and he was able to get them to commit to following God completely, in II Chronicles 15:8-16 tells us.  “And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the LORD, that was before the porch of the LORD.  And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.

So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa.  And they offered unto the LORD the same time, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep.  And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul; That whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, whether man or woman.  And they sware unto the LORD with a loud voice, and with shouting, and with trumpets, and with cornets.  And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him with their whole desire; and he was found of them: and the LORD gave them rest round about.”

Asa was dedicated to serving the Lord, even removing his own mother from her place of authority when she continuedto worship idols, as II Chronicles 15:16 tells us.  “And also concerning Maachah the mother of Asa the king, he removed her from being queen, because she had made an idol in a grove: and Asa cut down her idol, and stamped it, and burnt it at the brook Kidron.”  Despite his best efforts, and his total focus on following God, some of the people did not completely turn to God, as II Chronicles 15:17 tells us.  “But the high places were not taken away out of Israel: nevertheless the heart of Asa was perfect all his days.”  While a leader has a tremendous amount of influence on what the people do, they still have a free will, and some may not be as dedicated as the leader.  While they sign the pledges and seem committed, they may hold back in some areas, or change their minds later.  Even in the best, churches, ther are people who are not as committed as they seem. 

Asa would continue to follow God’s commands fully throughout his life. God blessed him mightily, as a result.  It would be another twenty years before anyone would dare attack them again, as we see in II Chronicles 15:18-19.  “And he brought into the house of God the things that his father had dedicated, and that he himself had dedicated, silver, and gold, and vessels.  And there was no more war unto the five and thirtieth year of the reign of Asa.”

Asa Turns Judah Back To God

Although they did not truly serve God, Rehoboam and Abijah had allowed their people freedom to serve God, even encouraging the old Jewish religion.  As a result, for the first ten years after Abijah’s death Judah was at rest, as II Chronicles 14:1 states.  “So Abijah slept with his fathers, and they buried him in the city of David: and Asa his son reigned in his stead. In his days the land was quiet ten years.”  Asa came to power about three years before Jeroboam was killed in Israel, reigning forty one years, as I Kings 15:9-10 tells us.  “And in the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel reigned Asa over Judah.  And forty and one years reigned he in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom.”

While Abijah was not committed to the Lord, Asa was, making a concerted effort to turn the nation back to God, as II Chronicles 14:2-5 describes.  “And Asa did that which was good and right in the eyes of the LORD his God: For he took away the altars of the strange gods, and the high places, and brake down the images, and cut down the groves: And commanded Judah to seek the LORD God of their fathers, and to do the law and the commandment.  Also he took away out of all the cities of Judah the high places and the images: and the kingdom was quiet before him.”  This resulted in definite change in the moral climate, with the elimination of the homosexuality that had developed unde his father and grandfather, as I Kings 15:12 tells us.  “And he took away the sodomites out of the land, and removed all the idols that his fathers had made.”  As Romans 1:20-27 tells us, homosexuality and lesbianism are a result of denying God’s authority.   

Because God had blessed them with a period of peace, Asa was able to strengthen his defenses, building a large army and numerous fortified cities, as II Chronicles 14:6-8 tells us.  “And he built fenced cities in Judah: for the land had rest, and he had no war in those years; because the LORD had given him rest.  Therefore he said unto Judah, Let us build these cities, and make about them walls, and towers, gates, and bars, while the land is yet before us; because we have sought the LORD our God, we have sought him, and he hath given us rest on every side. So they built and prospered.  And Asa had an army of men that bare targets and spears, out of Judah three hundred thousand; and out of Benjamin, that bare shields and drew bows, two hundred and fourscore thousand: all these were mighty men of valour.”

For centuries, Egypt had dominated Northern Africa, but by Solomon’s day, Ethiopia was gaining power in Central Africa, leading to his treaty and marriage to Pharaoh’s daughter.  Rehoboam and Abijah reigned during a period of African history known as the Ethiopic wars, when the Ethiopian Empire established control over most of central and Northern Africa including Egypti and Libya, and mush of present day Saudi Arabia.  Still seeking to expand their empire, they invaded Judah, with an army of more than a million men.  Outnumbered nearly two to one, Asa sought God help, as II Chronicles 14:9-15 describes.  “And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah.  Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah.

