02/03/2011 - Never mind about your natural sight!

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“And Jeroboam said to his wife, “Please arise, and disguise yourself, that they may not recognize you as the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh. Indeed, Ahijah the prophet is there, who told me that I would be king over this people.” (I Kings 14:2)

Ahijah was a prophet used by the Lord to convey Jeroboam the Good News: he’d been elected to become the King of the twelve tribes of Israel still during Solomon’s reign (I Kings 11: 29-39), because of David’s son getting involved with idolatry. God even used that prophet to say to Jeroboam that he should be faithful to the Lord in order for his reign to be confirmed and thus his descendents would be his successors on the throne.

Yet, the moment the Word of the Lord was fulfilled, Jeroboam gave way to idolatry as well (I Kings 12), and that didn’t please God at all. In his madness, Actually, in his madness, that governor provoked the Most High in all senses. Even a prophet was sent to warn him about the altar he’d built up in Bethel; yet, when the herald of the Lord handed in the message – a very shocking one, by the way – the King was full of anger and he stretched out his hand on the altar demanding that the man of God must be arrested. Consequently, the governor’s hand withered so he could not pull it back (I Kings 13: 4). At that point he asked the prophet to pray for him and so he did; he called the Almighty One and the ruler’s hand was promptly restored (verse 6).

That experience wasn’t sufficient enough for Jeroboam to repent of his wickedness. Yet, when his son was sick – the one who’d be his successor on the throne according to the divine promise – the ruler remembered Ahijah, the prophet who’d torn his robe and gave him its ten pieces as a sign of what would happen to Israel and that he’d become the King of those twelve tribes. So, Jeroboam told his wife to consult the herald of the Lord; yet, she was to hide the fact that she was his wife; after all, he was looking forward to seeing his son healed by the prophet without his knowing his son’s identity.

That attitude testifies to the fact that Jeroboam sought only his own interests and that he’d take advantage of anyone. He left the Most High to serve the devil. Since his mind was corrupt he thought he’d be able to cheat anyone, even God and the very enemy! Profits, power, glory – nothing else – were the main purpose of that King of Israel.

Though he’d lost sight due to his old age, the prophe received a divine revelation as soon as the king’s wife got into his house. In fact, never mind about his natural sight; what really mattered was hearing the voice of our Father. Prophet Ahijah was able to recognize the King’s wife and he said that their son would die the moment she set foot on her land. On top of that, he carried on saying that all males, sons or slaves, of Jeroboam’s house would die.

I’ve already seen people trying to deceive a man of God and their mask dropped off in the end. Never fall for the temptation of telling lies to anyone, whoever they might be, especially those who are being used by our Father. Ananias and Sapphira, for instance, paid with their own lives for their mistake (Acts 5). Therefore, you must always obey the Word of the Lord!

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares