Address—C. Hendricks
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First Kings.
First Kings, Chapter 11.
This chapter starts.
With King Solomon.
And it's a sad chapter.
It's when he was older.
And what happened to him?
When he allowed.
Things that.
He shouldn't have allowed.
The way he began was beautiful.
He asked for wisdom. He didn't ask for riches or wealth or pain.
But he asked for please go, and the Lord granted to him and gave him all the rest.
But we'll see that some of these things that he had in such abundance.
Where a big snag to him.
First Kings 11 verse one. But King Solomon loved many strange women.
Together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Lydonians and Hittites.
Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go into them, neither shall they come in unto you.
For surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.
Solomon clave unto these in love.
And he had 700 wives, princesses and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart.
For it came to pass when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart.
After other gods.
And his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.
Solomon went after Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and after milk come the abomination of the Ammonites. And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father.
Then did Solomon build a high place for Chmush, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Moloch the abomination of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which for incense and sacrificed unto their gods.
And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods, but he kept not that which the Lord commanded him.
Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, for as much.
As this is done of thee, and thou has not kept my covenant in my statutes which I have commanded thee.
I will surely rend the Kingdom from thee, and will give it.
To thy servant.
Notwithstanding in thy days, I will not do it for David thy father's sake, but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son.
Albeit I will not rend away all the Kingdom, but will give one tribe to thy son, for David my servant's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, which I have chosen.
What a sorry.
Portion we've read. Sad indeed that after all those years of prosperity and blessing.
When the Kingdom of Israel reached the zenith of its power and height and glory and fame, we read this of Solomon in his older years.
He did not continue to go with the Lord. David failed. But never like this, never like this. David always glorifies the Lord. He never departed from the Lord like Solomon did here.
It's interesting that the division we're going to read about in the chapters to follow.
Is traced back to the divine center of Jerusalem. It's traced back to the king that was reigning there, Solomon in its height of glory, traced back to the failure that occurred there. I believe that we can, if we are honest about it, we can trace back the the the the source, the reason for the recent.
Division we've gone through.
To those that were occupying the most privileged place on earth.
Being gathered to the name of the Lord Jesus.
He was displeased with Solomon, it says. He was angry with Solomon because of what he had done. I believe the same is true of us.
The Lord then stirs up an adversary in verse 14.
And the Lord stirred up an adversary of the Solomon, the hedad hedad the Edomite. He was of the King's seed in Edom.
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I'm not going to read those verses again. We read in verse 23 and God stirred him up. Another adversary reason, the son of Eliade, which fled from his Lord, had an easier king of Zuba.
And he gathered men unto.
Him and became captain over a band, when David slew them of Soba, and they went to Damascus, and dwelt therein, and reigned in Damascus. And he was an adversary to Israel all the days of Solomon, beside the mischief that Haddad did, and he abhorred Israel and reigned over Syria.
When the Lord stirs up adversaries to us, it's because we haven't walked in the way of the Lord, as Solomon had not, and so he has trouble.
Trouble at the end of his path, after these wives had turned away his heart he had allowed.
The pleasures of nature to mislead him, to mislead him from the Lord.
And now we read of another character, Jeroboam.
The son of Nebat, verse 26, the Lord had said to Solomon that because he had done that, he was going to rend the Kingdom from him. He's going to give 10 tribes to his son to Jeroboam, and two tribes to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon. But he wouldn't do it in Solomon's day. He would wait until Solomon had passed off the scene and do it in his son's day.
So Solomon had this to think about, that his folly, his sin had brought this upon his son's Kingdom.
Sorry thing indeed.
Verse 26 Now in Jeroboam, the son of Nebat and Ephrathite of Zerida, Solomon's servant, whose mother's name was Zeruah, a widow woman, even he lifted up his hand against the king.
And this was the 'cause that he lifted up his hand against the king, Solomon built below, and repaired the breaches of the city of David, his father. And the man Jeroboam was a mighty man of valor. And Solomon, seeing the young man that he was industrious, he made him ruler over all the charge of the House of Joseph.
And it came to pass at that time, when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah, the Shiloh night, found it in the way, and he had clad himself with a new garment, and they too were alone in the field. And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rented in 12 pieces. And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee 10 pieces. For thus saith the Lord the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the Kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give thee 10.
10 tribes to thee.
