The Biblical Age of Kings #4: The Prophet's Rebuke

Some of the Bible's craziest stories are in the books of 1 & 2 Kings. Remember the story of the floating ax head? Or do you know the one about how some kids called a prophet "Baldy" right before a bear came down and mauled them? And then there's the story of how God caused a lying spirit to help some prophets mislead the king? Yeah, weird stuff.

Well perhaps no story is stranger than the one in 1 Kings 14:1-18. The narrators relate the end of the reign of Jeroboam, the first king of a new northern kingdom. Solomon's arrogance laid the seeds for Israel's division, and his son Rehoboam's folly made certain that it collapsed. Rehoboam is left with the diminutive southern kingdom of Judah while Jeroboam claims the northern throne.

The story of 1 Kgs 14 begins with sickness. The king's son is ill. Jeroboam tells his nameless wife, "Disguise yourself and go visit Ahijah the blind prophet. Take him some gifts as if from a commoner, and ask him to foretell what will happen to the child."

If you're a wise and discerning reader of 1 Kings, your most obvious question will no doubt be, "Huh?" Perfect question! Why disguise yourself when visiting a blind person? Why force your wife to be apart from her dying child? Why go back to the prophet of God at all when you have clearly turned to other gods, building altars & idols and creating your own, new religious rituals?

Although the sick child is the presenting issue, the more pressing matter quickly overshadows this personal tragedy. The prophet Ahijah doesn't need physical eyes to see what God reveals to him. He knows this is the wife of Jeroboam. And more importantly, the prophet is not blind to the king's wicked ways. "The child will die," says Ahijah, "but he's the lucky one." He goes on to declare God's two-fold judgment upon Jeroboam: (1) His lineage will not endure, and (2) His new nation will eventually be broken up and destroyed. The DNA of this northern Israel was irreparably corrupt, thanks to Jeroboam.

I wonder if Jeroboam was wise enough to consider the weight of his decisions. The answer is quite obvious, I suppose. But that's a basic problem we all face. Do you realize that your life is like a building project? Do you comprehend that your work in this lifetime creates DNA for something that will either endure or be destroyed?

You shouldn't need a prophet's rebuke to realize that your actions leave a lasting legacy. Paul writes in 1 Cor 3:10-15 that each person's work will eventually be tested. The quality of your work determines whether or not it will have a lasting impact.

Jeroboam built his kingdom poorly. Instead of relying on God, he tried to build from his own strength and out of his own cleverness. This was and still is a recipe for disaster.

How well are you building? Are you sowing seeds of life & blessing for those who come after you? What would the prophet say to you when examining how you are building your family, your career and all that surrounds you?

It's unlikely that your personal story is anywhere close to the craziness of Jeroboam's. But you have the same potential to build something of lasting value that will bless people for generations to come. May God grant you eyes to see your potential and courage to do what's right.