1 KINGS 11 TO 13 (FROM CAC'S NOTES)
[p. 123] 1 KINGS 11 TO 13 (FROM CAC’S NOTES)
God will not maintain public conditions if the moral state is wrong, so He gives ten tribes to Jeroboam (chapter 11: 31). Outward unity ceases to be of value to God when idolatry comes in. True unity was broken by the idolatry and departure from Jehovah’s ways. So that God broke up the unity by giving ten tribes to Jeroboam. Then we find that this was brought about by the discontent of the people with the grievous yoke, “grievous servitude” and “heavy yoke” of Solomon (chapter 12: 4). What a change from chapter 4 verse 20! Departure from God always results in what is burdensome to men. As soon as the church became great in the world it imitated the world and became idolatrous. But this led to exactions and burdensome impositions upon men, penances and payments of sundry kinds and work insisted on to gain heaven.
The people seek some lightening of these burdens and Rehoboam refuses. Men act foolishly and breaches occur, but God is behind this.
We see the prophetic word through seven prophets, Ahijah (chapter 11: 29), Shemaiah (chapter 12: 24), the man of God (chapter 13: 2), the old prophet (chapter 13: 32), Jehu, the son of Hanani (chapter 16: 1 - 4), Elijah and Elisha.
The people in following Jeroboam were departing from the house of David and from the temple and from the true service of God. But their departure was a clear call to self-judgment all round. It was from Jehovah. What an exercise it was when all sought their own things and not the things of Jesus Christ, when all in Asia turned away [p. 124] from Paul. No man stood with him. That was thus a leaving of first love: the name of the Lord was no longer truly called upon. The true function of the candlestick existed no longer. But it could not be put back to what it was before.
But Jeroboam was not concerned about all this. The prophetic word was disregarded by him. So now he deliberately plans to divert the people from the service in the house of Jehovah. So he makes two calves of gold and it became a sin (chapter 12: 28 - 30). He is continually referred to as the one who made Israel to sin. (I think this answers to the way the sacraments became regarded as means of salvation. The whole fabric of the church as departed from God is built up on an idolatrous perversion of the sacraments.) The priests were not of the sons of Levi (chapter 12: 31) and a feast was held in the eighth month like the feast that was in Judah, that of the tabernacles. Like Christmas.
All this becomes the occasion of prophetic testimony. In chapter 13 “the man of God” is referred to fifteen times.
Nothing else would do in a day of departure but the man of God. The altar was not judged finally for a long time — 300 to 400 years. God would not allow Jeroboam to touch the faithful prophet and there was a solemn sign given. The altar rent and the ashes poured out indicate that the power of what is idolatrous is broken by prophetic testimony.
But a certain old prophet was there who, unfaithful himself in being there, was used to ensnare the man of God. The prophetic word required that he should eat no bread nor drink water in Bethel. But the old prophet had a bad conscience in being there and he wanted to get some justification of his own position by getting the man of God to eat bread with him. He lied. How many will tell us that they have the Lord with them, although they are not in separation from iniquity. “I am a prophet also as thou art”. Old prophets are more dangerous than positive idolaters. True christians do more to draw men of God away from the path of separation than empty professors. Persons who have light from God must be careful to walk in it. There is always an inward tendency with us to give up separation, not to be true to the principles which are of God. So when some outside influence, and especially what seems a pious influence, lends its weight to help that tendency we are apt to fall a prey to what is really Satan. “A lion met him”. Our adversary the devil is always ready to take advantage of our unfaithfulness. It is a solemn thing to have light from God and not act upon it. The lion slaying one would today be that one loses one’s place in the testimony of God.