But he shall have one tribe for my servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel. So Jeroboam is told, I'm going to get, he's going to get 10 tribes, and there would be two remaining still with the House of David.
He's told this.
And then he's told the reason.
He says the reason I'm doing this is because that they have forsaken me and have worshiped Ashtarith, the goddess of the Sidonians. Jeroboam is told why the judgment of God has fallen upon.
Solomon and his posterity is because they've turned for me what a warning that was to Jeroboam that he wouldn't do the same thing. Unfortunately, he did worse.
Because that they have forsaken me and have worshipped Ashtarith, the goddess of the Sidonians, Chimash the God of the Moabites, and Milcom, the God of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes in my judgments, as did David his father.
Howbeit I will not take the whole Kingdom out of his hand, but I will make him Prince all the days of his life for David my servants sake, whom I chose because he kept my commandments and my statues. But I will take the Kingdom out of his sons hand, and will give it unto thee even 10 tribes.
And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant, may have a light all way before me in Jerusalem.
The city which I have chosen me to put my name there. Notice the failure at Jerusalem did not 'cause the Lord to leave the divine center, but it caused him and his government over them to take 10 tribes and give it to Jeroboam. Now Jeroboam is told the reason why God was doing this, because they had forsaken me.
They have dishonored me. They haven't walked in obedience to me.
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And then now he's about to tell Jeroboam that if he would walk in obedience, he would be blessed.
And then he says in verse.
37 I will take thee. But before he says that, he says Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there. Now he's chosen that place. We don't choose it, he's chosen it. It's the divine center where he is pleased to set his name. And they profaned that name. They worshipped other gods. They denied that name there at the center. And so judgment came upon them.
Judgment has come upon us because we have failed to walk in the truth that God has committed to us.
The tendency of our hearts is to point to those who have left and say, well, they didn't understand the truth, or they didn't enjoy the truth, or they didn't want to walk in the truth. But the departure is traced to Solomon here.
Solemn blessed. It's the only division that happened in Israel's history. 2 tribes remained with the House of David and tribes have never been reunited. They will be in a coming day. The two sticks will become one.
And.
All Israel will be saved in the coming day. That hasn't happened yet. That division continues. I'm convinced having gone through a division, having gone through it, that it is, of all the sins that we can commit, it's the worst to be a leader in division, to divide the people of God.
Is awful. Families are divided. Friendships are divided.
Assemblies are broken up.
Terrible.
And yet Christendom thinks very lightly.
Maybe we have two thought very lightly of division.
Maybe we harbored the thought, well, they're all divided out there, but we aren't.
And then the Lord allowed this to happen.
We're no better.
And more guilty.
There's no people that are so responsible as those who are at the divine session.
Then he goes on to tell him.
He says.
Verse 37 is speaking to Jeroboam.
He says, I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth.
And shall be king over Israel.
And it shall be notice what he says to Jeroboam, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee.
And will walk in my ways and do that is right in my sight.
To keep my statutes in my commandments, as David my servant did. That I will be with thee.
And build thee a sure house.
As I built for David.
And will give Israel unto thee.
Now Israel is the name from this point on that is given to the 10 tribes, Ephraim or Israel. Ephraim was the chief tribe of the 10. Judah was the chief tribe of the two that remained at the divine center, Jerusalem.
But when we read in the Minor Prophets of Israel, it's talking about the 10 tribes.
Says, I will give Israel unto thee.
And then he goes to say in verse 39, And I will for this afflict the seed of David.
But not forever.
Every division that happens in the Church of God is an affliction.
A judgment from God.
Because of unfaithfulness, the enemy has been allowed to get in and do his work.
I will for this afflict the seed of David, but not forever.
Solomon sought therefore, to kill Jeroboam.
Solomon evidently heard that Jeroboam was going to receive this honor of being the head of the 10 tribes. He sought to stop it.
God had already told him in the previous verses that he was going to rend the Kingdom from him because of his unfaithfulness because of his departure and give 10 tribes.
The terrible he told him that. And so Solomon tries to stop this.
To go against the very judgment of God that he said he would effect because of Solomon's sins.
He didn't repent, he didn't submit to the hand of God in government here.
Instead, he tried to stop it.
Solomon sought therefore, to kill Jarboe.
And Jeroboam rose and fled into Egypt.
Unto Shishak, king of Egypt. It was in Egypt until the death of Solomon.
