I Kings Chapter 13
Please read: I Kings 13 –
Jeroboam had not been king over Israel very long before he turned away from God. Wanting to keep his power and the people’s allegiance to him, he created high places in the northern kingdom where people could worship God. This was of course not something God had told him to do, nor did he instruct Jeroboam to make two great golden calves to worship. What God had told Jeroboam was that He would bless his kingdom if he followed after Him.
1 Kings 11:38 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.
God gave him another chance to repent and correct his mistakes. He sent a prophet to speak to Jeroboam and to warn him about his sinful ways. We are not told what this prophet’s name was, but he was someone God used to accomplish His purpose and that’s what is important. For sake of clarity, we will call this man “Judah the prophet” since he came from Judah. Despite hearing a prophet of God, Jeroboam was more interested in doing what was right for Jeroboam than what was right in the eyes of God.
Let's Reflect
1. At the very moment that the prophet “Judah” came to speak to Jeroboam, what was he doing?
2. It may seem odd at first that the prophet spoke against the altar itself, but when he speaks about future events we can understand why. The prophecy told that the priests who gave sacrifices on the altar would be killed and men’s bones would be burned on the altar. This would take place during the reign of a young boy from the house of David (or the southern kingdom), a future king named Josiah. This prophecy was fulfilled some 350 years later in II Kings 23. What was the sign God gave through this prophet, that would tell Jeroboam that this was the true word of God? Did Jeroboam know when the prophecy of a southern king arriving would be fulfilled?
3. According to verse 4 what was Jeroboam’s immediate reaction to hearing a prophecy of a king of the southern kingdom coming to usurp his authority?
4. As the king pronounced judgement on Judah the prophet, his hand withered. What did he ask the prophet to do for him?
5. Judah would not eat with the king even though it was offered to him. Why?
6. There was another prophet of sorts that Judah met on his journey back home. He too offered Judah a meal. Only this prophet lied about “receiving a word from the Lord”. He said that he was spoken to by an angel. This may have actually happened, but it was most likely an angel of darkness. We will call this second prophet “Ben from Bethel”. Ben got an actual true word from the LORD while entertaining his guest. According to verse 22 what did Ben prophecy to Judah?
7. What happened to the prophet Judah after leaving the house of Ben?
8. When Ben heard about a man being killed by a lion, he knew exactly who it was. Ben went to where Judah lay dead in the road and brought him back to his own tomb to be buried. What instruction did Ben give to his own sons regarding where he wanted to be laid to rest when he died?
9. Ben thought so highly of the prophet of God who was telling truths of the future of Israel that he wanted to be near this man even in death. What prophecy did the prophet Ben now believe when he saw the seriousness of the word of God?
10. Did Jeroboam change his ways?
