It's been awhile since I've posted. But this morning's reading caught me. The reading is 1 Kings 13. The story I am familiar with and usually my thoughts are with the young prophet. This morning though, the Lord has taken my thoughts in a different direction.
Two things really stood out to me: the first is Jeroboam calls out for the prophet to be arrested and his hand withers. He pleads with the prophet to pray for his healing for his hand. The prophet does and his hand is restored. The mercy of our God is so unimaginable. Jeroboam was in the middle of worshipping idols and having the true prophet of God arrested for challenging him. God strikes him. He had pointed his hand and suddenly it withers and he cannot pull it back to himself. God Almighty has moved against him! He knows the TRUTH and cries for relief. Our gracious and merciful God answers that prayer. It started me thinking - why? Jeroboam had turned his back on the One, True God and created golden calves to worship. HE DESERVED THAT PUNISHMENT!!! Why should God take away this punishment?
Because our God is a Merciful God. Too many times we cry out "UNFAIR!!" But we wouldn't want God to be fair. If He dealt with me each time according to each of my sins, I would not be alive today. I would have been dead a long time ago. Each moment I fail Him by not giving Him the rightful place He so deserves.
Exodus 20:3 states: You shall have no other gods before Me. With that one commandment I fail; we all fail. Too many times I put myself first before Him. I become my own God. Do I intentionally do it? Yes and no. I don't say, "I will be God," BUT in my thoughts and actions I do not constantly consider what He would have me do and say. My priority is not always, "Father, what would bring You the most glory." I said not always; the truth is it very rarely is.
The second thing that caught my eye was the last two verses of the chapter. 1 Kings 13: 33-34, "After this event Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way... and this thing was the sin of the house of Jeroboam, so as to exterminate and destroy it from the face of the earth. These are TERRIFYING verses!
Jeroboam had seen the mighty hand of God move. God had made him king over Israel (see 1 Kings 11:25-38). God had promised him if he would do all that God commanded, walk in God's ways and do what is right in God's sight, to keep God's statutes and commandments, then God would BE WITH HIM and BUILD HIM A SURE HOUSE and GIVE ISRAEL TO HIM!!!! All he had to do was follow God. Would he fail occasionally? Yes, the Lord knew that but the thing was to CHOOSE to follow Him.
Jeroboam did not WANT to follow God. He was king now and he could do as he pleased and to make sure Israel would not turn back to Rehoboam, he created "new gods." But they weren't really new; we saw them back in Exodus 32:4. It's easier to follow the world than to follow God.
Even after Jeroboam had made these choices, God still showed him mercy by HEALING HIM! If there was ever a time where Jeroboam could have turned around from his evil ways, it was definitely then. He literally saw and felt God be merciful to him! He could have turned right then, but the Scripture is clear, he chose not to turn.
Because he chose not to turn back to the God of Mercy, he AND HIS FAMILY paid the consequences. His "house" was to be exterminated and destroyed from the face of the earth!
I have been challenged again about the place I give God in my life. I am reminded of all the that the Lord Jesus Christ has done on my behalf so that I do NOT have to face the punishment for my sins. He tells me that He must be first in my life, not for my sake, but for His glory. After all He is God.
I am challenged too in how very easily we do not take God at His Word. AND the influence I have on my own family members is so great... do I dare risk them?
Will I fail? Absolutely! But there is the beauty of God: He is merciful and gracious. All I need do is turn to Him and repent.