The rest of the Acts of Solomon and all that he did in his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the Acts of Solomon?
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At the time that Solomon reigned in Jerusalem, over all Israel was 40 years.
Solomon slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David, his father.
And Rehoboth, his son, reigned in his step.
Chapter 12 now and Rehoboam went to Shechem.
For all Israel were come to Shechem to make him king. Don't get these two confused. Rehoboam is the son of Solomon and he's the one that was over the 2 tribes.
He hadn't lost the 10 yet. We're going to read how this came about in this chapter.
The 10, we're going to be given the Jeroboam.
And it came to pass when Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, who was yet in Egypt, heard of it.
For he was fled from the presence of King Solomon and Jeroboam throughout Egypt.
That they sent and called him, and Jeroboam, and all the congregation of Israel came and spake unto Rehoboam.
Saying Thy father made our yoke grievous. Jeroboam now becomes the spokesman for the 10 tribes. He goes to Reuben, who was king over the 12 tribes at this time, and this is what he says, Thy father made our yoke grievous.
My father being with Solomon now, therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father.
And his heavy yoke which he put upon us. Light her, and we will serve thee.
And he said unto them, Depart, Forget yet for three days, then come again to me. And the people departed.
And King Rehoboam consulted with the old men that stood before Solomon his father, while he yet lived.
And said how do you advise that I may answer this people?
So he consults the old men here and they give very good counsel, very good advice.
And they spake unto him, saying, If thou will be a servant unto this people this day, and will serve them.
And answer them and speak good words to them. Then will they be thy servants forever.
But he forsook.
The counsel of the old men.
Which they had given him, and consulted with the young man Notice which were grown up with him.
His contemporaries, the young men that were grown up with him, with Rehoboam, he consults them. They have more weight with him than the old men.
Just opposite to what Scripture teaches.
The contemporaries of Rehoboam have more weight with him than the old man and the good advice they have given.
So he consulted with the young men that were growing up with him, and which stood before him. Verse 9 And he said unto them, What counsel give ye?
That we may answer this people who have spoken to me saying, Make the yoke which thy Father did put upon us lighter.
And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thou shalt thou speak unto this people.
That spake unto thee, saying, Thy Father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us. Thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger.
They'll be thicker than my father's loins. And now whereas my father did laid you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke.
My Father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam the third day, as the king had appointed, saying come to me again the third day.
And the king answered the people roughly, and forsook the old man's counsel that they gave him.
And spake to them, after the counsel of the young men, saying, My father made your yoke heavy.
I will add to your yoke. My father also chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.
Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people, for the cause was from the Lord. It says in chronicles in one place.
Of the Lord. That's a mistake.
The cause was from the Lord. The vision is never of the Lord, that's of Satan.
The vision is of Satan.
But the Lord may send it in discipline in government on his people, so it's from Him.
And here it's correct, the cause was from the Lord, that he might perform his saying, which the Lord spake by Ahijah the shallow knight unto Jeroboam the son of Nevat.
So when all Israel saw that the king hearkened not unto them, the people answered the king, saying, What portion have we and David?
Neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse.
To your tent. So Israel now see to thine own house, David. They were all wrong in doing this, even though Rehoboam had spoken roughly to them. His attitude was wrong, his spirit was wrong. He listened to wrong counsel, to wrong advice. But they were wrong too in departing from the divine center.
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But you might, you might say the fault was within the ball. No, the fault wasn't with Rio ball. Oh, partially. It was with sound.
It was before the division ever took place. It was the state of things that not only Solomon brought in, but the people did too.
So all Israel departed unto their tents. So Israel attend traps.
Departed unto their tents. But As for the verse 17. As for the children of Israel, which dwelt in the cities of Judah, Rehoboam reigned over them.
And King Rehoboam sent at Doram, who was over the tribute, and all Israel stoned him with stones that he died. Therefore King Rehoboam made speed to get him up to his chariot to flee to Jerusalem. So Israel rebelled against the House of David unto this day.
And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel.
There was none that followed the House of David, but the tribe of Judah only.
And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the House of Judah with the tribe of Benjamin.
And 104 score 1000 chosen men which were warriors to fight against the House of Israel, to bring the Kingdom again to Rehoboth, the son of Solomon.
He's going to do it by force.
His father was told that the Kingdom would be divided in the days of Rehoboth.
No doubt we of whom had been told of this. Now it happens.
