Thursday Devotional - Faithful God versus Tolerant Rehoboam 11/17/22

 Have you heard the phrase “sin of omission?” Sitting back and doing nothing can be a sin. When we know to do something and don’t do it, that’s a sin.

Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, became king of Judah and shortly after lost much of the kingdom to Jeroboam (as we saw a few weeks ago). That didn’t seem to wake him up and turn his heart fully back to God. 

I Kings 14:21-24 ²¹ Rehoboam son of Solomon was king in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite.

²² Judah did evil in the eyes of the Lord. By the sins they committed they stirred up his jealous anger more than those who were before them had done. ²³ They also set up for themselves high places, sacred stones and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every spreading tree. ²⁴ There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.

Rehoboam tolerated all the sins Judah committed. It never says he participated in idolatry, but he didn’t stop the idol worship. In the above verses it says “Judah” did evil and “they” setup high places. So, I don’t think he actively participated. When the Bible talks about the evil of other kings, it says “Solomon did evil,” “Jeroboam made two golden calves,” etc. However, Rehoboam sinned by tolerating all these detestable things the kingdom of Judah did.

What about you and me? Where are we being tolerant in our own lives, with our kids, in our churches or communities? Instead of being tolerant or permissive, where can you and I lovingly speak up for truth in our church, communities and families for the things that are right and godly?

Alice

Thursday Devotional - Faithful God versus Defiant Jeroboam 11/10/22

What do you think Jeroboam did after God shriveled up his hand (as we saw last week)? Do you think he finally repented and turned to God?

I Kings 13:33a Even after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways.

So, God gave him yet another opportunity to repent and turn back to him (through the illness of his son). However, Jeroboam still didn’t change or repent. God, through the prophet Ahijah, painted a bleak future.

I Kings 14:7, 9-12   ⁷ Go, tell Jeroboam that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I raised you up from among the people and appointed you ruler over my people Israel…  ⁹ You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have aroused my anger and turned your back on me.

¹⁰ “‘Because of this, I am going to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel—slave or free. I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns dung, until it is all gone. ¹¹ Dogs will eat those belonging to Jeroboam who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country. The Lord has spoken!’

¹² “As for you, go back home. When you set foot in your city, the boy will die.

Even after all this, Jeroboam defiantly didn’t change. We see defiant evil today, too. God is faithful, though. He will judge evil in His time and for His purposes. He also generously and patiently gives opportunities for people to repent and turn to Him.

Who do you and I know that is defiantly ignoring God’s warnings? Let’s pray for them to respond to God, before it’s too late.  

Alice

Thursday Devotional - Faithful God versus Idolatrous Jeroboam 11/3/22

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

Thursday Devotional - Faithful God versus Fearful Jeroboam 10/27/22

 What do you do with your fears? Try to suppress them? Worry about them over and over? Talk to a friend or family member about them? Or take them to God?

Israel’s King Jeroboam did everything but take his fears to God!

I Kings 12:26-30     ²⁶ Jeroboam thought to himself, “The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. ²⁷ If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.”

²⁸ After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves. He said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” ²⁹ One he set up in Bethel, and the other in Dan. ³⁰ And this thing became a sin; the people came to worship the one at Bethel and went as far as Dan to worship the other.

Jeroboam’s fear led to sin after sin for himself and the people he led! God had promised to be with him and establish his kingdom if he followed Him.

I Kings 11:38             ³⁸ If you do whatever I command you and walk in obedience to me and do what is right in my eyes by obeying my decrees and commands, as David my servant did, I will be with you. I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and will give Israel to you.

Jeroboam didn’t need to fear. If he sought God, God would address his fears and provide solutions.

How will you and I seek our Faithful God for our fears this week?