3 April | EVERYONE

A GRAVE PROPHECY AGAINST JEROBOAM

"Therefore behold! I will bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every male in Israel, bond and free; I will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as one takes away refuse until it is all gone." 1 Kings 14:10

Pride is believing that you do not need God. That leads you to rebelliousness. Jeroboam was a rebellious and stubborn king. He was an Ephraimite from Zereda, son of Nebat and Zeruah (1 Kings 11:26). The prophet Ahijah of Shiloh announced to him that he would be king over ten tribes of Israel (v. 27-39).

What a wonderful future! Jeroboam was in God's plans! But he had no patience to wait for God to allow the natural development of history, and he began to conspire against Solomon (v. 27). When his plot was discovered, Solomon tried to kill him. Jeroboam fled to Egypt (v. 40), where he found refuge with Pharaoh Shishak.

Assuming the reign of the ten northern tribes after Solomon's death, Jeroboam sank into idolatry and the desecration of divine things, and the consequences galloped swiftly toward him. In Hebrew literature, evil and good are attributed to God as the sovereign Creator of the universe. However, the "divine curses" are only descriptions of the rebel's bleak future. Bible prophecy is not determinism. Otherwise, it would be an attack on freedom, a precious gift that God respects, and there is a reason He granted it to us.

Jeroboam turned his back on the Lord. And the author of the book of Kings announces the divine description of his future: His firstborn, Obadiah, would die; and years later when Josiah arose as king, he would have the idolatry of the people extirpated, and the idolatrous seed of Jeroboam would disappear altogether.

The Lord continues to call His sincere children today. He calls you into His tender arms of love. He who comes to Him comes to life. He who turns away willingly chooses the territory of death.

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What will be your choice in critical circumstances? God does not want bad for you, and He will not be the one to cause it to you, but He will respect what you choose... with all the consequences.