Solomon had tried to kill Jeroboam. He didn't submit to it. He didn't submit to the hand of God in government.
Those that try to promote reunion.
Without judging the evil that brought it down.
Brought the division on are not submitting to the hand of God in government.
It's a good thing when the Lord lays His hand upon us and we're reaping what we've sown, that we recognize that and say to our just. And all that is going upon us we have done wickedly. Now it's done righteously.
Unfortunately, Jeroboam was not a man of God.
And he sinned. In fact, there is the formula Jeroboam, the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin. Jeroboam the son of Nebat who made Israel to sin. There wasn't a godly king among the 10 tribes.
There were godly kings at the divine center.
That traditional, but not so with content. But he was offered blessing if he had only walked in obedience, if he had only forsaken the evil that Solomon had done, that brought the evil upon the House of David.
Notice how Reborn responds.
He tries to bring again. He assembles.
Judah and Benjamin 180,000 chosen men fight against the House of Israel to bring them again to reinform the son of Solomon. Verse 22 now but the word of God came to Shemaya, the man of God, saying.
Speak under Rehoboth the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the House of Judah and Benjamin, and to the remnant of the people, saying, Thus saith the Lord, ye shall not go up.
Nor fight against your brethren, the children of Israel. Return every man to his house. Notice your fight against your brethren, the children of Israel. You shall not go up.
I have taken them away from you, David, the House of David, because of the sin that's there.
At Jerusalem and he submits to this. Solomon didn't. Solomon was the cause of it, the immediate cause.
Yeah, Real Bomb was partially to blame and the way he had spoken to the people, but the thing was from God it already determined.
To render Kingdom out of the House of dead hands.
So he tells them. The Lord tells them, don't go up and fight.
Then it says in the middle of verse 24, they returned every man to his house, for this thing is from me. They hearken therefore to the word of the Lord in return to depart according to the word of the Lord.
Beautiful to see that that Reebok did submit.
To the Prophet's words to him.
Then we have more about Jeroboam. Jeroboam built Shechem in Mount Ephraim and dwelt therein, and went out from fence and built Penuel. And Jeroboam said in his heart, now shall the Kingdom return to the House of David. Now God had promised him that if he walked in obedience, if he followed the Lord, that he would make him a sure house, that he would bless him.
That he would promote him, but he gets to thinking he wasn't a man of faith. He didn't have trust in God.
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Had he gone on in obedience, or would have kept the 10 tribes for him and blessed him.
But now he starts to reason, and he says, Now shall the Kingdom return to the House of David?
If this people go up to do sacrifice in the House of the Lord of Jerusalem, he knew that there was the center of Jerusalem, there was number center up where he was.
That was the divine center in Jerusalem. He says. If they go to Jerusalem to do sacrifice, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their Lord. Small L, that's Rehoboam.
Even unto reborn king of Judah, they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboth, King of Judah.
The very thing that God said wouldn't happen, he says will happen if I don't do something about it, put the machinery into motion. This is exactly what men have done in Christmas and they have devised things of of their own hearts and minds. They have turned the the order in the House of God and changed it.
According to their liking, trying to make things work, trying to promote themselves. And this is what Jeroboam did.
Whereupon the king took counsel and made two calves of gold. Where did he get that from? That goes right back to.
The days of Moses, when Aaron.
With the people's insistence made a golden calf and they worshipped it. They danced around it.
He made two of them. He imitated what was of God, and whenever Satan imitates, he imitates.
Falsely, he put two centers one way up the northern part of the land again, and one in the southern part at Bethel, the House of God.
He sent 22 cats there.
What else did he do? Calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem.
Behold thy gods of Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
He did the very kind of thing that Solomon had done that brought the judgment upon the House of David in the first place.
And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. Bethel means the House of God. Dan means he will judge, and he surely will.
He will judge everything that man has set up in the House of God, in the sphere where God has taken his wealth.
A man has interposed his will and his order of things in the House of God.
And it's going to bring judgment upon you, Dan and Bethel.
And this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.
And he made an House of high places, and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi. Only of the tribe of Levi were the priests to come. He violates that. He sets up his own order of things. And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month. This was the feast of Tabernacles. That was in the seventh month. But he has another feast. He puts it on a different time, the 8th month.
On the 15th day of the month, like under the feast that is in Judah.
