1 00:00:03,640 --> 00:00:10,200 First Kings chapter 13. Beginning in verse one, before 2 00:00:10,200 --> 00:00:16,760 Jeroboam became king, he was known as a respected industrious 3 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:20,080 man. But very quickly after becoming 4 00:00:20,080 --> 00:00:24,520 king, his reputation as being industrious was quickly changed 5 00:00:24,520 --> 00:00:31,280 to becoming idolatrous from industrious to idolatrous. 6 00:00:32,479 --> 00:00:34,960 And we learned here that he not wait too long after his 7 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:40,040 inauguration to engineer his own man made religious system that 8 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:43,360 would lead the majority of the tribes of Israel into a level of 9 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:47,320 heresy that would be so very difficult to recover from. 10 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:53,200 And all seemed to be going well for Jeroboam and his Kingdom 11 00:00:53,680 --> 00:00:58,360 until we read the 1st 2 words of this chapter, which is the 12 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:03,480 object of our study tonight. And so we look and read in First 13 00:01:03,480 --> 00:01:11,120 Kings 13, verse one and behold, pause whenever the Bible inserts 14 00:01:11,120 --> 00:01:14,880 the word behold. In any context, it's meant to 15 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:20,800 capture your attention and to place it on something momentous 16 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:27,160 or someone significant and the object of our beholding. 17 00:01:27,280 --> 00:01:35,800 In this place, let's read and behold, a man of God came out of 18 00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:38,720 Judah by the word of the Lord to Bethel. 19 00:01:39,000 --> 00:01:42,880 Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make offerings. 20 00:01:43,320 --> 00:01:45,560 What is it that the Spirit of God wants? 21 00:01:45,560 --> 00:01:49,240 To shift our attention to? A man of God? 22 00:01:51,160 --> 00:01:54,920 That's the spectacle that we are to look at tonight, a man of 23 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:59,640 God. And what a sight it is to find a 24 00:01:59,640 --> 00:02:06,000 man of God in a context of so much compromise and anemic 25 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:09,600 spirituality. It's as though by reading, 26 00:02:09,600 --> 00:02:15,360 Behold, you and I are to sense this relief, this wind of grace, 27 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:22,360 in this circumstance of dense pollution and declension, we 28 00:02:22,360 --> 00:02:29,440 find a ray of light. We find this man of God, And 29 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:33,040 what it was then is true in our day today. 30 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:39,120 It is something to behold, in an age of pollution, of idolatry 31 00:02:39,120 --> 00:02:43,880 and sin, to locate and identify a man or a woman of God. 32 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:48,160 You know, I looked at this earlier, and I thought to 33 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:50,960 myself, that could be a title of a sermon in itself. 34 00:02:51,320 --> 00:02:58,360 And behold, a man of God. There needed to be a man of God 35 00:02:59,280 --> 00:03:03,200 at this time, and there needs to be men and women of God today. 36 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:06,600 And though we're not going to do a sermon about, behold a man of 37 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:11,040 God, let us relish and admire how the spirit of God puts this 38 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:16,040 verse together. And behold, a man of God came 39 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:19,600 out of Judah by the word of the Lord to Bethel. 40 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:22,960 That's very specific and for a good reason. 41 00:03:24,480 --> 00:03:27,720 This man of God came from the South, from the Kingdom of the 42 00:03:27,720 --> 00:03:31,760 South, Judah, and went N to one of the central places of 43 00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:35,440 idolatry, Bethel. And the reason why that's so 44 00:03:35,440 --> 00:03:39,280 significant is because Jeroboam accomplished a lot. 45 00:03:39,720 --> 00:03:44,360 With his clever mind and wicked heart, he was able to establish 46 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:49,160 his own religion that mimics so closely the true faith of God 47 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:52,640 under the Old Covenant. And this man was able to do what 48 00:03:52,640 --> 00:03:55,120 he was able to formulate his own feast. 49 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:58,560 He was able to create his own centers of worship. 50 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:02,560 He was able to even recruit his own line of priests. 51 00:04:03,920 --> 00:04:05,960 And and with all of that, you know what? 52 00:04:05,960 --> 00:04:09,960 Jeroboam was not able to raise up a man of God. 53 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:13,400 Notice that the man of God didn't come from Bethel. 54 00:04:13,400 --> 00:04:16,279 He came from Judah. Do you know why that's 55 00:04:16,279 --> 00:04:18,200 important? Because we learned last week in 56 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:22,079 Second Chronicles 11 that all those whose hearts sought the 57 00:04:22,079 --> 00:04:26,440 Lord trickled down to Judah. Because Jerusalem is where God 58 00:04:26,440 --> 00:04:29,640 was truly worshipped. So you had the Levites, and you 59 00:04:29,640 --> 00:04:33,360 had those who truly wanted to worship God, who moved South. 60 00:04:34,400 --> 00:04:39,120 And the godliness of the North was so empty, so vacated, that 61 00:04:39,120 --> 00:04:41,400 there was nobody from the northern tribes. 62 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:46,160 To be raised up to be a prophet, God had to send somebody from 63 00:04:46,160 --> 00:04:49,920 the tribe of Judah. You know what empty religion can 64 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:51,320 do? Do you know what vain religion 65 00:04:51,320 --> 00:04:53,040 can do? Do you know what worldly 66 00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:55,680 Christianity can do in the context of ministry and local 67 00:04:55,680 --> 00:04:57,680 churches? It can fill up calendars with 68 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:02,520 events. It can, or it can gather crowds, 69 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:07,320 or it can perform religious rituals and services. 70 00:05:07,760 --> 00:05:10,000 But I'll tell you what empty religion can never do. 71 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:16,280 It can never foster men or women of God who are able to be 72 00:05:16,280 --> 00:05:21,320 sensitive to the spirit of God and transmit the pure word of 73 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:23,840 God. Empty religion can never do 74 00:05:23,840 --> 00:05:25,680 that. It can put on a show, It can 75 00:05:25,680 --> 00:05:29,360 have buildings, it can have impressive, elaborate things. 76 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:34,440 But what it can never produce is what we see here, a servant of 77 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:40,040 God sold out for God in tune with God walking with God. 78 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:44,080 And that's what we find here. Jeroboam could have fabricated 79 00:05:44,080 --> 00:05:46,880 much. He could have done much with his 80 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:49,760 abilities. But he could never, ever draw 81 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:52,880 out what came out of Judah, a man who knew God. 82 00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:56,440 And that's what we see here, a man who knew God. 83 00:05:56,840 --> 00:06:00,040 And Jeroboam was about to meet this man of God. 84 00:06:00,200 --> 00:06:04,360 What does this unnamed prophet stumble upon as he arrives to 85 00:06:04,360 --> 00:06:06,600 Bethel? Well, we read it, did we not? 86 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:11,640 Verse 2 tells us, And the man cried against the altar by the 87 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:15,160 word of the Lord, and said, O altar, altar, Thus says the 88 00:06:15,160 --> 00:06:18,080 Lord, Behold, the Son shall be born to the House of David 89 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:22,280 Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on you the priests of 90 00:06:22,280 --> 00:06:25,240 the high places, who make offerings on you, and human 91 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:29,240 bones shall be burned on you. He comes to this altar because 92 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:32,400 in verse one we read that Jeroboam was standing by the 93 00:06:32,440 --> 00:06:35,080 altar ready to make offerings on it. 94 00:06:37,320 --> 00:06:40,800 Why is that an obscene description concerning Jeroboam? 