And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.  So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.  And Asa and the people that were with him pursued them unto Gerar: and the Ethiopians were overthrown, that they could not recover themselves; for they were destroyed before the LORD, and before his host; and they carried away very much spoil.  And they smote all the cities round about Gerar; for the fear of the LORD came upon them: and they spoiled all the cities; for there was exceeding much spoil in them.  They smote also the tents of cattle, and carried away sheep and camels in abundance, and returned to Jerusalem.”

God gave a resounding victory over the Ethiopian forces, with the Ethiopians being driven completely out of Judah, and Asa and his men capturing some of the cities along the border with Egypt.  While the Ethiopians would try to expand outside Africa again about two hundred fifty years later, they would never again have the same power. 

Abijah’s Reign

Rehoboam had carefully groomed his son Abijah or Abijam to be his successor and upon his death he became king, but his focus was not on serving God.   In I Kings 11:9-13 God had specifically told Solomon he was going to take the kingdom away from ins family.  “And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the LORD God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the LORD commanded.  Wherefore the LORD said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.  Notwithstanding in thy days I will not do it for David thy father's sake: but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.  Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom; but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake which I have chosen.”

When Israel broke away from Rehoboam, he had intended to attack them, but God had forbidden him to do so, as I Kings 12:24 tells us.  “Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren the children of Israel: return every man to his house; for this thing is from me. They hearkened therefore to the word of the LORD, and returned to depart, according to the word of the LORD.”

Abijah refused to accept God’s decree, we see in II Chronicles 13:1-7.  “Now in the eighteenth year of king Jeroboam began Abijah to reign over Judah.  He reigned three years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Michaiah the daughter of Uriel of Gibeah. And there was war between Abijah and Jeroboam.  And Abijah set the battle in array with an army of valiant men of war, even four hundred thousand chosen men: Jeroboam also set the battle in array against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men, being mighty men of valour.

And Abijah stood up upon mount Zemaraim, which is in mount Ephraim, and said, Hear me, thou Jeroboam, and all Israel; Ought ye not to know that the LORD God of Israel gave the kingdom over Israel to David for ever, even to him and to his sons by a covenant of salt?  Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, is risen up, and hath rebelled against his lord.  And there are gathered unto him vain men, the children of Belial, and have strengthened themselves against Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and tenderhearted, and could not withstand them.”

Instead of crediting God with causing the split, Abijah blamed Jeroboam for striking before Rehoboam undere stood what was happening.   Proverbs 21:2 says, “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes…,” and Abijah was convinced of his own righteousness, even though I Kings 15:3 tells us  “…he walked in all the sins of his father, which he had done before him: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father.”  Based on his self righteous attitude, he claimed God’s promises to David, in II Chronicles 13:8-12.  “And now ye think to withstand the kingdom of the LORD in the hand of the sons of David; and ye be a great multitude, and there are with you golden calves, which Jeroboam made you for gods.  Have ye not cast out the priests of the LORD, the sons of Aaron, and the Levites, and have made you priests after the manner of the nations of other lands? so that whosoever cometh to consecrate himself with a young bullock and seven rams, the same may be a priest of them that are no gods.

But as for us, the LORD is our God, and we have not forsaken him; and the priests, which minister unto the LORD, are the sons of Aaron, and the Levites wait upon their business: And they burn unto the LORD every morning and every evening burnt sacrifices and sweet incense: the showbread also set they in order upon the pure table; and the candlestick of gold with the lamps thereof, to burn every evening: for we keep the charge of the LORD our God; but ye have forsaken him.  And, behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you. O children of Israel, fight ye not against the LORD God of your fathers; for ye shall not prosper.”