Be imitated, but he imitated wrongly, and he offered upon the altar. So did he and Bethel sacrificing under the calves that he had made.
And he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.
So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the 15th day of the 8th month, even in the month that he had devised in his own heart, and ordained A feast under the children of Israel. And he offered upon the altar.
The Birch Incense.
Now chapter 13.
Idolatry had been set up at 2 fault centers.
The Northern Kingdom.
10 tribes.
He had not hearkened to the word of the Lord.
And this is that man Jeroboam, the son of me, that who made Israel to sing.
And they returned the people of God away.
From the Lord, chapter 13.
And behold.
There came a man of God out of Judah, by the word of the Lord, unto Bethel.
And Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.
He had set it up standing by the altar that he had set up burning insects.
Something the king wasn't to do, that was a priest that was to do that.
Everything is on the border, everything is contrary to the order that should prevail at the House of God. Bethel.
And he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord, this man of God out of Judah, a witness against the evil down there, up there in the 10 tribes, could not arise from those that dwelt there. They were in complicity with the evil by dwelling there. They were in fellowship with it. So the prophet had to come out of Judah.
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And witness against the evil that had been set up at Bethel and at Dan.
And he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord, This man of God out of Judah cried.
Notice this expression in the word of the Lord. He had the word of the Lord. The word of the Lord is what characterizes the man. He comes in the word of the Lord. He proclaims faithfully a message.
And he said, O altar alter, Thus saith the Lord, Behold, a child shall be born unto the House of David Josiah by name.
He's given his name is given way before he was even born. He's recorded in the second Kings. We'll look at that a little bit later.
And upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places. He's proclaiming judgment upon the altar which Jeroboam had set up.
And he says upon thee, upon that altar of Jeroboam.
He shall offer.
The priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.
We'll see how this was literally fulfilled.
And he gave a sign the same day, saying this is the sign which the Lord had spoken.
Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out. And it came to pass.
When King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying They hold on him.
He wasn't going to submit to this prophet's word. He wasn't going to bow to the word of the Lord. He had already violated it. He showed that he had contempt for it. He was going to do his will.
And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up. There was immediate judgment that was executed upon the king of the 10 tribes.
So that he could not pull it in again to him.
And then he immediately softens and says the altar also was rent.
And the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord. And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Entreat now the face of the Lord and thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again.
The man of God acted in grace. He had come to pronounce faithfully a word against that wicked altar that Jeroboam had set up.
But now he responds.
And the man of God besought the Lord, and the King's hand was restored him again, and because.
And became as it was before.
And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me.
Refresh thyself and I will give thee a reward.
Here we have the reward, the overture from the world, the king of the 10 tribes, the political head, he offers a reward now.
If man of God would come home with him, and eat with him, and refresh himself there at the place that the man of God had come to pronounce judgment again.
And he faithfully refuses this. Notice what he says, verse 8. The man of God said unto the king, If thou will give me half thine house.
I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place. He was not to have anything that even looked like a semblance of fellowship.
He had come there to pronounce judgment upon the place, not to have fellowship in that place. It was an awful departure. There was only one divine center, and it was at Jerusalem, and he had set up two rival centers, denying the truth that the only one.
And set up idolatry in those places. So he said. You can give me half your Kingdom, I won't come.
I'll have nothing to do with it.
For soul was it charged me verse 9 by the word of the Lord saying, eat no bread.
Nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest. He wasn't to go back the same way. So that it would look like people would have seen him go. And they'd seen him come back. And they said, oh, he went there and stayed there a bit and had some fellowship there. He went there and he passed around. He came back another way so that he wouldn't look at all like he had stayed there or paused there, had fellowship there, had eaten there or drunk there, or had any semblance of having any fellowship with that wicked place.
He pronounced judgment against it faithfully. So it was charged me by the word of the Lord, eat no bread, drink no water, and don't come back the same way.
So that it would not appear that he had.
Passed anytime there.
That would look like he was.
Approving of the place.
So he went another way.
And return not by the way, that he came to Bethel.
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So he resisted that temptation.
It was the offering from the world. We've often been subjected to that kind of thing, and we maybe faithfully resisted it.
And not gone with the overtures of the world. But there are other temptations. And here comes a much more subtle.
And more severe trial that the man of God out of Judah was going to fail it.
Fail. In the first one he was very faithful, but now?
That temptation comes in a different form, a fellow prophet.
