Wed.’s Devo - Israel Goes into Idolatry

Read: 1 Kings 12:20-13:34; Acts 9:26-43; Psalm 132:1-18; Proverbs 17:6 Judah was joined by the tribe of Benjamin in staying loyal to Rehoboam. Rehoboam had gone back to Jerusalem to rally his army to fight Jeroboam when the prophet Shemaiah went to Rehoboam and told him not to fight his own brothers because what happened was from God. Rehoboam obeyed. *** The other tribes of Israel made Jeroboam their king. To keep the people of Israel from going to Jerusalem to worship, he set up two golden calves in Bethel and Dan. He appointed non-Levites to be priests and declared a counterfeit Feast of Tabernacles on the fifteenth day of the eighth month. God had set it up on the seventh month. Jeroboam burned incense at that festival to the golden calf. This led Israel into idolatry…more idolatry. *** God sent a prophet to the festival where Jeroboam was offering incense and he prophesied against the altar. He said that a boy named Josiah would one day burn the pagan priest’s bones on this altar. As a sign that this would come true, the altar would split apart and its ashes would pour on the ground. *** Jeroboam pointed his finger at Jeroboam and shouted to seize him. When he did, his hand was paralyzed in that position. The altar split spilling the ashes to the ground. Then he cried to the prophet to restore his hand. He did pray and he could move his hand. The king invited him to his palace to eat… probably planning to kill him there. God had told the prophet not to return the way he came and not to eat or drink with anyone in Israel. So he left and went another way. *** One of the attendees at the ceremony went home and told his father what had happened and the father wanted to know which way the prophet left. He went after him and found him. He lied and told the young prophet that he was also a prophet and an angel had come and told him to bring him home to his house to eat. The young prophet believed him and did. After eating, he was attacked by a lion and killed. When the older prophet heard of his death, he went to get his body and bury it. He found the prophet dead with the lion and his donkey standing guard over his body. *** The deceptive prophet buried him and requested that when he died that his bones be buried beside his. *** What a sad story. This older prophet will probably get a greater judgment than most. He was probably a prophet of Baal and not of God. It never said he was a prophet of God. It sounds to me like he had a power issue and wanted to exercise power over God’s prophet. Satan is all about power and death. He then wanted to take advantage of his godliness and be buried next to him. This was a very selfish narcissistic man. *** In Acts, Saul returned to Jerusalem a believer. He wanted to meet with the believers there but they were afraid of him. The apostles heard his testimony and they supported him. Some of the Greek-speaking Jews tried to kill Saul so the apostles took Saul to Caesarea. There was peace throughout the region and the church grew in numbers. *** Peter traveled to Lydda where he healed a paralyzed man who had been bed-ridden for eight years. One of Joppa’s widows who had been faithful and generous to others died. The people of Joppa heard that Peter was in Lydda and went to get him to come raise her from the dead. They had washed her body and it was prepared for burial when Peter arrived. Peter had everyone leave the room and he knelt to pray. Tabitha came back to life and was presented to her friends. *** Peter stayed in Lydda living with Simon the tanner. *** Lord, may we do the greater works you talk about in John. May your Church rise up and heal the sick, cleanse lepers, cast out demons and raise the dead in your name.