"The Kings and the Prophets" or "What profiteth it a man to gain the whole world and loose his soul?"
In the Northern Kingdom ~ Israel ~ the king, Jeroboam, has a son named Abijah. He is sick. It must have been really bad because he tells his wife to disguise herself and go to Shiloh to talk to the prophet Ahijah. He says, "Go to Shiloh, Abijah the prophet is there -- the one who told me I would be king over this people." That tells me that he must have told his wife about the prophetic encounters he had had: ripped cloak, dried up hand and broken altar. I wonder about her...what did she think? Did she know God at all, or just 'about' him? She goes to this prophet and gets "schooled" -- as they say. She disguises herself as her husband asked and is greeted with, " Come in wife of Jeroboam. Why the pretence?" The prophet proceeds to tell her MUCH more than she, I am guessing, expected to hear. He tells her what God thinks and feels -- here are some of the 'high-lights':
~ Go tell Jeroboam that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel says...
[1 Kings 14:7]
Jeroboam wanted information: will the boy live? He expects data from a prophet...but what he gets is a judgement, a verdict against him from The LORD, The JUDGE.
~ I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you...yet you have not been like my servant David who kept my commandments and who followed Me with all his heart, to do only that which was right in My sight, you have done more evil than all who were before you...therefore I burn up the house of Jeroboam, as one burns dung till it is all gone. ... The LORD has spoken"
[1 Kings 14:8-11]
So God compares Jeroboam and his house (family) to ... well ... poop, in the strongest possible language. God is saying in the strongest, most degrading way "you are _ _ _ _ (that is ) ... worthless ~ and less than worthless"
The wife of Jeroboam goes home, and just as the prophet told her, as soon as she steps across the threshold, the boy dies. It was not just a random event or a fated event ~ God says "therefore"... there was a cause and an effect. God expected Jeroboam to be "like ... David who kept (the) commandments and followed (God) with all his heart". Jeroboam did just the opposite and "therefore . . ."
Hearing from God is not enough, having God move in your life is not enough -- there must be response. Jeroboam knew there was "a God" who spoke through prophets, but he did not KNOW God or walk in His ways.
- - - - - - -
In the Southern Kingdom, Judah, there is another encounter between a king and a prophet -- with a very different outcome. 2 Chronicles 12 begins
"After Rehoboam's position as king was established and he had become strong, he and all Israel with him abandoned the law of the LORD."
THEREFORE the Lord allowed the king of Egypt, Shishak, to attack Jerusalem. The prophet Shemaiah comes to Jerusalem. We ~ and Rehoboam ~ met this prophet in 2 Chronicles 11 when the kingdom is first split, and Rehoboam decides to go to war with Jeroboam to end the split. Shemaiah comes and tells Judah not to go to war...they listen and the army goes home. This time Shemaiah gives Rehoboam and the people a word that gives the attack from Egypt context:
"This is what the LORD says, 'You have abandoned Me, therefore I now abandon you to Shishak.'
The people and the king listen ~ they humble themselves. When they do, the Word of the LORD comes to Shemaiah and he gives this message to them:
"The Lord says, 'Since they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will soon give them deliverance...they will, however become subject to (Shishak) so that they may learn the difference between serving Me, and serving the kings of other lands."
So 2 kings and 2 nations and 2 prophets ~ and God. For me, it is the picture of God in these stories that hits my heart. I see the depravity of these kings -- they see only the world -- through "natural" eyes. They do not turn their hearts to God: God dramatically gives Jeroboam a kingdom, yet he resorts to 'cleverness' -- making golden calves -- to keep it. Rehoboam listens to and responds wisely when Shemaiah comes to speak to them...yet we are told that as soon as he was strong and felt his kingdom was secure, he abandoned God. In both of these stories I see God reaching out, trying to let these men see him, pouring out what seems to me to be pretty undeserved mercy on both of them : healing Jeroboam's hand, and delivering Jeroboam from the destruction from Shishak. Mercy ~ it is never deserved. And God ~ God is always good and mercy-full. This is His name:
The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished, he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the 3rd and 4th generation. (Exodus 34:6-7)
~ Go tell Jeroboam that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel says...
[1 Kings 14:7]
Jeroboam wanted information: will the boy live? He expects data from a prophet...but what he gets is a judgement, a verdict against him from The LORD, The JUDGE.