95 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:46,160 Why is US finding Jeroboam by an altar ready to make offerings on 96 00:06:46,160 --> 00:06:47,000 it? Something that should be 97 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:51,120 extremely offensive to us, knowing what the Bible has to 98 00:06:51,120 --> 00:06:58,440 say about altars and sacrifices? Any idea he's not a priest, he's 99 00:06:58,440 --> 00:07:02,360 a king. Yeah, and in his own man made 100 00:07:02,360 --> 00:07:07,000 system, it's totally valid to be able to operate as a king and to 101 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:09,520 mingle to be a priest at the same time. 102 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:12,200 But that is illegal according to the mind of God and the law of 103 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:16,080 God. You will never find legitimacy. 104 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:19,840 You'll never find divine approval through all the Old 105 00:07:19,840 --> 00:07:24,760 Testament of a king who attempts to operate as a priest. 106 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:29,680 Never. And whenever it does appear, 107 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:34,000 whenever any king pursues that it is met with swift and severe 108 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:37,080 discipline. The only exception is what we 109 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:41,680 studied in Second Samuel when we found David who was operating as 110 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:44,440 a priest and his sons were also designated as priest. 111 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:47,520 And if you want to know the deeper explanation behind that, 112 00:07:47,520 --> 00:07:50,520 then find that in Second Samuel, I believe Chapter 8, where that 113 00:07:50,520 --> 00:07:54,280 is described in greater detail and we expound upon that and 114 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:56,120 there's good reason why it's tolerated there. 115 00:07:56,120 --> 00:07:57,600 Apart from that you'll never see it. 116 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:00,960 Do you know why it was wrong for any king to become a priest? 117 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:07,520 Any idea why was that hybrid position never to be entertained 118 00:08:07,920 --> 00:08:11,080 or engaged? Then here's the answer. 119 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:13,240 Because it was reserved for one person only. 120 00:08:14,600 --> 00:08:16,040 It was reserved for one person only. 121 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:19,320 In the Bible predicts that there would be one who would be on the 122 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:21,440 throne and he would also be a priest. 123 00:08:22,040 --> 00:08:26,520 And the person who fulfills that office is the Messiah. 124 00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:28,680 And the Messiah is Jesus Christ of Nazareth. 125 00:08:30,040 --> 00:08:35,000 So to attempt to operate in that role is to rob God of his 126 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:38,200 prerogative in the person of Jesus Christ, this elite, for 127 00:08:38,200 --> 00:08:42,200 one person and one person alone. No one is ever able or tolerated 128 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:45,640 to entertain that same position. So this is what Jeroboam is 129 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:47,920 doing. He's king, but he's also 130 00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:50,680 functioning in the office of a minister. 131 00:08:51,480 --> 00:08:54,520 And now we see that this man of God in verse two does something. 132 00:08:55,240 --> 00:09:00,440 He comes to this scene and he flashes in the surrounding of 133 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:03,760 abominable apostasy and he has a message to declare. 134 00:09:04,040 --> 00:09:06,880 And interestingly, who did he speak this message to? 135 00:09:06,880 --> 00:09:10,520 Look at verse 2 again and tell me who he's speaking it to the 136 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:13,760 altar. He's not speaking to Jeroboam, 137 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:15,640 is he? He's not speaking to the false 138 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:17,440 priest, is he? Can you imagine the sight? 139 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:22,320 Can you imagine me speaking to this, oh, pulpit, pulpit. 140 00:09:23,840 --> 00:09:25,160 That'd be kind of strange, right? 141 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:29,240 But it's on purpose. The message is intentional. 142 00:09:29,400 --> 00:09:32,080 The delivery is just as intentional. 143 00:09:32,160 --> 00:09:37,480 But in speaking to the altar, not only is he calling out how 144 00:09:37,480 --> 00:09:42,240 this is wrong and evil and he's he's highlighting the object of 145 00:09:42,240 --> 00:09:46,240 a fence, but it's almost that. There is an indirect message in 146 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:48,640 the way that he is proclaiming this message. 147 00:09:49,200 --> 00:09:52,520 It's as though Jeroboam has become so hard of hearing. 148 00:09:53,360 --> 00:09:55,560 Though he was privileged to help himself to receive a 149 00:09:55,560 --> 00:09:58,360 personalized message from another prophet at a previous 150 00:09:58,360 --> 00:10:02,760 time, he's become so hardened, so spiritually death, so 151 00:10:02,880 --> 00:10:07,120 indifferent, that God doesn't even honor to addressing him 152 00:10:07,120 --> 00:10:10,520 directly. He speaks to the altar as though 153 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:15,640 to say these stones that you've gathered and put together have a 154 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:19,040 greater willingness of hearing what the word of God is than 155 00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:23,960 you, Jeroboam, that's a rebuke. That's a rebuke. 156 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:27,800 And what we're about to find out by way of miracle is that this 157 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:31,240 altar in fact does respond to the word of the Lord, and 158 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:34,960 Jeroboam doesn't. What this prophet is going to 159 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:40,080 declare about this altar, the altar submits to, and here's 160 00:10:40,080 --> 00:10:43,800 this man who's created in God's image, who still is stubborn. 161 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:49,000 So this is a stark contract between an inanimate object and 162 00:10:49,000 --> 00:10:51,440 a person with flesh and blood created in the image and 163 00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:57,240 likeness of God and stones are more willing to testify and obey 164 00:10:57,240 --> 00:11:01,400 than a than a man. And you know what came to mind 165 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:03,040 when I looked at this when I thought about this? 166 00:11:03,040 --> 00:11:07,360 A statement that Jesus made in Luke's version of the Triumphal 167 00:11:07,360 --> 00:11:08,760 entry. We studied that a couple weeks 168 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:11,040 ago. And I want you to see it with 169 00:11:11,040 --> 00:11:14,160 your own eyes because Luke adds a detail that Matthew and Mark 170 00:11:14,160 --> 00:11:15,960 does not include. It's in Luke 19. 