When I was in seminary in New Orleans, I purchased 50 pounds of shrimp from the city market at a ridiculously low price. With the shrimp safely tucked away in an ice chest in the trunk of my car, I headed home to Missouri for spring break.
Late at night, somewhere in North Mississippi, I had a flat tire. I pulled over to the edge of I-55, took the shrimp out of the trunk, and dug out the spare tire. The spare had never been used and was frightening low on air. Thankfully, I found a gas station not too far up the road, aired the tire, and the remainder of the trip was without incident.
Many people treat God like the spare tire in the trunk of my car. They have no thought of God, until they need Him. When the time comes that God is the only answer to their problems, they desperately hope he works on their behalf.
Jeroboam had a case of “spare time religion.” He had no interest in serving God, but when his son was seriously ill, he turned to God whom he ignored and rebelled against.
At that time Abijah son of Jeroboam fell sick. Jeroboam said to his wife, “Go, disguise yourself so that it will not be known that you are the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh, for the prophet Ahijah is there, who said of me that I should be king over this people.
Take with you ten loaves, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him; he will tell you what shall happen to the child.” (1 Kings 13:1-3).
Jeroboam’s wife came to Shiloh, the house of Ahijah. The prophet was old and physically blind, but his spiritual sight was 20/20. God showed him Jeroboam’s attempt at deception, which he revealed to the king’s wife.
But when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet as she came in at the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam; why do you pretend to be another? For I am charged with heavy tidings for you (1 Kings 14:6).
Jeroboam’s wife was to convey a message from the prophet. God trusted the king with great responsibility. The Lord designated him to lead the northern ten tribes. He was to be faithful to the one and only God.
Instead of being faithful to God, he exceeded in doing evil more than anyone else. In years to come, Jeroboam would be the standard of evil that other leaders were compared against.
God’s judgment was that everyone in the king’s household would meet a disgraceful death except for the son his wife came to inquire about.
The innocent child would die, be buried, and mourned. Jeroboam’s son would be spared the violent and ignominious death that the remainder of the family was to experience.
What Abijah told Jeroboam’s wife would happen, did in fact take place.
Reflections
Jeroboam was guilty of syncretism, a theological term that describes the blending of the true worship of God with that of pagan substitutes for God. He did this to such an extent that he came under God’s severe judgment.
American Christianity has frequently combined faith in Jesus with materialism, politics, and other cultural idols much to the detriment of the impact that true discipleship to Jesus makes.
This week, I discovered an ICE (immigration) recruitment video that combined a Johnny Cash song “Run On” with a verse from Isaiah 6.
If you listen to the video, you will hear these words from the song.
Well you may run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Run on for a long time
Let me tell you God almighty gonna cut you down
Interspersed with the song is Isaiah 6:8.
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
The picture showed ICE agents in a helicopter, declaring that they are ready to be sent to be part of those who will execute God’s judgment.
Whether you approve of the actions of ICE or not, this is a complete misuse of Isaiah’s message. In fact, the blending of the worship of Yahweh with cultural idols of Isaiah’s day added to the next portion of his message.
He said, “Go and tell this people:
“‘Be ever hearing, but never understanding;
be ever seeing, but never perceiving.’
Make the heart of this people calloused;
make their ears dull
and close their eyes.
Otherwise they might see with their eyes,
hear with their ears,
understand with their hearts,
and turn and be healed.” (Isaiah 6:9-10)
Whenever we combine the worship of the one and only God with that of the idols of society, spiritual blindness will result.
The best course of action is to follow Jesus’ message: But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).
When we make Jesus’ rule in our lives first place, we will see, perceive, hear, understand, and find God’s best for our lives.
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 