~ I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you...yet you have not been like my servant David who kept my commandments and who followed Me with all his heart, to do only that which was right in My sight, you have done more evil than all who were before you...therefore I burn up the house of Jeroboam, as one burns dung till it is all gone. ... The LORD has spoken"
[1 Kings 14:8-11]
So God compares Jeroboam and his house (family) to ... well ... poop, in the strongest possible language. God is saying in the strongest, most degrading way "you are _ _ _ _ (that is ) ... worthless ~ and less than worthless"
The wife of Jeroboam goes home, and just as the prophet told her, as soon as she steps across the threshold, the boy dies. It was not just a random event or a fated event ~ God says "therefore"... there was a cause and an effect. God expected Jeroboam to be "like ... David who kept (the) commandments and followed (God) with all his heart". Jeroboam did just the opposite and "therefore . . ."
Hearing from God is not enough, having God move in your life is not enough -- there must be response. Jeroboam knew there was "a God" who spoke through prophets, but he did not KNOW God or walk in His ways.
- - - - - - -
In the Southern Kingdom, Judah, there is another encounter between a king and a prophet -- with a very different outcome. 2 Chronicles 12 begins
"After Rehoboam's position as king was established and he had become strong, he and all Israel with him abandoned the law of the LORD."
THEREFORE the Lord allowed the king of Egypt, Shishak, to attack Jerusalem. The prophet Shemaiah comes to Jerusalem. We ~ and Rehoboam ~ met this prophet in 2 Chronicles 11 when the kingdom is first split, and Rehoboam decides to go to war with Jeroboam to end the split. Shemaiah comes and tells Judah not to go to war...they listen and the army goes home. This time Shemaiah gives Rehoboam and the people a word that gives the attack from Egypt context:
"This is what the LORD says, 'You have abandoned Me, therefore I now abandon you to Shishak.'
The people and the king listen ~ they humble themselves. When they do, the Word of the LORD comes to Shemaiah and he gives this message to them:
"The Lord says, 'Since they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will soon give them deliverance...they will, however become subject to (Shishak) so that they may learn the difference between serving Me, and serving the kings of other lands."
So 2 kings and 2 nations and 2 prophets ~ and God. For me, it is the picture of God in these stories that hits my heart. I see the depravity of these kings -- they see only the world -- through "natural" eyes. They do not turn their hearts to God: God dramatically gives Jeroboam a kingdom, yet he resorts to 'cleverness' -- making golden calves -- to keep it. Rehoboam listens to and responds wisely when Shemaiah comes to speak to them...yet we are told that as soon as he was strong and felt his kingdom was secure, he abandoned God. In both of these stories I see God reaching out, trying to let these men see him, pouring out what seems to me to be pretty undeserved mercy on both of them : healing Jeroboam's hand, and delivering Jeroboam from the destruction from Shishak. Mercy ~ it is never deserved. And God ~ God is always good and mercy-full. This is His name:
The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished, he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the fathers to the 3rd and 4th generation. (Exodus 34:6-7)
Wow, very well written! This is challenging to read in the light of the very common selfish perspective of most people today.
ReplyDeleteI just don't understand why God made Jeroboam king at all... It seems like he never knew or loved Him.
ReplyDeleteAlanna, I am grappling with that too. It seems that there is an "I know what will happen" and an "I know what MIGHT happen" in the decisions of God. He gave Jeroboam a chance. He risks on all of us. The free will of man and the sovereignty of God -- they make a baffling mix. But we are left with the fact that God reached out to Jeroboam and took a risk on him, and Jeroboam never reached back. I must admit that it would be so much easier for me if God simply was sovereign...knew what we WOULD do, and acted accordingly. But it seems our free will puts even God's plans at risk. Crazy, huh???
ReplyDeleteI'm with Alanna...good thing we're not God...otherwise I probably wouldn't have saved me, let alone a whole bunch of other people who claim to know him...
ReplyDeleteThe frightning thing is that I have been on both sides of the story... the one seeking and the one speaking... If I didn't love and fear Him I would avoid both if I could, as each comes with it's own price (both good and bad)
Anonymous (thanks for reading and commenting by the way) --
ReplyDeleteGod's goodness is so beyond me: beyond my understanding, beyond my very limited sense of justice, beyond my love and ability to love. As I read about these kings I see God reaching in again and again -- being Who HE is. Ahab, for example, we are told is the MOST wicked king Israel had had. Yet God reaches out again and again and again.
VERY good thing we are not God.
VERY VERY good thing God promises to transform us into the image of Jesus!
God chose flawed people then and still does today. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. His heart is that all should come to repentance and it is through His amazing kindness and mercy that we see this happen. So many lessons to be learned from the OT. Idol worship is alive today, it just looks different.
ReplyDelete