171 00:11:16,560 --> 00:11:19,160 Turn to the New Testament. Look at this with me in Luke 19 172 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:23,960 verse 39 and 40. Where Jesus enters into the holy 173 00:11:23,960 --> 00:11:29,800 City and the crowds are going crazy, there is ecstasy, there 174 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:33,480 is excitement, there is praises, almost deafening praises. 175 00:11:33,800 --> 00:11:37,360 And who's there? The poor and pitiful Pharisees. 176 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:42,320 And they're so overwhelmed by what's happening, they can't 177 00:11:42,320 --> 00:11:45,320 control it and all they can do, You can almost sense how 178 00:11:45,320 --> 00:11:47,880 helpless they are. They can't deal with the crowd, 179 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:52,440 they can't control the roarings. So they look to Jesus and they 180 00:11:52,440 --> 00:11:56,160 say this in verse 39, and some of the Pharisees in the crowd 181 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:58,720 said to teacher rebuke your disciples. 182 00:11:59,960 --> 00:12:02,160 They're asking you to save them and deliver them. 183 00:12:02,160 --> 00:12:07,000 They're declaring and providing you accolades and messianic 184 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:11,360 prophecies. And look what Jesus said, he 185 00:12:11,360 --> 00:12:13,560 answered. I tell you, if these were 186 00:12:13,560 --> 00:12:17,320 silent, the very stones would cry out. 187 00:12:20,040 --> 00:12:22,360 Can somebody give me a one sentence explanation of what 188 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:28,320 Jesus meant by that? Anybody. 189 00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:33,320 Anybody want to give a try? Here's how most people 190 00:12:33,320 --> 00:12:37,680 understand this. If people will not give God the 191 00:12:37,680 --> 00:12:42,600 praise, if people will not give Jesus the honor, then the rocks 192 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:45,480 will have the honor and the joy of doing it right. 193 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:50,200 In other words, Jesus saying if people will not acknowledge me, 194 00:12:50,200 --> 00:12:54,840 nature will acknowledge me. I will not go without exaltation 195 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:57,440 and acknowledgement for who I am, right? 196 00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:02,120 These people won't praise, Then these rocks will praise, and I 197 00:13:02,120 --> 00:13:04,160 believe that's part of it. But I believe that there is 198 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:05,680 something else being conveyed here. 199 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:10,240 I believe another layer to understanding what Jesus meant 200 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:14,720 here is missed by most. What does he say? 201 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:19,640 I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would 202 00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:21,600 cry out. Most understand this as 203 00:13:21,680 --> 00:13:25,600 hyperbole. Most understand this to be just 204 00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:28,200 a poetic way of making a statement. 205 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:31,200 But it's very likely that there's another way of 206 00:13:31,200 --> 00:13:33,640 understanding this. A double layered meaning 207 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:36,320 perhaps. Perhaps when Jesus says that 208 00:13:36,320 --> 00:13:40,200 these stones will cry out in the midst of the silence of the 209 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:45,200 people to mean something else than crying out songs or 210 00:13:45,200 --> 00:13:50,760 accolades, That the crying out here is not about joy but about 211 00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:55,360 judgment. Not that if the people won't 212 00:13:55,360 --> 00:13:58,880 praise, then the rocks will fill in the void, but if the people 213 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:01,840 will not praise, then the rocks will cry out and condemn the 214 00:14:01,840 --> 00:14:06,280 people. And this imagery of something 215 00:14:06,280 --> 00:14:10,200 even like this in an eminent object being a witness or 216 00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:14,400 testifying against the faithlessness of the people is 217 00:14:14,400 --> 00:14:16,440 not foreign. Jesus didn't introduce it for 218 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:18,800 the first time. It's throughout the Old 219 00:14:18,800 --> 00:14:20,720 Testament. So let's do this together 220 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:23,200 because we're in Bible study. So open your Bibles and go to 221 00:14:23,200 --> 00:14:26,600 Joshua 24. I want to make this case in 222 00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:31,560 Joshua 24, verse 27. This is at the end of the book 223 00:14:31,560 --> 00:14:34,560 of Joshua and the nation of Israel, where is ready to enter 224 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:38,200 into a new season where the leadership of Joshua was coming 225 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:41,200 to an end. And so Joshua provides this 226 00:14:41,200 --> 00:14:46,840 final exhortation for the people to remain faithful beyond his 227 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:49,680 lifetime. And this is what he says near 228 00:14:49,680 --> 00:14:54,200 the end of his sermon. And Joshua 24 verse 27 We read, 229 00:14:54,560 --> 00:14:59,680 and Joshua said to all the people, behold, this stone shall 230 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:04,440 be a witness against us, For it has heard all the words of the 231 00:15:04,440 --> 00:15:07,880 Lord that he spoke to us. Therefore it shall be a witness 232 00:15:07,880 --> 00:15:11,240 against you, lest you deal falsely with your God. 233 00:15:11,360 --> 00:15:14,800 So he wrecks the stone, and metaphorically speaking, says, 234 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:16,880 this stone heard what I said to you. 235 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:19,920 It heard you saying, Yes, we agree we will remain faithful to 236 00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:24,880 God, and so it stands as a memorial and as a testimony, and 237 00:15:24,880 --> 00:15:28,200 as a witness against you. Then whenever we look upon it, 238 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:30,320 we remember we made a commitment to God. 239 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:33,200 And if we fail to honor that commitment, the stone is here to 240 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:35,680 remind us you're walking away from what you said. 241 00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:40,400 Here's another interesting passage in Habakkuk. 242 00:15:40,960 --> 00:15:42,960 Go to the prophet Habakkuk in Chapter 2. 243 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:54,280 And here's another clear connection that perhaps even 244 00:15:54,280 --> 00:15:57,800 Jesus had in mind when he made that statement in Luke 19. 245 00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:06,840 So he's describing a series of sins, and the Prophet says this 246 00:16:06,840 --> 00:16:08,720 in verse 11 of Habakkuk chapter 2. 247 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:15,040 For the stone will cry out from the wall and the beam from the 248 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:16,800 woodwork respond. Why? 249 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:19,200 Why will the stone of the home cry out? 250 00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:24,360 Woe to him who builds a town with blood and founds a city on 251 00:16:24,360 --> 00:16:27,200 iniquity. So you get to have this imagery 252 00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:31,720 where when people are walking in darkness and in sin, you have 253 00:16:31,720 --> 00:16:35,000 these objects, these furnishings, these materials, 254 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:39,480 who will in a sense call it out. They are in a sense witnesses of 255 00:16:39,480 --> 00:16:41,000 it. They will speak out against the 256 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:45,240 injustices and in this context, a specific injustice, violence, 257 00:16:45,920 --> 00:16:50,520 violence being committed. So I'm making a case, you're 258 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:54,480 very briefly that it's possible for this imagery, for this 259 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:59,960 proverbial thing of stones crying out in the context of 260 00:16:59,960 --> 00:17:02,120 judgement. And here's Jesus saying, if 261 00:17:02,120 --> 00:17:07,280 these people will not praise, then these stones will cry out. 262 00:17:08,079 --> 00:17:10,760 And at this point in Luke chapter 19, the stones were 263 00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:11,839 silent. Do you know why they were 264 00:17:11,839 --> 00:17:13,599 silent? Because the people were praising 265 00:17:14,440 --> 00:17:20,520 the people where crowning Jesus with their honor, at least to a 266 00:17:20,520 --> 00:17:22,920 certain degree. But here's my question to you. 267 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:25,520 You know this very well. Did their praise persist? 