Tuesday, 14th September 2021
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
God gave Jeroboam promises and blessings, but because Jeroboam was afraid of people and did not stand firm in the Word of God, at the end his house was destroyed. It was supposed to be a blessed family, but when Jeroboam chose to walk his own way, the blessings of God left him and his family.
Section One V1-10 God still Reigns
Jeroboam was doing rebellious things, and God sent a godly man to talk to him. The Temple of God was in Judah, therefore the man of God was from there. His name was not mentioned in the Bible, he came during the time when Jeroboam was about to sin against God by offering to the idols. V2 “O altar, altar! Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones shall be burned on you.’” The man of God didn’t use any action to stop Jeroboam, he only used the Word of God and we know his prophecy was fulfilled in the future.
V3 “And he gave a sign the same day, saying, ‘This is the sign which the Lord has spoken: Surely the altar shall split apart, and the ashes on it shall be poured out.’” When Jeroboam saw what God did, by fear, he asked the prophet to stay with him, instead of turning to God. His eyes were closed and his heart was hardened. When we are afraid of the things of the world, our health, our finance, our relationship with others… we will fail to see God as our God.
Jeroboam couldn’t admit God was his God because he didn’t want to repent. We need to learn to pray for ourselves and repent on our own behalf. Because if Jeroboam admitted his mistakes of building the alters and raising false prophets, God will give him a chance. Jeroboam did not see that everything he had was from God, and it was God behind all this, but he only saw the man of God and asked him to pray for him. Jeroboam tried to bribe the man of God and tried to please him instead of pleasing God.
Jeroboam had been making alters for idols and build golden calves. He would feel tired because he was not walking in godly ways. We would feel tired when we are trying to do everything with our own hands and we didn’t experience God’s doing. Let us see God’s Work in our lives, to see His miracles and the new things, and praise Him for everything He is doing in our lives. May God help us, to take away all the lies from the devil, and see God’s blessings for us to come out of darkness and confusion.
The lesson of humility is to follow God’s Way, not our own ways. The man of God followed the Way of God that led him to leave Bethel.
Section Two V11-19 Man’s Weakness
There was an old prophet in Bethel. The man of God was not recorded as a prophet, but this old prophet in Bethel was specifically mentioned in the Bible as a prophet. He had the experiences and gifts as a prophet, but why did God not use him to talk to Jeroboam? Instead of a young man of God from Judah?
It’s true that God will talk to everyone of us, but why a lot of times, God talks to others more than to us? This old prophet in Bethel had the reputations, experiences, status and gifts, but why did God not use him? When Jeroboam did so many ungodly things, where was this old prophet? As a prophet, he would know what’s right and what’s wrong, and he would know how much wrongdoings Jeroboam had already done.
This man of God already told Jeroboam that he would not stay in Bethel. The old prophet would also know what God told the man of God. But he still insisted for the man of God to stay and eat with him. He tempted the young man, even when the king could not keep him. The young man continued to proclaim that God told him not to stay. Then the old prophet said in V18 “I too am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’ ” He was lying to him.
A prophet should be hearing directly from God, not from the angel. If this young man was a true prophet, he would also know the old prophet was lying. Instead, he followed the old prophet. When people praise us for our anointing and gifts, what is our attitude? We like people to praise us, we like to be recognised and we lift our own status up. But God is with us not because of the gifts we have or what we have done. We can do all things because of God not ourselves. We must be careful not to chase our own achievements but to pursuit God only.
This young man of God was pleased to hear from the old prophet, and he forsook the Word of God. He treated his earthly honour more important than God’s Word, he had insecurity in his heart. Did he really know God was with him? The recognition from others was a louder voice in him than God’s Word for him, and at the end it costed his life. The old prophet had the status as a prophet but God was not with him.
When we are unwilling to face the problems in our lives, to repent and see our lives sinning against God, then our sins will separate us from God. God has mercy on us, He uses our authority to talk to us. When the Word of God finally came to the old prophet. This time it was really from God, not from an angel. What the old prophet said contradicted himself, but this time the young man of God didn’t listen. He stayed and ate, he also took the donkey of the old prophet. He didn’t follow the way God showed him and he was lost in his own wilfulness.