While he was not obeying God completely, Abijah had not completely turned away from him, and when Jeroboam seemed likely to defeat him, he and the people of Judah called on the Lord.  Although they were not able to completely conquer Jeroboam, they were able to take much of the land along the border from him, as II Chronicles 13:13-20 tells us.  ”But Jeroboam caused an ambushment to come about behind them: so they were before Judah, and the ambushment was behind them.  And when Judah looked back, behold, the battle was before and behind: and they cried unto the LORD, and the priests sounded with the trumpets.  Then the men of Judah gave a shout: and as the men of Judah shouted, it came to pass, that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah.  And the children of Israel fled before Judah: and God delivered them into their hand. 

And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men. Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the LORD God of their fathers.  And Abijah pursued after Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with the towns thereof, and Jeshanah with the towns thereof, and Ephrain with the towns thereof.  Neither did Jeroboam recover strength again in the days of Abijah: and the LORD struck him, and he died.”

The fight with Abijah so weakened Jeroboam that he never recovered, and a few years later, he and his family were killed in a coup.  Abijah only reigned three years, but during that time he gained a lot of respect but he copied Solomon and Rehoboam in getting a large harem, as II Chronicles 12:21 tells us.  “But Abijah waxed mighty, and married fourteen wives, and begat twenty and two sons, and sixteen daughters.”

Rehoboam’s Later Years

Rehoboam started out pretty well as king.  Unfortunately, Like Saul, and Solomon, once he got comfortable with his position, he became less concerned with obeying god, as II Chronicles 12:1 tells us.  “And it came to pass, when Rehoboam had established the kingdom, and had strengthened himself, he forsook the law of the LORD, and all Israel with him.”    As king, Rehoboam set the example for the nation, leading the people away from God’s commands.  I kings 14:22-24 describes the resulting sin.  “And Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD, and they provoked him to jealousy with their sins which they had committed, above all that their fathers had done.  For they also built them high places, and images, and groves, on every high hill, and under every green tree.   And there were also sodomites in the land: and they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.”

Solomon had set the example in turning to other religions, and Rehoboam and the the nation of Judah carried it even further than they had under him, even going against their own consciences by accepting homosexuality and killing their own children.  During Solomon’ reign there had been peace with Egypt, but five years after Rehoboam became king, the Egyptians invaded Judah as II Chronicles 12:2-4 escribes.  “And it came to pass, that in the fifth year of king Rehoboam Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, because they had transgressed against the LORD, With twelve hundred chariots, and threescore thousand horsemen: and the people were without number that came with him out of Egypt; the Lubims, the Sukkiims, and the Ethiopians.  And he took the fenced cities which pertained to Judah, and came to Jerusalem.”

Shemiah the prophet made it clear the Egyptian invasion was a result fo their sin, and Rehoboam and the pople repented, Acknowledging their debt to God, in II Chronicles 12:5-7.  “Then came Shemaiah the prophet to Rehoboam, and to the princes of Judah, that were gathered together to Jerusalem because of Shishak, and said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, Ye have forsaken me, and therefore have I also left you in the hand of Shishak.  Whereupon the princes of Israel and the king humbled themselves; and they said, The LORD is righteous.”

Because they repented, God forgave them.  He prevented the Egyptians from destroying them completely, but allowed them to retain control as a constant reminder of the consequences of rejecting God, In II Chronicles 12:7-8.  “And when the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah, saying, They have humbled themselves; therefore I will not destroy them, but I will grant them some deliverance; and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jerusalem by the hand of Shishak.  Nevertheless they shall be his servants; that they may know my service, and the service of the kingdoms of the countries.”

The Egyptians took away much of the wealth Solomon had accumulated.  Rehoboam tried to keep up the appearances, but was forced to substitute less valuable materials in his efforts. as we see in II Chronicles 12:9-11.  “So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king's house; he took all: he carried away also the shields of gold which Solomon had made.  Instead of which king Rehoboam made shields of brass, and committed them to the hands of the chief of the guard, that kept the entrance of the king's house.  And when the king entered into the house of the LORD, the guard came and fetched them, and brought them again into the guard chamber.”

