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.