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God’s Move
In the middle of Jeroboam’s political moves, God steps in and makes Himself heard. He speaks through a prophet from Judah. This unnamed prophet makes his appearance just as Jeroboam is standing before his altar at the dedication ceremony for the shrine. Anyone who was anybody in the kingdom of Israel would have been there. God selected the most opportune moment to act. The result is dramatic.
Read 1 Kings 13:1–6. What happens here? What immediate lessons come to mind from this narrative?
The prophet, though not named, is referred to as the man of God. This was a common title used for a person recognized as a messenger of God. It was used for Moses (Deut. 33:1) and Elijah (1 Kings 17:18). This title connects our nameless prophet with some of the great prophets of the Old Testament; thus, the reader’s expectations for him are high. The man of God cries out against Jeroboam’s altar and gives a prophecy. In the prophecy, a specific name, Josiah, is mentioned (1 Kings 13:2). This is amazing, because Josiah is born almost three centuries afterward. It reminds us of Cyrus, the Persian, whose name is mentioned by the prophet Isaiah about two hundred years before his birth (see Isa. 44:28, 45:1).
What are the main points of the message the man of God brings? First, the altar is illegal, and the man of God predicts that a descendent of David named Josiah will defile it. This is exactly what Jeroboam most fears. He is establishing these worship centers especially to avoid losing his kingdom to someone who sits on David’s throne. The second part of the message provides an immediate demonstration of God’s power, thus guaranteeing the prophecy’s future fulfillment. Before the eyes of everyone, the altar splits apart. Perhaps this is meant to remind the onlookers of the tablets of the Ten Commandments that Moses broke at the worship of the first golden calf.
It seems as if Jeroboam has learned nothing from history. He has two golden calves instead of one. And now instead of being repentant, Jeroboam points at the man of God. Pointing the hand, stick, or scepter has always been a sign of judgment in biblical times. Jeroboam wants to have him arrested. So much for surrendering to the will of God.
How, in this story, do we see the mercy of God presented, even to someone as stubborn as Jeroboam? How often do you find yourself expressing a similar attitude toward the clear leading of God? What have been the personal consequences of that attitude?
| MONDAY | November 29 |
In the middle of Jeroboam’s political moves, God steps in and makes Himself heard. He speaks through a prophet from Judah. This unnamed prophet makes his appearance just as Jeroboam is standing before his altar at the dedication ceremony for the shrine. Anyone who was anybody in the kingdom of Israel would have been there. God selected the most opportune moment to act. The result is dramatic.
Read 1 Kings 13:1–6. What happens here? What immediate lessons come to mind from this narrative?
The prophet, though not named, is referred to as the man of God. This was a common title used for a person recognized as a messenger of God. It was used for Moses (Deut. 33:1) and Elijah (1 Kings 17:18). This title connects our nameless prophet with some of the great prophets of the Old Testament; thus, the reader’s expectations for him are high. The man of God cries out against Jeroboam’s altar and gives a prophecy. In the prophecy, a specific name, Josiah, is mentioned (1 Kings 13:2). This is amazing, because Josiah is born almost three centuries afterward. It reminds us of Cyrus, the Persian, whose name is mentioned by the prophet Isaiah about two hundred years before his birth (see Isa. 44:28, 45:1).
What are the main points of the message the man of God brings? First, the altar is illegal, and the man of God predicts that a descendent of David named Josiah will defile it. This is exactly what Jeroboam most fears. He is establishing these worship centers especially to avoid losing his kingdom to someone who sits on David’s throne. The second part of the message provides an immediate demonstration of God’s power, thus guaranteeing the prophecy’s future fulfillment. Before the eyes of everyone, the altar splits apart. Perhaps this is meant to remind the onlookers of the tablets of the Ten Commandments that Moses broke at the worship of the first golden calf.
It seems as if Jeroboam has learned nothing from history. He has two golden calves instead of one. And now instead of being repentant, Jeroboam points at the man of God. Pointing the hand, stick, or scepter has always been a sign of judgment in biblical times. Jeroboam wants to have him arrested. So much for surrendering to the will of God.
How, in this story, do we see the mercy of God presented, even to someone as stubborn as Jeroboam? How often do you find yourself expressing a similar attitude toward the clear leading of God? What have been the personal consequences of that attitude?
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