Because he repented, God allowed Rehoboam to reign for twelve more years after the Egyptian invasion, and Judah prospered during that reign, as II Chronicles 12;12-13 explains.  “And when he humbled himself, the wrath of the LORD turned from him, that he would not destroy him altogether: and also in Judah things went well.  So king Rehoboam strengthened himself in Jerusalem, and reigned: for Rehoboam was one and forty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess.”

Rehoboam was the son of an Ammonite woman, one of those who had led Solomon into idolatry.  He had not been fully committed to the Lord, as II Chronicles 12:14 explains.  “And he did evil, because he prepared not his heart to seek the LORD.”    While a great deal would happen during Rehoboam’s reign, they are not relevant to God’s purposes, and were not included in the scriptures although they were recorded in other writings, as II Chronicles 12:15-16 explains.  “Now the acts of Rehoboam, first and last, are they not written in the book of Shemaiah the prophet, and of Iddo the seer concerning genealogies? And there were wars between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually.  And Rehoboam slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David: and Abijah his son reigned in his stead.”  He would be succeeded by his son Abijah or Abijam. 

Rehoboam’s Early Reign

Because Solomon had turned from obeying God to worshipping other gods, God had caused the nation of Israel to split into two countries.  The trigger for the split had been Rehoboam’s greed and his determingtion to prove he was king, by insisting on raising taxes.  As a result the ten Northern tribes formed the nation of Israel while Rehoboam retained the tribes of Benjamin and Judah, as I Kings 14:21 describes.  “And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty and one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the LORD did choose out of all the tribes of Israel, to put his name there. And his mother's name was Naamah an Ammonitess.”

Rehoboam’s efforts to prove he was king had been advised by other men about his own age, who had grown up alongside him and had never known anything but the prosperity under Solomon,  As a result, they had no understanding of the struggles the common people experienced, much like the majority of our political figures today, even though they were in their early forties.  When the people rebelled, Rehoboam decided to show them who was king, but God stopped him, as II Chronicles 11:1-4 describes.  “And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he gathered of the house of Judah and Benjamin an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against Israel, that he might bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam.  But the word of the LORD came to Shemaiah the man of God, saying, Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren: return every man to his house: for this thing is done of me. And they obeyed the words of the LORD, and returned from going against Jeroboam.”

Warned not to fight Israel, Rehoboam began building strong defenses according to II Chronicles 11:5-12 describes.  “And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defence in Judah.  He built even Bethlehem, and Etam, and Tekoa, And Bethzur, and Shoco, and Adullam, And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph, And Adoraim, and Lachish, and Azekah, And Zorah, and Aijalon, and Hebron, which are in Judah and in Benjamin fenced cities.  And he fortified the strong holds, and put captains in them, and store of victual, and of oil and wine.  And in every several city he put shields and spears, and made them exceeding strong, having Judah and Benjamin on his side.”

At the same time, many people in Israel were upset about Jeroboam’s changes, and especially his starting his own religion.  As a result many of those who wished to serve God moved to Judah, as II Chronicles 11:13-17 describes.  “And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts.  For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest's office unto the LORD: And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made.  And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers.  So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong, three years: for three years they walked in the way of David and Solomon.”

For the first three years of his reign, Rehoboam and the people of Judah followed much the same patterns they had followed under David and Solomon.  For Rehoboam, this included getting many wives and siring a huge family, as we see in II Chronicles 11:18-23.  “And Rehoboam took him Mahalath the daughter of Jerimoth the son of David to wife, and Abihail the daughter of Eliab the son of Jesse; Which bare him children; Jeush, and Shamariah, and Zaham.  And after her he took Maachah the daughter of Absalom; which bare him Abijah, and Attai, and Ziza, and Shelomith.  And Rehoboam loved Maachah the daughter of Absalom above all his wives and his concubines: (for he took eighteen wives, and threescore concubines; and begat twenty and eight sons, and threescore daughters.)  And Rehoboam made Abijah the son of Maachah the chief, to be ruler among his brethren: for he thought to make him king.  And he dealt wisely, and dispersed of all his children throughout all the countries of Judah and Benjamin, unto every fenced city: and he gave them victual in abundance. And he desired many wives.”