268 00:17:25,520 --> 00:17:28,840 No, no, no. In the very same week, a very 269 00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:33,280 few days later, their praises of Hosanna were replaced with 270 00:17:33,280 --> 00:17:40,120 hisses of crucify him. And when the Lord of Glory was 271 00:17:40,120 --> 00:17:45,480 hanging, suspended in the air, drinking the cup of God's wrath 272 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:49,080 and coming to the final moments where it would be finished and 273 00:17:49,080 --> 00:17:54,480 it still is finished today, did we forget Matthew's depiction 274 00:17:54,480 --> 00:18:00,400 and description of what was occurring around that holy site? 275 00:18:01,040 --> 00:18:05,040 Let me remind you in Matthew 27, you need to turn there to see it 276 00:18:05,040 --> 00:18:18,960 with your own eyes. Matthew 27 and verse 50, Matthew 277 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:22,920 27, verse 50. And Jesus cried out again with a 278 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:25,160 loud voice, and yielded up his spirit. 279 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:29,920 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top 280 00:18:29,920 --> 00:18:35,360 to bottom, and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 281 00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:42,480 This is the case I'm making the rocks. 282 00:18:42,480 --> 00:18:44,120 The stones eventually did cry out. 283 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:50,560 They were silent when Jesus entered, but when the people 284 00:18:51,600 --> 00:18:55,960 were violent, who committed the worst act of violence known to 285 00:18:55,960 --> 00:18:59,680 human history? The Rocks testified. 286 00:19:01,080 --> 00:19:04,480 The rocks split. Do you think Rocks split 287 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:08,680 silently? And I'd like to see this as a 288 00:19:08,680 --> 00:19:10,480 connection to what Jesus said earlier. 289 00:19:11,120 --> 00:19:14,360 If these people will not acknowledge me for who I am, 290 00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:18,040 then the rocks will testify about who I am, but will also 291 00:19:18,040 --> 00:19:23,200 testify against the people for condemning the wrong one and 292 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:26,400 from removing the crown that he deserves and placing a crown of 293 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:29,280 thorns instead. Here are the rocks crying out 294 00:19:30,360 --> 00:19:34,080 and now we come back to our main text of First Kings 13 and we 295 00:19:34,080 --> 00:19:38,800 see this altar. This altar would also cry out. 296 00:19:41,160 --> 00:19:43,800 And we see here the deafness of Jeroboam. 297 00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:45,840 And guess what? It's a warning to us. 298 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:51,760 Jeroboam's stubbornness is a call to you and I to be careful 299 00:19:51,760 --> 00:19:55,000 that we do not become indifferent and irresponsive to 300 00:19:55,240 --> 00:19:58,880 the word of the Lord. And let me show you a text that 301 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:03,760 tells tells exactly that. And Psalm 32, verse eight, you 302 00:20:03,760 --> 00:20:05,600 don't have to turn that. Listen to this very carefully. 303 00:20:05,600 --> 00:20:07,960 It's a very known Psalm, and this is very known passage of 304 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:11,120 Scripture. And Psalm 32, eight, the Psalm, 305 00:20:11,120 --> 00:20:13,960 it says, I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should 306 00:20:13,960 --> 00:20:16,440 go. I will counsel you with my eye 307 00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:19,440 upon you. And then he goes on to say, be 308 00:20:19,440 --> 00:20:22,360 not like a horse or a mule without understanding which 309 00:20:22,360 --> 00:20:25,760 might be curbed with bit or bridle, or it will not stay near 310 00:20:25,760 --> 00:20:27,960 you. So we have to connect those two 311 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:30,000 verses. Here's the psalmist. 312 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:33,960 Now speaking as a teacher, some would say speaking on behalf of 313 00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:36,000 God. God saying I will teach you and 314 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:38,040 I will guide you. Whichever way you go with, it 315 00:20:38,040 --> 00:20:41,600 still applies, still applies. With this principle, I will 316 00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:43,040 teach you. I will instruct you. 317 00:20:43,040 --> 00:20:45,960 And the primary way that God instructs you and I is through 318 00:20:45,960 --> 00:20:48,840 what He has revealed. His word, His law, His 319 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:53,760 commandments, His promises, His warnings, and He's beckoning. 320 00:20:53,800 --> 00:20:56,280 This is the means. This is the way in which I will 321 00:20:56,280 --> 00:20:58,720 protect you and lead you and prosper you. 322 00:20:59,720 --> 00:21:01,480 And then He follows it up with a warning. 323 00:21:02,880 --> 00:21:05,840 As always, say, if you will not take heed to my instructions, if 324 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:08,480 your heart is not tender and soft to the word of the Lord 325 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:11,240 being declared over you, or as you discover it for yourself. 326 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:16,720 Don't be like this by refusing to uphold the word of God with 327 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:22,080 such authority in your life. Be not like a horse or a mule. 328 00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:27,040 Horses and mules can be stubborn animals. 329 00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:30,080 They can be obstinate. They can be difficult. 330 00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:34,280 Like most animals, they have the tendency to move ahead when you 331 00:21:34,280 --> 00:21:36,880 don't want it to go anywhere and when you actually wanted to 332 00:21:36,880 --> 00:21:39,280 advance. They sometimes are rock hard and 333 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:43,800 stay in place and to the displeasure of the owner and to 334 00:21:43,800 --> 00:21:45,840 the unpleasant experience of the beast. 335 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:50,800 Oftentimes what's needed is an instrument that may cause pain 336 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:54,560 and discomfort in order to get that beast to its desired 337 00:21:54,640 --> 00:21:58,200 location or destination. And the Psalmist takes that 338 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:02,160 analogy and he applies it to us and he says, listen, if you're 339 00:22:02,160 --> 00:22:05,400 not willing to take heed to the word of God, you know, like 340 00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:08,320 getting distracted when the word of God is being declared and and 341 00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:10,080 and thinking that it has no relevance to you. 342 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:12,720 And and not having that trembling before the Lord and 343 00:22:12,720 --> 00:22:14,520 not having that desire to hear from Him. 344 00:22:14,800 --> 00:22:18,960 If you are, if you're there, you're opening yourself up to 345 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:22,720 God, implementing and employing a different means to guide you. 346 00:22:23,400 --> 00:22:27,760 And just like a bit or a bridle, it's not fun when he does it. 347 00:22:29,800 --> 00:22:34,200 The parallel to the bit and the bridle is afflictions, painful 348 00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:39,280 trials, loving wounds. To get you to where you need to 349 00:22:39,280 --> 00:22:41,840 be, to keep you in the place that you need to be, or to bring 350 00:22:41,840 --> 00:22:44,080 you back on the track that you abandoned. 