IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Daily Bread

The Lord Rebukes Jeroboam

Date: Jan. 22, 2025

Passage

1 Kings 13:1-10 (ESV)

1 And behold, a man of God came out of Judah by the word of the LORD to Bethel. Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make offerings. 2 And the man cried against the altar by the word of the LORD and said, “O altar, altar, thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who make offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.’” 3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign that the LORD has spoken: ‘Behold, the altar shall be torn down, and the ashes that are on it shall be poured out.’” 4 And when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar at Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Seize him.” And his hand, which he stretched out against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back to himself. 5 The altar also was torn down, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of the LORD. 6 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. 7 And the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me, and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.” 8 And the man of God said to the king, “If you give me half your house, I will not go in with you. And I will not eat bread or drink water in this place, 9 for so was it commanded me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘You shall neither eat bread nor drink water nor return by the way that you came.’” 10 So he went another way and did not return by the way that he came to Bethel.

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Daily Bread

Key Verse: 13:2

And the man cried against the altar by the word of the LORD and said, “O altar, altar, thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who make offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.’”

Just as quickly as Jeroboam fell into the sin of forming a new religion, God sent his servant to rebuke him. As Jeroboam was standing beside the altar of one of his places of worship, a man of God came and warned him of the terrible consequences of his sin. A man named Josiah would be born in the house of David, and the nation of Israel would be punished severely by God. “On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.” (2) The man of God gave Jeroboam a sign, in case he didn’t believe him. The sign was that the altar would be split apart, and ashes would fall out of it. Jeroboam was furious and tried to have the man of God seized, but when he stretched out his hand it was shriveled. Just then, the sign the man of God spoke came true.

King Jeroboam didn’t repent. He didn’t ask for the restoration of God’s mercy on Israel. Instead, he asked for his hand to be healed, which the man of God graciously did. The king then invited the man of God for a meal, but he refused, saying the Lord had commanded him not to eat or drink anything and must not return the way he came. The man of God was absolute with God’s word. Jeroboam was careless. His nation would pay the price.

Prayer: Father, thank you for your servants who remind us of your word. Help us to listen to them and repent before it is too late.

One Word: Sin has terrible consequences

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Daily Bread

The Lord Rebukes Jeroboam

1 Kings 13:1-10

Key Verse: 13:2

And the man cried against the altar by the word of the LORD and said, “O altar, altar, thus says the LORD: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who make offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.’”

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