Section Three V20-34 God’s Word never Fails
The old prophet lost his relationship and confidence in hearing from God. When he really heard from God it was about the destructions of Israel. The lion didn’t eat the man of God, it was not the lion’s normal behaviour because God wanted the old prophet to see that His Word never fails. The old prophet knew he sinned against God and his wilfulness costed the life of the man of God. But he still didn’t show repentance. We must continue to come before God and repent, we sin everyday against God and against people, don’t think we are ok.
Jeroboam also didn’t repent after he heard from the man of God and God’s favours left him and his household. We must come to God everyday, admit our sins and ask Him for His forgiveness.
Worship: My Love My Cross十字架的傳達者 https://youtu.be/mpugTxcAXn0
Prayer & Pursuit
Through the lives of Jeroboam, of the man of God and of the old prophet, God is talking to us. Do we have reverence in God? Is our heart blocked us from following God? There are so many reasons for us not to follow God, God is talking to us right now, let us humble ourselves, repent our sins and ask for forgiveness.
Lord, forgive us, that we want to hear people’s praises more than hear from You. Lord, only You can forgive our sins, You have already given us Jesus Christ, so we can come before You. Lord let us experience Your love and blessings. Amen.
2021年9月14日 星期二
潘锡安牧师
从耶罗波安的一生经历我们可以看到神的祝福和人的愚昧 – 耶罗波安因为惧怕，没有相信神曾给他的应许，选择走人的道路，最后“这事叫耶罗波安的家陷在罪里，甚至他的家从地上除灭了”（V34）。
一、神仍然掌权 V1-10
V1“那时”指的是前面第12章最后所讲的耶罗波安在立国后做了一切悖逆神的事：他“…铸造了两个金牛犊，…在丘坛那里建殿，将那不属利未人的凡民立为祭司….定八月十五日为节期…就是他私自所定的月日，为以色列人立做节期的日子，在伯特利上坛烧香”（王上12:28-33）。神差派了一个神人从犹大去跟耶罗波安发预言，因为真正的祭司当时只在犹大那边。本章的两位先知/神人都没有被记载名字，说明他们个人并不重要，但他们都是属于神的人。
V2-3 神人所说的预言意思是那些不属神的所谓“祭司”的人最后都会被烧在祭坛上。这个预言后来果然应验，记载在列王纪下第23章。这个神人并没有用自己的行动去阻止耶罗波安错误的烧香献祭，只是用神的话向耶罗波安呼喊。
V4-6 耶罗波安因为想要抓住神人，结果手枯干，收不回来，并且“坛也破裂了，坛上的灰倾撒了”。这些事情都没有让耶罗波安都看到神对他的拣选，他仍然对神人说“求耶和华你神”，想让神人为他祷告。耶罗波安自己曾经经历神将他从埃及救出来，又有立国的应许和成就，但他里面有很多对人的惧怕。他不愿意承认神是他的神，不愿意承认自己的罪 – 因为他怕他若承认他在以色列北国立国后所做的那些事都是错的，他会失去一切。耶罗波安被蒙蔽了，没有看到他所有的一切都是从神而来。
