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Scripture:
but you have done evil above all who were before you and have gone and made for yourself other gods and metal images, provoking me to anger, and have cast me behind your back, (1 Kings 14:9)Reflections:
1. He have made other gods for himself.
So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. And he said to the people, "You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough. Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt." (1 Kings 12:28)This what the 1 Kings 14:9 is talking about when it said he made other gods for himself. The reason for this is in the last point but here we can observe that how easy it was for the people of Israel to be mislead. If we look closely to the verse, we can see that Jeroboam wants them to compromise for their convenience. Making a golden calf should not have work for this people for it has been done before and they knew how it angered the Lord in the past.
2. It takes his son to be ill for him to come to God.
And the Lord said to Ahijah, "Behold, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to inquire of you concerning her son, for he is sick. Thus and thus shall you say to her." When she came, she pretended to be another woman. (1 Kings 14:5)This is the only reason why he is seeking God now in a long time. As we look closely we can observe that is the only reason and nothing else. He did not want to do anything with God for him to come to Him himself, instead he send his wife and ask her to disguise herself. Compare it to David when faced with a similar circumstance, when there was a famine.
Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year. And David sought the face of the Lord ..." (2 Samuel 21:1)
David intended to seek not the answer to his situation but the face of the Lord. He intended to know from God personally not from a prophet or a wife but himself personally.
and tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, and yet you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commandments and followed me with all his heart, doing only that which was right in my eyes, (1 Kings 14:8)
Look what the Lord told him regarding his actions and we can understand this further later.
3. He never knew God or acknowledge Him as his Lord.
And the king said to the man of God, "Entreat now the favor of the Lord your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me." And the man of God entreated the Lord , and the king's hand was restored to him and became as it was before. (1 Kings 13:6)In this verse we can see that he address God as the Lord only of the man of God and not his Lord.
4. He never understand God's word and promise to him.
And if you will listen to all that I command you, and will walk in my ways, and do what is right in my eyes by keeping my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did, I will be with you and will build you a sure house, as I built for David, and I will give Israel to you. (1 Kings 11:38)This is when he learned from the prophet Ahijah that he will be king for this people. This is the Lord giving him a message of what the Lord has intended for him. Jeroboam not knowing what will happen to his son is a clear disregard of what the Lord has said to him. He made other gods for his fear that the
Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of David. (1 Kings 12:26)
When clearly the Lord said to him that
Behold, I am about to tear the kingdom from the hand of Solomon and will give you ten tribes (1 Kings 11:31)
He was given promises and assurance but he did not listen instead he let fear govern his heart
When Rehoboam came to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin, 180,000 chosen warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam the son of Solomon. (1 Kings 12:21)
He take actions to his own hands without the knowledge that the Lord is with him.
Thus says the Lord , You shall not go up or fight against your relatives the people of Israel. Every man return to his home, for this thing is from me.'" So they listened to the word of the Lord and went home again, according to the word of the Lord. (1 Kings 12:24)
In our life are we willing to listen and understand His words for us to be guided and instructed by his ways of are we going to ignore and disregard them and let fear take over us. I can relate myself in the life of Jeroboam when I was a cadet. My officer will give me an instruction as detailed and as complete as possible with all the things I should do if this or that happens. I heard it but did not understand it so when I am uncertain of what to do, instead of going back to the one who gave the instruction I tried to do things on my own and end up screwing things up completely. What was I thinking back then? Am I afraid to ask for guidance, I want to be dependent or there is this pride that I can figure things on my own. Whatever it is the Lord is saying:
For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, "Abba! Father!" (Romans 8:15)
As sons and daughters of God we are cry out to our Father. In this season do not let fear govern your heart but we are to listen and be reaffirmed in his words.
Photo by: Wilmalyn Claire Almeria
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