351 00:22:44,520 --> 00:22:48,360 So here's the warning. When you begin to feel that 352 00:22:48,360 --> 00:22:53,080 hardness of heart, when you get bored with the Bible, right, 353 00:22:54,680 --> 00:22:58,840 when you feel, when you are able to not grasp what's what's being 354 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:00,800 said, what's being read, what's being shared, what's being 355 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:04,320 counseled, you're opening yourself up to a different 356 00:23:04,320 --> 00:23:06,720 delivery in your life. If you're truly a child of God, 357 00:23:06,840 --> 00:23:08,800 If you're not a child of God, one of the worst things that can 358 00:23:08,800 --> 00:23:12,880 happen is God leave you alone. But if you do belong to God and 359 00:23:12,880 --> 00:23:14,720 he's trying to get your attention and guess what? 360 00:23:14,760 --> 00:23:18,680 Here's Bible study and God is speaking loud and clear because 361 00:23:18,680 --> 00:23:21,800 His word is opened. And here are circumstances, and 362 00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:24,200 here are phone calls of people. And here are things happening in 363 00:23:24,200 --> 00:23:26,160 your relationship where the Word of God keeps coming up. 364 00:23:26,320 --> 00:23:28,560 Principles from the Word of God. You keep dismissing you keep 365 00:23:28,560 --> 00:23:30,880 dismissing it. God in his love is ready to put 366 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:34,640 a bit and a bridle on you, and he's ready to harness you to try 367 00:23:34,640 --> 00:23:37,560 to get you where you need to be. It doesn't have to happen that 368 00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:38,840 way. It doesn't. 369 00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:44,400 The only trials and and afflictions and seasons of 370 00:23:44,600 --> 00:23:50,800 testing you want is while you're walking in obedience, not when 371 00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:53,880 you are not sure yourself. Or you are sure that you are 372 00:23:54,600 --> 00:23:57,920 lukewarm and you are careless and you are coasting along 373 00:23:58,080 --> 00:24:01,600 without that tenderness and longing for God's word to 374 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:05,880 dominate and drive your life. And so we see Jeroboam here. 375 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:10,800 He's become so hard into the word of God that now this altar 376 00:24:10,800 --> 00:24:12,440 is being addressed in his presence. 377 00:24:12,440 --> 00:24:15,480 And then a prophecy goes out. Here's the prophecy. 378 00:24:15,480 --> 00:24:17,600 You read it with me, O altar, Altar. 379 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:20,120 Thus says the Lord. Behold, a son shall be born to 380 00:24:20,120 --> 00:24:23,920 the House of David Josiah by name, and he shall sacrifice on 381 00:24:23,920 --> 00:24:26,720 you the priests of the high places who make offerings on 382 00:24:26,720 --> 00:24:29,800 you, and human bones shall be burned on you. 383 00:24:30,320 --> 00:24:34,400 This is a profound prophecy for two reasons, #1 because it is a 384 00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:40,600 powerful rebuke to Jeroboam, #2 because it is so precisely 385 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:44,480 accurate in its prediction. So here's the rebuke. 386 00:24:45,200 --> 00:24:49,760 Jeroboam was promised by another prophet that if you are faithful 387 00:24:49,760 --> 00:24:53,640 to me, I will give you a promise like what I gave to David. 388 00:24:54,120 --> 00:24:56,720 You will have descendants occupying the throne for 389 00:24:56,720 --> 00:25:00,560 generations to come as long as you remain faithful. 390 00:25:00,760 --> 00:25:04,680 And now, after a season of disobedience and ignoring God 391 00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:08,040 and pursuing idolatry and leading others into that same 392 00:25:08,040 --> 00:25:11,760 way of life, a prophet comes and he says your altar. 393 00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:14,160 This thing that you set up and invented, it's going to be 394 00:25:14,160 --> 00:25:17,120 desecrated. And do you know who's going to 395 00:25:17,120 --> 00:25:19,480 desecrate it? One of David's sons. 396 00:25:19,480 --> 00:25:25,240 You know what you're saying? I'm preserving David's dynasty. 397 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:26,880 I'm ready to put an end to yours. 398 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:35,880 And so powerful is this rebuke that God, in his wisdom and in 399 00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:41,200 His Holiness, even names the person who's going to do it. 400 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:47,320 It's not common for God to name people in prophecy when it's 401 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:50,440 about to when it's going to happen far down the road from 402 00:25:50,440 --> 00:25:54,640 when it was declared. And that brings us to the second 403 00:25:54,680 --> 00:25:58,560 point, the power behind. This is how precise this 404 00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:02,640 prophecy is. Josiah comes on the scene as a 405 00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:06,160 king 3 centuries after this was prophesied. 406 00:26:07,120 --> 00:26:11,040 Can you imagine that just a little bit over 300 years this 407 00:26:11,040 --> 00:26:16,320 was declared Josiah, a son of David as a king will fulfill 408 00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:20,120 this very word that was declared by this unnamed servant of God. 409 00:26:20,520 --> 00:26:23,920 So let's rejoice at the supernatural reality of the word 410 00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:26,760 of God and turn to 2nd Kings 23 and see the fulfillment of it. 411 00:26:27,560 --> 00:26:30,720 You know skeptics and and theological liberals are so 412 00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:33,800 appalled by this that they believe that an author inserted 413 00:26:33,800 --> 00:26:37,320 this after the fact and not 300 years before. 414 00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:44,960 No matter how much evidence you give to some unbelievers, they 415 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:48,200 will try to explain it away because they love darkness that 416 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:52,320 much. Second Kings 2316. 417 00:26:52,760 --> 00:26:57,040 And as Josiah turned, he saw the tombs there on the mount. 418 00:26:57,560 --> 00:27:01,080 And he sent and took the bones out of the tombs and burned them 419 00:27:01,080 --> 00:27:04,880 on the altar and defiled it according to the word of the 420 00:27:04,880 --> 00:27:06,800 Lord that the man of God proclaimed. 421 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:11,480 Who had predicted these things? Can you imagine that 300 years 422 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:14,920 after God said he would do what He would do? 423 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:19,160 And it happened. Some of us forgot what we ate 424 00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:22,520 three days ago. Some of us forgot what we ate 425 00:27:22,520 --> 00:27:25,240 this morning. God doesn't forget His word. 426 00:27:25,960 --> 00:27:29,400 He said it, and he'll remember it as though he just said it 300 427 00:27:29,400 --> 00:27:33,560 years after it was declared. So this is the fulfillment of 428 00:27:33,560 --> 00:27:35,000 it. This is what's so powerful about 429 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:37,280 this message. But we have to continue, right? 430 00:27:37,280 --> 00:27:40,840 Look at verse three of First Kings 13 And he gave a sign the 431 00:27:40,840 --> 00:27:43,960 same day, saying, This is the sign that the Lord has spoken. 