V7-8 耶罗波安因着神人的祷告得到恢复，他就以为这些都是人的功劳，想用赏赐把神人留住。耶罗波安凭自己的心意做了很多事，包括造偶像、在丘坛建殿、私立祭司等，他看到的都是doing(做事)，心就会觉得累。我们服事神、读学房，是否也觉得要做很多事情、觉得很累？当我们在写下每一天的作息记录时，我们会看见神在我们生命中所行的大事、奇事、新事，这是从神而来的恩典和祝福，让我们不再每天活在混乱当中。
V8-10 神人拒绝耶罗波安的邀请，因为耶和华已经清楚嘱咐他不可在这个拜偶像的地方跟这里的人吃饭喝水，并且神要带着这个神人走神的路离开伯特利，不按原路返回。我们的路是神带着我们走的，我们要学习谦卑跟随。
虽然耶罗波安不堪，神仍然借着神人发预言给他机会回转。
二、人的软弱 V11-19
V11a 这里特别记录“老先知”-说明他是一个做了先知很久的人，有能力、有位份、有恩赐、有经验。他住在“伯特利”，相对前面所讲的那个“神人”，这位老先知离耶罗波安更加近，但为什么神不拣选这位老先知而是那个更年轻住得更远的神人来对耶罗波安发预言？一个先知应该知道神的标准，是能清楚分辨对错的，但是，当耶罗波安在立国做了一堆犯罪的事情后，这位老先知在哪呢？我们有时可能也会问，如今的信徒皆祭司，每个人都可以跟神直接沟通，为什么神不跟我说话？这是值得我们深思的地方。
V11b-19 当时在北国以色列的人包括老先知的儿子们都听到神人对耶罗波安的话，“不可在伯特利吃饭喝水，也不可从你去的原路回来”。但是，老先知仗着自己做先知年岁长久，觉得自己比耶罗波安王更有位份，强行挽留神人，甚至欺哄他说：“我也是先知，和你一样。有天使奉耶和华的命对我说：‘你去把他带回你的家，叫他吃饭喝水”（V18)。这位神人千里迢迢从犹大国上来，心里可能会有很多怀疑，所以一直在宣告“耶和华的话”。神人若真是先知，他会听出老先知说“有天使奉耶和华的命对我说”这句话是有问题的，因为先知本应直接听到神的话，但他听不出问题，说明他不是先知，只是一个属神的人。然而神人听到老先知对他说，“我也是先知，和你一样”，得到了老先知对他先知身份的认可，神人就跟着老先知回去了。我们是否也会这样渴慕从人而来对我们的能力和恩赐的肯定和称赞？这位神人心里没有安全感，虽然神使用他，但是听到老先知的认可和热情邀请，他表面得到了很大的尊荣，这是因为神人里面有一颗孤儿的心。一个被神拣选、带领的人，虽然做出神要他做的事，但他的心没有对准神，只是在做doing的事，就很容易看从人而来的荣耀更重于神的话。
神人因着违背神的话而惨遭被狮子咬死的下场，那位老先知虽然知道神的话，但没有神与他同在。我们现在的基督徒很多不愿意面对自己真实的生命，不知道自己是得罪神的，不愿意认罪悔改，以至于我们的罪使我们与神隔绝，然而我们还抱怨说为什么神不跟我们说话。神怜悯我们，会借着我们的权柄跟我们说话。我们要回转像小孩子一样谦卑听从。
三、神的话不落空 V20-34
V20-23 老先知终于在吃饭的时候听到神直接对他说的话，宣告审判。然而，神人和老先知都没有听进去。老先知给神人“备驴”，把神人当成跟先知一样的位分对待。
V24-32 老先知不甘心看到神只借着神人说话没有找他发预言，他失去了与神的关系的信心。他虽然终于听到了神的话，但他知道，神人“奉耶和华的命，指着伯特利的坛和撒马利亚各城有丘坛之殿所说的话必定应验”，神已经离开他所住之地了。老先知看到这个神人被狮子咬死后，狮子只是站在旁边，没有攻击驴或路人，说明这事出于神，应验之前他自己发的预言。神让老先知看到自己是一个凶手。老先知以为他事后为神人所做的可以弥补自己的错，可是他没有认罪。我们如今在一个认罪的水流里，不要觉得自己没有什么罪可认，要看到自己的问题。
V33-34 耶罗波安也没有悔改，神的恩典就离开他和他的家。神一直在做事，我们每一天在晨祷当中都听到神跟我们讲出生命的问题，我们是否能来到神的面前，以一颗畏罪畏义畏审判的心认罪悔改？神给我们存留的不是审判，他要我们自己去求饶恕，当我们愿意求神饶恕的时候，神给我们的就是祝福。
*追求和回应：
神今天借着神人、老先知、耶罗波安对我们说话。我们的生命是否敬畏神，我们里面是否有很多蒙蔽？我们有很多理由不去跟从神，有很多理由支持我们不听神的话。求神帮助我们，圣灵就在这里，神在跟我们说话。我们要谦卑，将我们生命中一切的蒙蔽 – 包括对神的怀疑、不谦卑-都交给神，求神帮助我们悔改、得神的饶恕。
是的 主啊，求你饶恕我们对你的不信任，我们蒙蔽了，我们看重人给的荣耀多过我们与你的关系。主，唯有你能赦罪，谢谢你的独生爱子耶稣基督为我们的罪死在十字架上，让我们可以坦然无惧地来到你的面前求饶恕与恩典。求主帮助我们继续经历你的爱与祝福！奉耶稣基督的名祷告，阿门！