Jeroboam Refuses To Listen

God’s prophet had specifically warned Jeroboam about the consequences of changing the jewish religion he had given them for their own ideas.ven though he recognized the prophet came from God, Jeroboam refused to change what he was doing, leading Israel into sin as I Kings 13:33-34 tells us.  “After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places.  And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth.”

Many people think we need strong leaders to get people to follow God.  Unfortunately such strong leaders can also lead people away from God.  Jeroboam had made it so hard to worship God as they were supposed to that all the priests and Levites were forced to give up their land and move to Judah, according to II Chronicles 11:13-16.  “And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him out of all their coasts.  For the Levites left their suburbs and their possession, and came to Judah and Jerusalem: for Jeroboam and his sons had cast them off from executing the priest's office unto the LORD: And he ordained him priests for the high places, and for the devils, and for the calves which he had made.  And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers.”

Having his hand shrivel up and become paralyzed hadn’t made Jeroboam stop, so God allowed his son to get sick in an attempt to get his attention.  Jeroboam wanted God’s approval but was unwilling to do what God wanted.  He sent his wife down to the prophet who had first told him he would be king to see if he would bless him.  Apparently, he thought he could change what God wanted by consulting a different prophet, much like people today switching churches to find a pastor who tells them what they want to hear.   They tried to trick the prophet to improve their chances, as we see in I Kings 14:1-3. Tells us.  “At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick.  And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, I pray thee, and disguise thyself, that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam; and get thee to Shiloh: behold, there is Ahijah the prophet, which told me that I should be king over this people.  And take with thee ten loaves, and cracknels, and a cruse of honey, and go to him: he shall tell thee what shall become of the child.”

Their efforts to fool Ahijah the prophet were wasted.  He was blind, but God let him know what was going on, In I Kings 14:4-6.  “And Jeroboam's wife did so, and arose, and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. But Ahijah could not see; for his eyes were set by reason of his age.  And the LORD said unto Ahijah, Behold, the wife of Jeroboam cometh to ask a thing of thee for her son; for he is sick: thus and thus shalt thou say unto her: for it shall be, when she cometh in, that she shall feign herself to be another woman. And it was so, when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, that he said, Come in, thou wife of Jeroboam; why feignest thou thyself to be another? for I am sent to thee with heavy tidings.”

Ahijah told her that because God had given Jeroboam a special opportunity and he had refused to follow the Lord he would be judged more severely than Solomon, in I Kings 14:7-16.  “Go, tell Jeroboam, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Forasmuch as I exalted thee from among the people, and made thee prince over my people Israel, And rent the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it thee: and yet thou hast not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments, and who followed me with all his heart, to do that only which was right in mine eyes; But hast done evil above all that were before thee: for thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back: Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone.  Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat: for the LORD hath spoken it. Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house: and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die.  And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him: for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam.

Moreover the LORD shall raise him up a king over Israel, who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam that day: but what? even now.  For the LORD shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, and he shall root up Israel out of this good land, which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their groves, provoking the LORD to anger.  And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin.”

While Solomon had worshipped other gods, Jeroboam had actively tried to get the people to worship another religion.  Because Israel had followed Jeroboam, God displace them from their land and scatter tehm among the nations.  Jeroboam’s family would be wiped out, and so little thought of that they wouldn’t even bother to bury them.  The child woule be the only one who would be mourned.  Everything turned out exactly as Ahijah had prophesied, according to I Kings 14:17-20.  “And Jeroboam's wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah: and when she came to the threshold of the door, the child died; And they buried him; and all Israel mourned for him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by the hand of his servant Ahijah the prophet.  And the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he warred, and how he reigned, behold, they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.  And the days which Jeroboam reigned were two and twenty years: and he slept with his fathers, and Nadab his son reigned in his stead.”

Obey God No Matter What Others Say.

The prophet from Judah had denounced jeroboam’s false religion and refused to associate with the king.   There was anothr prophet living at Bethel who knew the Lord, but had not taken a stand against the false religion.   He wanted to be associated with the prophet from Judah, so he went to invite him to his home, as I Kings 13:11-15 describes.  “Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.  And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah.  And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon,  And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah?

And he said, I am.

Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.”

The young prophet knew exactly what the Lord had commanded him, as I Kings 13:16- 17 tells us.  “And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place: For it was said to me by the word of the LORD, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.”

Dtermined to affiliate himself with the young prophet and appear to be a man of god like he was, the older prophet lied to him, claiming to have had a special revelation from God, in I Kings 13:19.  “He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.   So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.”

Unfortunately it is not uncommon for people who are not serving God fully to want to be associated with those who are, stressing their years in the ministry to try to convince those who are serving God to accept them and go along with their desires, even when we know God has forbidden it.  A little later, the old prophet warned the younger one that he was boing to be punished for his disobedience, in I Kings 13:20-22.  “And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back: And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee, But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the LORD did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.”

We are responsible to obey god regardless who tells us we need to do something different.  When the young prophet resumed his journey, the older prophets warning was fulfilled, according to I Kings 13:23-24.  “And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back.  And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase. “ 

When people saw the lion and the donkey standing together by the dead man’s body, it was obvious this was a miracle from God, and people took notice.  Before long the old prophet heard about it, in I Kings 13:25-26.  “And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.  And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him.”

Satan often uses religious people to mislead those who are trying to sere God, because they are easy to believe, but we need to remember the warning in II Corinthians 11:13-15.  “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.   And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”

The old prophet had not intended to get the younger one killed, but he understood what had happened, and took care of his burial, in II Kings 13:27-32.  “And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled him.  And he went and found his carcase cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcase: the lion had not eaten the carcase, nor torn the ass.

And the prophet took up the carcase of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back: and the old prophet came to the city, to mourn and to bury him.  And he laid his carcase in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother!  And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones: For the saying which he cried by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.”

God Warns Jeroboam of His Sin

Throughout history, Governments have used religion as a way to control the people.  To prevent it from happening in America, the United States Consititution specifically states that “Congress shall make no law regarding and institution of religion.  The purpose was to prevent Government interfering isn people’s religion, but in recent years, Jefferson’s statement that it called for a separation of church and state has been used in an effort to prevent religious groups, and especially Christian groups from involvement in political decisions. 

When he became king, Jeroboam started his own religion in an effort to ensure that the people would not go back to Judah to worship and end up wanting to be part of Judah again.  While the religion resembled the Jewish religion, it was not what God had commanded Israel, and God was not pleased, as we see in I Kings 13:1-3.  “And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.  And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.  And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.”

Many people do not take God seriously, and think something that Resembles Christianity will be enough to please him.  As a sign that Jeroboam’s religion was not pleasing to him, God said the altar would split open ane spill the ashes on the ground.   In the long run, a future king of Judah named Josiah would use the altar to execute the priests who worshipped in Jeroboam’s religion.  It would be about three hundred fifty years before Josiah fulfilled that prophecy. 

Like most selfish people, Jeroboam got mad when told what he was doing was wrong, and ordered the prophet’s arrest, in I Kings 13:4-5.  “And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.  The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD.” 

God intervened on the prophet’s behalf, Paralysing Jeroboam’s arm, and the altar split just as the prophet had said, making it clear God was in control, not Jeroboam.  Jeroboam was forced to recognize God’s power, and like many selfish people, tried to get the prophet to go along with him, hoping to get God to approve his actions, in I Kings 13:6-7.  “And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Entreat now the face of the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the LORD, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.  And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.”

Knowing what God had commanded, the prophet did not fall for Jeroboam’s ploy, as I Kings 13:-10 tells us.  “And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place: For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.  So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel.”  The prophet understood Jeroboam was not sincerely seeking the Lord, and refused to go along with him.