Remember how Jeroboam set up golden calves? He even participated in making sacrifices on the altars to these fake gods. I don’t know why he thought that would work and be a good idea.
God tried to get his
attention and gave him a warning and an opportunity to turn back to Him.
I Kings 13:1-5 By the word of the Lord a
man of God came from Judah to Bethel, as Jeroboam was standing by the
altar to make an offering. 2 By the word of
the Lord he cried out
against the altar: “Altar, altar! This is what the Lord says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the
house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high
places who make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on
you.’” 3 That same day the man of God gave a
sign: “This is the sign the Lord has
declared: The altar will be split apart and the ashes on it will be poured
out.”
4 When King Jeroboam heard what
the man of God cried out against the altar at Bethel, he stretched out his hand
from the altar and said, “Seize him!” But the hand he stretched out toward the
man shriveled up, so that he could not pull it back. 5 Also,
the altar was split apart and its ashes poured out according to the sign given
by the man of God by the word of the Lord.
Did Jeroboam really think he
could silence the Word of God? Wow, he tried to seize the prophet, but got
seized instead!
What about you and me? What
“idols” are we worshiping instead of the real God? Pleasure, sports, education,
or position? When we’re convicted or confronted about it, how do we respond?
Alice