Verse 11 Now there dwelt an old prophet into thou.
In the very place where the man of God out of Judah was to pronounce judgment against and did faithfully pronounce it, and all prophet was living there, he was in fellowship there, why didn't God raise him up to pronounce judgment against the place?
Couldn't his testimony would have been nothing?
Because he was living there. He was in complicity with the evil.
So he had to send this man of God out of Judah.
Neither dweller no profit in Bethel, and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel.
The words which he had spoken unto the King, then they told also to their father, and their father said unto them.
What way went he?
For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah.
He said unto his sons, Saddle me the ***. So they saddled him the *** and he rode there on.
And went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak. Beautiful place for meditation, under the tree, under the cross as it were.
And he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that came us from Judah? And he said, I am.
Then he said unto him, Come home with me and eat bread. Now this is not a plea from Jeroboam the king, the the world power. This is a plea from a religious man, a prophet.
My brother.
Aren't we all brethren? Can't we all walk together?
Let's just forget our differences.
Very subtle sounds right? We're going to spend eternity together.
Why should we be divided down here?
Because this thing is for me.
God did it, that's why.
God did it in discipline upon us.
Are we going to submit to that, or are we going to try to override it, swamp it?
Under the plea of love.
Is he going to pass this test, come home with me and eat bread?
Verse 16 And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee.
Neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place.
For it was said to me by the word of the Lord. There we have that expression again. Once we have the word of the Lord on the matter, don't allow any after voice to turn us from it.
If Paul says to the Galatians of an Angel from heaven, preach any other gospel than what we preach unto you, let him be accursed. One of the fastest growing religions in the world in the United States.
Was started by a man that had a vision from Moroni, an Angel.
This thing has developed. It's false, it's a lie, it's not the gospel of God.
So he faithfully answers, He says, so it was said to me by the word of the Lord, Thou shalt eat no bread, nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.
Now the old prophet says.
He said unto him, I am a prophet.
Also as thou art.
And in ancient spake unto me.
By the word of the Lord, mind you.
Saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread.
And drink water.
But he lied unto him.
An Angel had not spoken to him. It wasn't the word of the Lord to tell the man of God out of Judah to come back. He had already had the word of the Lord saying don't do that.
But he listens to this very tempting voice.
From the old prophet of the South.
He wanted him to come back because that would then have not condemned him. The message that he had delivered. The man of God condemned the old prophet. He was living in the place that God had pronounced judgment against him.
Verse 19. Sad to read this so he went back with him.
And he'd eat bread in his house and drank water. Now the very one that had enticed him back had lied to him, had deceived him. The old prophet of Bethel pronounced his judgment upon the man of God out of Jesus.
Came to pass as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lord came unto the prophet that brought him back, and he cried under the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord, For as much as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, and has not kept the commandment which the Lord thy God commanded thee, but came us back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water, in the place of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread and drink no water.
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Thy carcass shall not come unto the sepulcher of thy fathers. He lost his life, He lost his testimony.
And God used the old prophet of Bethel to pronounce that judgment against you.
Thus condemning himself.
In so doing it in the place that he was in, he was in a wrong ecclesiastical position.
It came to pass after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the *** to whip for the Prophet whom he had brought back.
And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him.
Loses his light, He loses his testimony by going back and listening to the old prophet of the fell. He did that which negated.
His message?
He had fellowship in the very place that he was pronouncing judgment against.
We sometimes wonder.
Why our children don't go on in the truth?
We say one thing.
And then we do. Another man of God had pronounced faithfully the word of the Lord, and he didn't faithfully discharge it. He did resist the temptation of Jeroboam, the world, but he failed against the temptation of religious man.
A brother in the Lord, Another fellow prophet.
A lion meets inflation.
And his carcass was passed in the way verse 24, and the *** stood by it. The lion also stood by the carcass.
And behold, men passed by and saw the carcass cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcass.
And they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.
And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, it is the man of God.
Who was disobedient unto the word of the Lord? Therefore the Lord hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him.
And slain him according to the word of the Lord, which he spake unto him.
He spoke to his son saying saddle me the *** and they saddled him.
And he went and found his carcass cast in the way, and the *** and the lion standing by the carcass. Most unusual, the lion would have eaten the *** would have eaten the man that he hadn't done it. All he did was kill him.
Just stood there. He had accomplished his mission.
