Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house: and when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die. And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him: for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found some good thing toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam. Moreover the LORD shall raise Him up a king over Israel, who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam that day: but what? even now. For the LORD shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, and He shall root up Israel out of this good land, which He gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their groves, provoking the LORD to anger. And He shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin. (1 Kings 14:12-16)
Jeroboam’s son falls ill with a grave illness and Jeroboam sends his wife disguised as a common woman to a prophet to inquire of the LORD. God gives the prophet a message for Jeroboam’s wife concerning the child, that it will die, and it will be the only descendant and relative of Jeroboam to be laid in a grave, because of Jeroboam’s sin against the LORD. God will raise up others to rule Israel until He finally dissolves the northern nation of Israel and the kingdom is no more, but Jeroboam’s family will not inherit the throne.
God is serious about idolatry and passes judgment upon Jeroboam and Israel. Jeroboam’s sin against the LORD in idolatry and leading Israel away from the Commandments of the LORD has led to God removing his descendants from being king and no one from his family will die a natural death or be buried in a grave at the Word of the LORD. This prophet, though blind with age, gets a vision and a message for Jeroboam and his wife of the end of their line and the result of their sin upon their family and the nation of Israel. Only Jeroboam’s son is mourned by the people and buried in a grave. Eventually even Israel itself will be rooted up and scattered just as Jeroboam’s lineage and family.
Sin in the life of a Christian is not something to be trifled with, explained away, or ignored. The Word of God is clear that sin, even the sin which does so easily beset us, must be dealt with and repented of before God. Those who have surrendered to Him on His terms and been born again by faith in Him and His finished and perfect work are to live holy lives obedient unto our Lord and God, not to gain or keep that which He has given unto us, but because of His holiness and righteousness which is imputed unto those who are His. Trivializing the effect and cost of sin or ignoring our tendency to sin occasionally will lead to more sin, until God may have to take the drastic step to remove us, just as He did with Jeroboam’s family and legacy. The people of God are to glorify God in all things, and that means dealing with sin as God would have us to do, in honest reflection, earnest repentance, and heartfelt confession to our God of that which He has reproved and corrected in us. Our mission to reach the lost with the Word, teach the nations all of the Word, and consistently preach His Word is hampered when our sin becomes our god and we must deal with our sin and forsake it. Our relationship is secure, if we are truly in Christ, but our sin too often gets in the way, and just as we did when we were saved, we must trust the God who forgives sin and repent of our sin that we may honor Him with our holy and Christlike lives and lift Him up before others that they too might be saved.
While we are here, God has commanded those of us who are His saints and know Him to go out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.
God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.
In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
God is serious about idolatry and passes judgment upon Jeroboam and Israel. Jeroboam’s sin against the LORD in idolatry and leading Israel away from the Commandments of the LORD has led to God removing his descendants from being king and no one from his family will die a natural death or be buried in a grave at the Word of the LORD. This prophet, though blind with age, gets a vision and a message for Jeroboam and his wife of the end of their line and the result of their sin upon their family and the nation of Israel. Only Jeroboam’s son is mourned by the people and buried in a grave. Eventually even Israel itself will be rooted up and scattered just as Jeroboam’s lineage and family.
Sin in the life of a Christian is not something to be trifled with, explained away, or ignored. The Word of God is clear that sin, even the sin which does so easily beset us, must be dealt with and repented of before God. Those who have surrendered to Him on His terms and been born again by faith in Him and His finished and perfect work are to live holy lives obedient unto our Lord and God, not to gain or keep that which He has given unto us, but because of His holiness and righteousness which is imputed unto those who are His. Trivializing the effect and cost of sin or ignoring our tendency to sin occasionally will lead to more sin, until God may have to take the drastic step to remove us, just as He did with Jeroboam’s family and legacy. The people of God are to glorify God in all things, and that means dealing with sin as God would have us to do, in honest reflection, earnest repentance, and heartfelt confession to our God of that which He has reproved and corrected in us. Our mission to reach the lost with the Word, teach the nations all of the Word, and consistently preach His Word is hampered when our sin becomes our god and we must deal with our sin and forsake it. Our relationship is secure, if we are truly in Christ, but our sin too often gets in the way, and just as we did when we were saved, we must trust the God who forgives sin and repent of our sin that we may honor Him with our holy and Christlike lives and lift Him up before others that they too might be saved.
While we are here, God has commanded those of us who are His saints and know Him to go out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.
God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.
In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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