432 00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:48,520 Behold, the altar shall be torn down, and the ashes that are on 433 00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:52,400 it shall be poured out. And when the king heard the 434 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:55,240 saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar at 435 00:27:55,240 --> 00:27:59,120 Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, 436 00:27:59,280 --> 00:28:03,720 seize him, and his hand, which he stretched out against him, 437 00:28:03,720 --> 00:28:08,480 dried up, so that he could not draw it back to himself. 438 00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:15,240 Like many of the miracles in the Bible, God often authenticates 439 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:17,160 his message through the supernatural. 440 00:28:17,320 --> 00:28:19,560 Some demonstration, some manifestation of the 441 00:28:19,600 --> 00:28:23,040 unexplainable, so that the hearers of the Word can say This 442 00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:27,920 has been surely authored by God. This message stems from the 443 00:28:27,920 --> 00:28:31,760 heavens, and this demonstration is just that. 444 00:28:31,760 --> 00:28:35,320 It's a confirmation that what the man of God just said was 445 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:38,400 going to happen. But not only was it a 446 00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:42,360 confirmation to the prophet's word, it was another blow of 447 00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:48,120 mercy to that callous heart of this king, something that would 448 00:28:48,120 --> 00:28:51,440 collide with the ice in his chest. 449 00:28:53,600 --> 00:28:54,960 And what was the response? Right. 450 00:28:55,760 --> 00:28:57,960 Some people believe that if we just have more miracles, people 451 00:28:57,960 --> 00:28:59,760 will be more susceptible to believing. 452 00:28:59,880 --> 00:29:02,560 Not. So here's a miracle, here's a 453 00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:04,320 miracle ready to happen. Here's a sign. 454 00:29:04,520 --> 00:29:06,720 And this man, all he had to do was step back and say, OK, this 455 00:29:06,720 --> 00:29:09,040 is from the Lord, let's see this altar break in two. 456 00:29:09,160 --> 00:29:12,520 I want to see the ashes pour out instead. 457 00:29:12,520 --> 00:29:14,320 He doesn't even wait for the sign to be performed. 458 00:29:14,320 --> 00:29:17,480 He's so filled with rage at the word that was declared that he 459 00:29:17,480 --> 00:29:20,320 raises up his hand points at the man, and surely there was others 460 00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:24,640 around him. And he said, seize him, seize 461 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:28,640 him. So the word and the miraculous 462 00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:30,680 that's about to take place didn't soften him. 463 00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:34,040 It hardened him. It didn't bring him to his 464 00:29:34,040 --> 00:29:36,280 knees. It caused him to raise his hand. 465 00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:40,000 And when I looked at this and I meditated on this, I thought to 466 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:43,040 myself, what does this teach you and I? 467 00:29:43,680 --> 00:29:45,480 Because obviously he was disturbed by the fact that he 468 00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:48,640 heard that David's dynasty is going to overrule his dynasty. 469 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:50,360 And here's what you and I have to remember. 470 00:29:50,800 --> 00:29:55,040 Faithfulness to God's Word does not promise favorable responses 471 00:29:55,040 --> 00:29:58,240 from men. Faithfulness to God's Word does 472 00:29:58,240 --> 00:30:01,520 not promise favorable responses from men. 473 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:04,480 This man was faithful. This man travelled to the north. 474 00:30:04,680 --> 00:30:08,000 This man listen in the presence of the king who had the 475 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:11,760 authority, as he's about to show, to try to kill someone. 476 00:30:11,760 --> 00:30:15,200 If you disagree with him who had all the armies, all these 477 00:30:15,200 --> 00:30:20,520 soldiers, all the weapons against one man, this is 478 00:30:20,520 --> 00:30:23,680 faithfulness. And look at the response. 479 00:30:24,040 --> 00:30:26,760 Even when this faithfulness was was going to be backed up with a 480 00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:31,120 miracle, this was the response. So that you know this right? 481 00:30:31,120 --> 00:30:33,800 The scriptures tell us that over and over again. 482 00:30:33,800 --> 00:30:36,920 Here's another reminder. Do not discount your 483 00:30:36,920 --> 00:30:39,560 faithfulness because of the lack of faithful response. 484 00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:42,480 You know what I'm reminded when I read this? 485 00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:43,800 A verse. I open my Bob. 486 00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:46,440 I'm like, I I know this. This is something an Amos here, 487 00:30:46,600 --> 00:30:48,720 and it's an Amos 5-10. You don't have to turn there, 488 00:30:48,720 --> 00:30:51,720 but just listen to what Amos declares in 5-10. 489 00:30:52,400 --> 00:30:57,960 They hate him who reproves in the gate and they abhor him who 490 00:30:57,960 --> 00:31:01,480 speaks the truth. You know what it doesn't say? 491 00:31:01,760 --> 00:31:07,480 They hate reproving in the gate and they abhor the truth. 492 00:31:07,480 --> 00:31:09,600 It doesn't say that. It says they hate him. 493 00:31:11,400 --> 00:31:14,440 It says they abhor him. You know what a whore means? 494 00:31:14,480 --> 00:31:18,440 Disgust. Not just with the message, but 495 00:31:18,440 --> 00:31:23,120 with a messenger. There are people who hate the 496 00:31:23,120 --> 00:31:27,160 truth so much that if you live the truth and tell the truth, 497 00:31:27,480 --> 00:31:30,880 they will hate you. You. 498 00:31:32,440 --> 00:31:33,640 Yeah. Your heart is filled with love 499 00:31:33,640 --> 00:31:35,040 because you know the truth sets free. 500 00:31:35,040 --> 00:31:37,600 You want to see other people know the freedom and the gospel, 501 00:31:37,960 --> 00:31:41,680 but when people hate the truth, expect to be hated with it as 502 00:31:41,680 --> 00:31:43,280 well. And listen, this man was 503 00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:45,240 faithful. Notice what he says here in 504 00:31:45,240 --> 00:31:47,600 verse four. And he gave a sign that same 505 00:31:47,600 --> 00:31:48,800 day. And they described a sign. 506 00:31:49,000 --> 00:31:51,080 And when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which 507 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:54,120 he What's the word here? Which he cried. 508 00:31:55,240 --> 00:31:58,000 When you read earlier when this man of God did come, it says he 509 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:01,080 cried against the altar. You know what may be the 510 00:32:01,080 --> 00:32:03,920 temptation of a man of God who's stepping into enemy territory 511 00:32:04,600 --> 00:32:07,160 with a king who has in the snap of a finger the power to 512 00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:12,880 eradicate your life, probably to lower your voice as much as 513 00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:14,800 possible. You're still going to say it, to 514 00:32:14,800 --> 00:32:18,480 be faithful, but you want the least amount of people to hear 515 00:32:18,480 --> 00:32:23,040 what you have to say. Oh alter, alter, this is coming 516 00:32:23,040 --> 00:32:25,680 upon you and just I did my part, Lord, and back off. 517 00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:29,040 Is that what he did? No, he was not concerned who 518 00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:31,440 heard or who didn't hurt. He actually wanted as many 519 00:32:31,440 --> 00:32:33,760 people to hear as possible. He cried. 520 00:32:34,680 --> 00:32:36,240 He cried. I'm not going to do it now. 521 00:32:37,120 --> 00:32:39,640 I think I'm loud enough, so I let your imagination go. 522 00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:41,520 There. He cried. 523 00:32:41,800 --> 00:32:44,560 Here's this worship service that's taking place. 