It was a judgment from God against the man of God out of you.
The lion had not eaten the carcass nor formed the ***.
And the prophet took up the carcass of the man of God. The lion doesn't attack the prophet, he takes up the carcass of the man of God out of Judah, puts him on the ***.
Takes upon.
And he brought it back.
And the old prophet came to the city to mourn and to bury him.
He laid his carcass in his own grave.
And they mourned over him, saying, alas.
My brother.
The old prophet of Bethel was a believer. We would say a believer. He was a true Christian. I'm using New Testament terminology now. Christians didn't exist in the Old Testament, but I'm using the now playing it.
He was a true believer.
But he was in a false position.
And he tried to destroy the testimony against the position he was in by seducing the man of God out of Judah to eat and drink and have fellowship there.
He accomplished his evil purpose. He lied to him. He said an Angel spoke to him by the word of the Lord lied to him.
To deceive them. Had he refused to listen to that voice, had he not even turned back with him, had he been faithful to the word of the Lord, which had been committed to him in the 1St place, he would have avoided this fall.
For the man of the default prophet says when he lays the man of God out of Judah in the grave, this is a last method.
It came to pass after he had buried him, that he spake to his son, saying, When I am dead, then very.
Me in the sepulcher, and wherein the man of God is buried.
Lay my bones beside his bones.
He recognized the man of God.
He was a true believer, no prophet was, but he was dwelling in the wrong place.
For the saying which he cried by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places.
Which are in the city of Samaria shall surely.
Come to pass.
Did Jeroboam profit from any of this?
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Did Jeroboam prophet His hand had been withered up, he stretched it out, hold on him and his hand was withered up and he said, pray for me and Lord restored him.
Tried to reward him but he wouldn't have it.
But he was seduced to compromise of his testimony by the religious element.
Did Jeroboam profit from any of this? Know after this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way.
But made again of the lowest of the people, priests of the high places, wheresoever whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places. And this thing became sin under the House of Jeroboam, even to cut it off.
And to destroy it from off the face of the earth.
So the blessing that the prophet Ahijah had pronounced would come upon Jeroboam, if he then obedient and walked in the fear of the Lord.
Never came. Instead it was judgment. Now let's just turn in closing the Second Kings Chapter 23.
2 Kings 23 where we have Josiah.
Having read.
The Book of Moses.
And he was a man of God.
And see what he does here.
Chapter 23.
Verse 13 of this chapter in the high places. This is of Josiah.
And the high places that were before Jerusalem, which were on the right hand of the Mount of Corruption.
Which Solomon the king of Israel had builded for Ashtaroth the abomination of the Sidonians, and for Chamas the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the children of Ammon, did the king defile.
And he break in pieces the images, and cut down the Groves, and fill their places with the bones of men.
Moreover, the altar that was at Bethel Bethel and the High Place, which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, have made both that altar in the High Place. He breakdown and burned the high place and stamped its small powder and burned the growth.
And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchers that were there in the mount and sent him, took the bones out of the sepulchers and burned them upon the altar.
And polluted it.
According to the word of the Lord, which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these words.
Then he said, what title is that that I see?
And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, which came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Bethpahl.
And he said let him alone.
That no man move his bones.
He made a distinction between these wicked prophets who are nothing but worldlings, and received the judgment of God.
And the man of God, even though he had failed, even though he had compromised.
By going back and eating with the old prophet of Bethel, he was still God's man.
And the old Prophet too was the Lords too.
And so they let his bones alone with the bones of the prophet that came out of Samaria. No matter how we may fail here in testimony, faithful testimony, and we'll pay for it. We'll reap the fruit of it.
But will not partake of the judgment that comes upon the ungodly.
There, there's the distinction in the final day. Those who are the Lords are not.
To partake of the judgment which comes upon the wicked.
And all the houses also of the high places which were in the cities of Samaria, which the kings of Israel had made to provoke the Lord to anger, Josiah took away and did to them according to all the acts he had done in Bethel.
Well, here we have the fulfillment of the man of God from Judah's words.
The word of the Lord will keep us.
From.
Compromising, as the man of God did.
When appealed to by.
Other Christians.
In the wrong place.
And they want us to take a part in that place with them.
That will make them feel right.
And when we refuse it in faithfulness, it's not because we don't love them.
On the contrary, it's because we do love them.
We love them.
And that's why we have to say no.