Sunday, October 11, 2015
Bible Lesson: A Prophet Prays That A Curse Would Be Removed From King Jereboam.
Bible Lesson: A Prophet Prays That
A Curse Would Be Removed From King Jereboam.
Bible Text:
I Kings 13:1-10 NLT
1 At The Lord’s command, a man of
God from Judah went to Bethel, arriving there just as Jeroboam was
approaching the altar to burn incense.
2 Then at The Lord’s command, he
shouted, “O altar, altar! This is what The Lord says: A child named
Josiah will be born into the dynasty of David. On you he will
sacrifice the priests from the pagan shrines who come here to burn
incense, and human bones will be burned on you.”
3 That same day the man of God gave
a sign to prove his message. He said, “The Lord has promised to
give this sign: This altar will split apart, and its ashes will be
poured out on the ground.”
4 When King Jeroboam heard the man
of God speaking against the altar at Bethel, he pointed at him and
shouted, “Seize that man!” But instantly the king’s hand became
paralyzed in that position, and he couldn’t pull it back.
5 At the same time a wide crack
appeared in the altar, and the ashes poured out, just as the man of
God had predicted in his message from The Lord.
6 The king cried out to the man of
God, “Please ask The Lord your God to restore my hand again!” So
the man of God prayed to The Lord, and the king’s hand was restored
and he could move it again.
7 Then the king said to the man of
God, “Come to the palace with me and have something to eat, and I
will give you a gift.”
8 But the man of God said to the
king, “Even if you gave me half of everything you own, I would not
go with you. I would not eat or drink anything in this place.
9 For The Lord gave me this command:
‘You must not eat or drink anything while you are there, and do not
return to Judah by the same way you came.’”
10 So he left Bethel and went home
another way.
Jeroboam was king
of Israel, the divided kingdom. King Jereboam, set up Mnevis calf
worship at two locations of his southern kingdom, Dan and Bethel.
The king was there
at Bethel, dedicating the altar, when the prophet of God appeared.
(Jereboam, was a
king, and not a priest, also he set as priests anyone who wished to
be a priest I Kings 13:33, all this greatly angered The Lord.)
The Prophet of
Judah had a message from The Lord, to King Jereboam.
I Kings 13:2 NLT
“... he
shouted, “O altar, altar! This is what The Lord says: A child named
Josiah will be born into the dynasty of David. On you he will
sacrifice the priests from the pagan shrines who come here to burn
incense, and human bones will be burned on you.”
3 That same day the man of God gave
a sign to prove his message. He said, “The Lord has promised to
give this sign: This altar will split apart, and its ashes will be
poured out on the ground.”
5 At the same time a wide crack
appeared in the altar, and the ashes poured out, just as the man of
God had predicted in his message from The Lord.
4 When King Jeroboam heard the man
of God speaking against the altar at Bethel, he pointed at him and
shouted, “Seize that man!” But instantly the king’s hand became
paralyzed in that position, and he couldn’t pull it back.
6 The king cried out to the man of
God, “Please ask The Lord your God to restore my hand again!”
(This request was
by a man who was an enemy of the people of God. Would the prophet
pray?)
So the man of God prayed to
The Lord, and the king’s hand was restored and he could move it
again.
Would this
miraculous restoration,bring about King Jeroboam's repentance?
Never!
I Kings 13:33
NLT
After this thing
Jeroboam returned not from his evil way..."
I Kings 13:7,8
NLT
7 Then the king said to the man of
God, “Come to the palace with me and have something to eat, and I
will give you a gift.”
8 But the man of God said to the
king, “Even if you gave me half of everything you own, I would not
go with you. I would not eat or drink anything in this place.
God's people
are “not,” to fraternize with unrepentant sinners!
Psalm 1:1,2 KJV
1 Blessed is the man that walketh
not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of
sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
2 But his delight is in the law of
The Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night.
Romans 16:17,18
KJV
17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark
them which cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine
which ye have learned; and avoid them.
18 For they that are such serve not
our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and
fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
I Corinthians
5:11 KJV
But now I have written unto you not
to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator,
or covetous, or an idolator, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an
extortioner; with such an one no not to eat.
I Corinthians
10:21 KJV
Ye cannot drink the cup of The Lord,
and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of The Lord's table,
and of the table of devils.
II Corinthians
6:14-18 KJV
14 Be ye not unequally yoked
together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness
with unrighteousness? and what communion hath Light with darkness?
15 And what concord hath Christ with
Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel?
16 And what agreement hath the
temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of The Living God; as
God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be
their God, and they shall be My people.
17 Wherefore come out from among
them, and be ye separate, saith The Lord, and touch not the unclean
thing; and I will receive you.
18 And will be a Father unto you,
and ye shall be My sons and daughters, saith The Lord Almighty.
Ephesians 5:6,7
KJV
6 Let no man deceive you with vain
words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the
children of disobedience.
7 Be not ye therefore partakers with
them.
I Thessalonians
5:22 KJV
Abstain from all appearance of evil.
II Thessalonians
3:6 KJV (Apostle Paul)
Now we command you, brethren, in the
name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every
brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he
received of us.
I Timothy 6:4,5
NLT
4 Anyone who teaches something
different is arrogant and lacks understanding. Such a person has an
unhealthy desire to quibble over the meaning of words. This stirs up
arguments ending in jealousy, division, slander, and evil suspicions.
5 These people always cause trouble.
Their minds are corrupt, and they have turned their backs on
The Truth. To them, a show of
godliness is just a way to become wealthy.
II Timothy 3:5
KJV
Having a form of godliness, but
denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
II John 1:10,11
KJV
10 If there come any unto you, and
bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid
him God speed:
11 For he that biddeth him God speed
is partaker of his evil deeds.
Revelation 18:4
KJV
And I heard another voice from
heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers
of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
Dear Christian friend, remember well
the words of the Apostle Paul...
I Corinthians
6:19,20 KJV
19 What? know ye not that your body
is the temple of The Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of
God, and ye are not your own?
20 For ye are bought with a price:
therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are
God's.