524 00:32:44,720 --> 00:32:48,160 And this man, this true prophet of God, comes and he heralds 525 00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:51,720 this truth. Unashamed, unafraid, filled with 526 00:32:51,720 --> 00:32:57,680 courage. And though the faithful response 527 00:32:57,680 --> 00:33:01,560 would not be guaranteed, here is your guarantee for faithfulness 528 00:33:01,560 --> 00:33:03,560 of the word of God. You win God's favor. 529 00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:08,120 You may not win a favorable response, but every single time 530 00:33:08,280 --> 00:33:14,480 you secure God's favor upon you. And how God manifests his favor 531 00:33:14,680 --> 00:33:17,240 depends from situation to situation, person to person. 532 00:33:17,640 --> 00:33:22,040 Really, God will get the most glory out of it regardless. 533 00:33:22,240 --> 00:33:26,360 And in this case, God brings divine intervention, divine 534 00:33:26,360 --> 00:33:29,560 defense. We see here that the invisible 535 00:33:29,560 --> 00:33:33,440 hand of God stays the hand of this king. 536 00:33:34,120 --> 00:33:37,080 And now this. This King's hand is frozen in 537 00:33:37,080 --> 00:33:39,400 the air. It can't move in any there. 538 00:33:39,400 --> 00:33:42,840 It's almost pathetic, right? Like what's more simple than me 539 00:33:42,840 --> 00:33:44,800 doing this with my ligaments and muscles? 540 00:33:45,360 --> 00:33:49,240 And now here's this king with all the supposed power, with 541 00:33:49,240 --> 00:33:54,320 this great mind, hard work, and he can't even move his finger. 542 00:33:55,800 --> 00:34:00,440 And it's for all to see. And when you look at this, you 543 00:34:00,440 --> 00:34:05,360 think this is remarkable. You see that the word reaches 544 00:34:05,360 --> 00:34:10,880 his ears, doesn't humble him. But when God touches his body, 545 00:34:10,880 --> 00:34:14,239 it awakens desperation. Look at verse 5. 546 00:34:15,199 --> 00:34:18,920 The altar also was torn down, and the ashes poured out from 547 00:34:18,920 --> 00:34:23,120 the altar according to the sign that the man of God had given by 548 00:34:23,120 --> 00:34:24,480 the word of the Lord. Can you imagine that? 549 00:34:24,600 --> 00:34:27,760 Just imagine it. Here's this King sees him and 550 00:34:27,760 --> 00:34:30,639 his hand is frozen and right. In that moment the altar breaks 551 00:34:30,639 --> 00:34:33,199 open and the King's feet is buried with ashes. 552 00:34:35,880 --> 00:34:39,159 And you would think, right? You would think, OK, this altar 553 00:34:39,159 --> 00:34:42,760 split in two, maybe Jeroboam's heart will split in two. 554 00:34:44,719 --> 00:34:48,800 Let's read verse 6. And the king said to the man of 555 00:34:48,800 --> 00:34:53,560 God, entreat now the favor of the Lord your God, and pray for 556 00:34:53,560 --> 00:34:56,920 me, that my hand may be restored to me. 557 00:34:58,560 --> 00:35:01,480 And the man of God entreated the Lord, and the King's hand was 558 00:35:01,480 --> 00:35:04,640 restored to him, and became as it was before. 559 00:35:07,400 --> 00:35:11,280 So obviously embarrassed, probably frightened. 560 00:35:12,320 --> 00:35:14,040 This is supernatural. I can't. 561 00:35:14,200 --> 00:35:16,920 I can't bring my hand back. I can't move it forward. 562 00:35:16,920 --> 00:35:19,760 I can't point to my men. I can't do anything. 563 00:35:19,960 --> 00:35:23,240 And so in this place where now he becomes like a little child, 564 00:35:24,920 --> 00:35:28,080 this is, this is just to remind you and I that the very power 565 00:35:28,080 --> 00:35:30,720 you have to sit, where you're sitting to get up at the end of 566 00:35:30,720 --> 00:35:33,480 the service, to get in your car, to get a snack before you go to 567 00:35:33,480 --> 00:35:35,880 bed, to wake up the next day and open your eyelids, All of that 568 00:35:35,880 --> 00:35:41,320 is ordained by God. Even this, you can't do it 569 00:35:41,320 --> 00:35:45,240 without God. You can't move your nostrils if 570 00:35:45,240 --> 00:35:49,080 God doesn't permit it. So here's this man who can't 571 00:35:49,080 --> 00:35:53,440 move his hand, and he is so paralyzed with a mixture of 572 00:35:53,440 --> 00:35:56,120 emotions and the only thing that comes out of his mouth is 573 00:35:56,640 --> 00:35:59,240 listen, please ask your God to do something about this. 574 00:36:00,160 --> 00:36:02,440 Please entreat him. Do something for me here. 575 00:36:03,760 --> 00:36:05,400 You know why I find this so fascinating? 576 00:36:07,240 --> 00:36:10,400 It contradicts what this man said in the previous chapter. 577 00:36:11,200 --> 00:36:16,120 Like if I was, if I was a guy that bought into the idolatry of 578 00:36:16,120 --> 00:36:18,400 Jeroboam, I'd be like, there's something off with this guy. 579 00:36:19,640 --> 00:36:21,080 There's something off with all of this. 580 00:36:21,480 --> 00:36:25,440 Like that should have been the moment where the tribes realize 581 00:36:25,440 --> 00:36:28,040 who the true and living God is. Don't tell me that this doesn't 582 00:36:28,040 --> 00:36:29,520 make headlines after it happened. 583 00:36:30,560 --> 00:36:32,880 Frozen Hand. Here's a king who introduces 584 00:36:33,240 --> 00:36:36,360 golden calf worship again to the people of Israel. 585 00:36:36,880 --> 00:36:40,160 Let's look back at what he said when he brought this idolatry 586 00:36:40,160 --> 00:36:43,320 into the land, something that's never been known since the days 587 00:36:43,320 --> 00:36:44,520 of Exodus. First Kings 12. 588 00:36:44,520 --> 00:36:46,400 Look at verse 28. At First Kings 12. 589 00:36:49,160 --> 00:36:55,360 So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold, and he 590 00:36:55,360 --> 00:36:57,880 said to the people, you have gone up to Jerusalem long 591 00:36:57,880 --> 00:37:03,320 enough, Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out 592 00:37:03,320 --> 00:37:07,080 of the land of Egypt. Now if you said, behold your 593 00:37:07,080 --> 00:37:10,240 gods, OK, but you didn't just say, behold your gods. 594 00:37:10,560 --> 00:37:14,280 You said, behold your gods who delivered you, Behold your gods 595 00:37:14,280 --> 00:37:16,760 who saved you. Behold your gods who redeemed 596 00:37:16,760 --> 00:37:18,720 you. You know what comes to mind when 597 00:37:18,720 --> 00:37:21,760 I know that Jeroboam said this? Hey Jeroboam, why don't you call 598 00:37:21,760 --> 00:37:23,600 out to your golden calves and see if they can help you? 599 00:37:23,600 --> 00:37:28,000 Now you told everybody else that these gods saved them in the 600 00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:30,560 past and that, OK, if he was able to save him from Egypt, 601 00:37:30,560 --> 00:37:32,760 surely he's unable to save you from your hand coming down. 602 00:37:33,480 --> 00:37:35,120 Why don't you call up to your gods now? 603 00:37:35,120 --> 00:37:36,320 He doesn't. What does he do? 604 00:37:36,440 --> 00:37:40,320 He entreats The Lord, He asked The Prophet. 605 00:37:40,440 --> 00:37:42,000 Hey, listen, can you intercede for me? 606 00:37:43,360 --> 00:37:45,960 Now put yourself in the sandals of the Prophet for a moment. 607 00:37:46,440 --> 00:37:50,640 Here's this guy who who essentially would ruin the 608 00:37:50,640 --> 00:37:54,440 spiritual health of this nation, not just in this time, but for 609 00:37:54,440 --> 00:37:56,800 generations. Like this is serious. 610 00:37:56,800 --> 00:37:59,320 This this would split the narrative. 611 00:37:59,320 --> 00:38:04,360 This would split the story of Israel's relationship with God 612 00:38:04,640 --> 00:38:07,480 and their witness to the world until they're exile. 613 00:38:08,720 --> 00:38:13,040 What would you do as a man of God who had the backing of God's 614 00:38:13,040 --> 00:38:15,360 supernatural power behind your ministry at this moment? 615 00:38:16,640 --> 00:38:17,720 Entreat. Entreat. 616 00:38:17,720 --> 00:38:22,680 Please, please do something. Well, that's what you get for 617 00:38:22,680 --> 00:38:27,640 worshipping golden calves. Enjoy that for a few days and I 618 00:38:27,640 --> 00:38:31,280 might be back on another trip. And let's let let just marinate 619 00:38:31,280 --> 00:38:35,000 in this for a moment, Jeroboam, and learn your lesson, and then 620 00:38:35,000 --> 00:38:36,120 I'll come back for you. OK? 621 00:38:36,240 --> 00:38:37,280 All right. See you later, guys. 622 00:38:37,280 --> 00:38:38,560 You see what happened to you? Golden calves. 623 00:38:38,560 --> 00:38:40,840 All right. And he could have went back his 624 00:38:40,840 --> 00:38:43,040 merry way. He could have made a statement. 