![]() In another showdown between a king and a prophet, the word of the prophet wins the day.Īhab & His Family vs. The prophetic word is confirmed by his son’s death the minute his wife arrives home. The Lord is going to cut off Jeroboam’s house because of his brazen idolatry. His son will die, but his death will be more bearable than what is about to unfold for the nation. Jeroboam’s son gets sick, so he sends his wife to Ahijah to find out what will happen. Then, in 1 Kings 14, Jeroboam is opposed by Ahijah (the first prophet in 1 Kings). Jeroboam tries to buy this prophet’s favor, but the man of God shuts him down, refusing to disobey the word of the Lord. First, in 1 Kings 13 “a man of God” opposes him at the altar in Bethel, denouncing his idolatry and announcing the end of the northern kingdom. He is confronted twice with the prophetic word. This didn’t go well for Aaron in Exodus 32, and it doesn’t go well for Jeroboam here. He feared his people would wind up back under Rehoboam’s rule, so he created his own worship system in the north, erecting two golden calves for the people to worship. The presence of the Lord remained in the south, so his people continually went to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices. In the north, Jeroboam had a new, big kingdom, but he also had a problem. “A Man of God” and Ahijah (1 Kings 13 & 14) It’s actually the prophets and the word spoken through them that drives the books. Prophets.” The author pits each new king against a prophet(s) to help you see that God’s prophetic word ultimately determines Israel’s history. Thus, 1 and 2 Kings might more accurately be called “1 and 2 Kings vs. For every king, there was an opposing prophet or group of prophets ready to stick the covenant back in the king’s face and call him to accountability to God’s word. This is why God raised up the prophetic office to counterbalance the office of kingship. Rather, God’s covenant word was the real authority. They’ve persisted in their rebellion leading all the way up to exile.Īlthough Israel had many kings, they were not the ultimate authority in Israel. This theological history explains why Israel and Judah are in exile- its kings and people have resisted the word of God. The books are written from the perspective of someone sitting long after the exile of the northern tribes (2 Kings 17) and the destruction of Jerusalem and the exile to Babylon (2 Kings 24-25). He’s writing a prophetic history of how the word of God in the Torah and the prophets was the true Lord of Israel’s story. The author of 1 and 2 Kings is as much a theologian as he is a historian.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |