1 Kings 13 & 14: Will You Flee From Evil?
Verse of the Day: (13:33) 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.
1. Eat (13:1-32)
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. (13:9)
A man of God was at altar of God’s house when he cried out to King Jeroboam that Josiah, a child, shall be born to the family of King David, and he shall destroy all the false gods that Jeroboam had caused Israel to worship and sinned against the true God of Israel. Jeroboam was angry with his prophecy and raised his hand for his soldiers to arrest the man of God when suddenly his hand became paralyzed. He then pleaded with the man of God and eventually his hand was restored to him. Jeroboam then invited the man of God for a feast in which the latter declined, and told him that God’s command was that he should refrain from eating and drinking and going back the same way he came from. However, as the man of God left Jeroboam, he met an old prophet who deceived him and told him that God had spoken to him through an angel to invite him to his house to eat and drink. The man of God then disobeyed God by going back the same way he came from, and ate and drank at the old prophet’s house. As he left the house, he was eaten by a lion. Indeed, let us be sober and vigilant, and only trust and obey God. (1 Peter 5:8-11)
2. Evil (13:33-34)
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. (13:34)
God gave Jeroboam many chances to repent of his evil ways, but he never take heed of the warnings, and subsequently, He judged and punished him and the rest of the kings after him, a total of 19 kings, of the northern kingdom, who all did evil against Him. As for the kings of the southern kingdom, only 8 of the 20 kings were godly kings. Indeed, let us repent of our sins, and do what is right before our righteous God. (Jeremiah 17:9-10)
3. Eyes (14:1-31)
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. (14:4)
Though Ahijah, the prophet, was blind due to his old age, yet he could spiritually see the future of Jeroboam’s sick son that he would eventually die. Whatever Jeroboam and his wife tried to do, by disguise and deceit, to restore their son’s life, they failed, because they could never escape from God’s will. Indeed, let us only look to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, as only He shall never fail or forsake us. (Hebrews 12:1-2)
Prayer of the Day:
Dearest God, please help me to flee from evil, and do what is good before You.