625 00:38:44,360 --> 00:38:47,200 No, he doesn't do that. Look at the rest of verse 6. 626 00:38:50,200 --> 00:38:54,680 And the man of God entreated. The Lord in the King's hand was 627 00:38:54,680 --> 00:38:56,720 restored to him, and he became as it was before. 628 00:38:59,040 --> 00:39:03,400 What do you have in this declaration and demonstration of 629 00:39:03,400 --> 00:39:06,400 judgment? Mercy. 630 00:39:07,840 --> 00:39:14,360 Mercy is reigning. So you have these clouds, right? 631 00:39:14,360 --> 00:39:17,360 Coming over Jeroboam's life, Jeroboam's future. 632 00:39:17,360 --> 00:39:21,320 And with those clouds come raindrops of grace. 633 00:39:22,080 --> 00:39:24,760 God didn't have to do this. Now you might be sitting there 634 00:39:24,760 --> 00:39:28,600 thinking, Why did God do this? If there was anybody who 635 00:39:28,600 --> 00:39:33,800 deserved to stay like a statue for at least a few hours, it was 636 00:39:33,800 --> 00:39:36,920 Jeroboam. Let him sit in the consequence 637 00:39:36,920 --> 00:39:42,280 of sin for a little bit. Do you know why God does this? 638 00:39:43,680 --> 00:39:47,160 Because yes, He attempts and he, with his perfect power and 639 00:39:47,160 --> 00:39:52,320 wisdom will try to draw you back with His chastisement, with his 640 00:39:52,320 --> 00:39:56,760 discipline, with his rod. But mercy is also his instrument 641 00:39:56,760 --> 00:40:02,080 of drawing you to repentance. Grace is also a means by which 642 00:40:02,080 --> 00:40:04,520 God softens. The heart of the worst of 643 00:40:04,520 --> 00:40:09,120 sinners doesn't always have to be a near death experience. 644 00:40:09,120 --> 00:40:12,560 It doesn't have to be you. In a tragic accident or overdose 645 00:40:12,600 --> 00:40:16,520 or something horrific for you to wake up, sometimes what wakes 646 00:40:16,520 --> 00:40:22,880 you up is undeserved. Grace is a gift from God is that 647 00:40:22,880 --> 00:40:25,760 despite all this, God still comes through, and still 648 00:40:25,760 --> 00:40:28,760 provides and still saves and still rescues. 649 00:40:28,920 --> 00:40:31,360 That's what we're seeing. You're seeing the multifaceted 650 00:40:31,360 --> 00:40:35,400 ways of God. He can Thunder his judgment and 651 00:40:35,400 --> 00:40:38,480 wake you up, drawing you and snatching you out of the fire 652 00:40:38,480 --> 00:40:41,080 with fear. But he can also melt your heart 653 00:40:41,200 --> 00:40:44,560 with his embrace and his warm mercies. 654 00:40:46,240 --> 00:40:51,120 So here's this man who has his hand lifted up, and the moment 655 00:40:51,120 --> 00:40:55,920 he asked for God to do something about it, it falls down because 656 00:40:55,920 --> 00:40:59,000 God heard his plea. What do you do with that? 657 00:40:59,120 --> 00:41:00,560 Here's what you do that you worship him. 658 00:41:02,160 --> 00:41:07,200 You stand in awe of him. You sent this prophet to rebuke 659 00:41:07,200 --> 00:41:10,080 this man, and with this man just cried out for help. 660 00:41:10,080 --> 00:41:12,160 You were willing to bring aid to him. 661 00:41:13,280 --> 00:41:17,400 This is the IT bothers me. It bothers me so much when 662 00:41:17,400 --> 00:41:21,080 unlearned people who who read a few blogs on the Internet say 663 00:41:21,080 --> 00:41:23,360 that the God of the Old Testament is not a God of mercy, 664 00:41:24,480 --> 00:41:26,520 or that the God of the New Testament, the person of Jesus 665 00:41:26,520 --> 00:41:30,040 Christ, is God in a better mood and God in the Old Testament for 666 00:41:30,040 --> 00:41:32,800 years is in a bad mood. You do not know your Bible. 667 00:41:33,040 --> 00:41:40,920 With all the respect, here's a God of mercy with a man who has 668 00:41:40,920 --> 00:41:45,200 caused so much havoc and destruction and still willing in 669 00:41:45,200 --> 00:41:48,080 the moment he cries out for assistance. 670 00:41:48,080 --> 00:41:56,200 God gives it, God gives it. But don't be fooled to think 671 00:41:56,920 --> 00:41:59,840 that Jeroboam's plea here is an indication of true repentance. 672 00:42:01,400 --> 00:42:03,400 This is not a cry from a penitent heart. 673 00:42:03,400 --> 00:42:05,800 This is a cry of a man who wants to escape punishment. 674 00:42:06,760 --> 00:42:11,240 Yeah, And here's what we're supposed to learn from this. 675 00:42:11,240 --> 00:42:12,640 Pay very close attention to this. 676 00:42:12,640 --> 00:42:16,320 This is a picture of a Sinner who wants the blessings of God 677 00:42:16,320 --> 00:42:21,280 but not God. This is, let me put it this way, 678 00:42:21,400 --> 00:42:24,240 There are millions of people, millions of people today who 679 00:42:24,240 --> 00:42:28,240 want salvation. Millions that get your 680 00:42:28,240 --> 00:42:31,800 attention, hold your breath. Salvation. 681 00:42:31,800 --> 00:42:34,200 They want salvation. Salvation from poverty, 682 00:42:35,640 --> 00:42:40,280 salvation from sickness, Salvation from loneliness. 683 00:42:40,520 --> 00:42:44,400 But not salvation from my sins. Not salvation from my 684 00:42:44,400 --> 00:42:47,800 disobedience. Not salvation from my heart and 685 00:42:47,800 --> 00:42:52,240 heart that hates God's law, that wants to be my own God. 686 00:42:52,320 --> 00:42:55,560 Not that kind of salvation. There are 1,000,000 upon 687 00:42:55,560 --> 00:43:00,680 millions, maybe billions, of people who want salvation, but 688 00:43:00,680 --> 00:43:06,880 from discomfort and from a hard life and from trauma and from an 689 00:43:06,880 --> 00:43:11,800 abusive environment who want what God can give but not God 690 00:43:11,800 --> 00:43:14,120 himself. That's what Jeroboam is 691 00:43:14,120 --> 00:43:18,040 showcasing. Here, give me my hand back. 692 00:43:19,000 --> 00:43:20,240 You know what he's asking Here, Look at this. 693 00:43:20,240 --> 00:43:23,320 This is this powerful imagery. He wants his hand to be 694 00:43:23,320 --> 00:43:28,160 restored, but not his heart. He wants his hand to be revived, 695 00:43:28,240 --> 00:43:31,800 but not his heart. Oh Jeroboam. 696 00:43:31,800 --> 00:43:33,400 No. Jeroboam has a picture of so 697 00:43:33,400 --> 00:43:38,480 many who even come to the Saints of God from time to time, who 698 00:43:38,480 --> 00:43:41,560 trickle in through the doors, never seen them before and all 699 00:43:41,560 --> 00:43:44,040 are welcome. And they just, you know, they'll 700 00:43:44,040 --> 00:43:45,920 come up to the preacher and say I'm in trouble, I need some 701 00:43:45,920 --> 00:43:48,640 help. My children are like this. 702 00:43:48,640 --> 00:43:51,160 My spouse is like this. My business is like this. 703 00:43:51,760 --> 00:43:53,880 They want God to answer a prayer, but they don't want to 704 00:43:53,880 --> 00:43:59,480 surrender to God. That's what Jeroboam is 705 00:43:59,480 --> 00:44:05,600 illustrating. And so God in his mercy still 706 00:44:05,600 --> 00:44:08,120 does it though. Isn't that amazing? 707 00:44:09,800 --> 00:44:11,600 Isn't that amazing? Saying why? 708 00:44:11,600 --> 00:44:12,800 Why? I wouldn't do it. 709 00:44:12,800 --> 00:44:14,720 God, they're not willing to. They're not. 710 00:44:14,800 --> 00:44:17,960 The heart is not in the right place, but perhaps in God, doing 711 00:44:17,960 --> 00:44:19,960 something, though they don't deserve it, will win their 712 00:44:19,960 --> 00:44:23,520 hearts. I thank God I'm not God. 713 00:44:25,280 --> 00:44:30,560 I'm sure you feel the same way. I hope you know what the Bible 714 00:44:30,560 --> 00:44:33,320 does say about God's mercy more than anything else. 715 00:44:34,360 --> 00:44:35,800 He's more merciful than you and I. 716 00:44:36,800 --> 00:44:40,640 That's what God's mercy, from cover to cover, teaches us. 717 00:44:41,440 --> 00:44:43,000 Let's read the rest of this. We're almost done. 718 00:44:43,000 --> 00:44:44,120 We're not doing this whole chapter. 719 00:44:44,120 --> 00:44:52,400 If you were worried that we were verse 7 And the king said to the 720 00:44:52,400 --> 00:44:55,680 man of God, come home with me and refresh yourself and I will 721 00:44:55,680 --> 00:44:59,920 give you a reward. And the man of God said to the 722 00:44:59,920 --> 00:45:04,400 king, if you give me half your house, I like this guy a lot. 723 00:45:05,440 --> 00:45:08,960 If you give me half your house, I will not go in with you, and I 724 00:45:08,960 --> 00:45:11,960 will not eat bread or drink water in this place. 725 00:45:12,280 --> 00:45:16,560 For so was it commanded me by the word of the Lord saying, you 726 00:45:16,560 --> 00:45:20,600 shall neither eat bread nor drink water, nor return by the 727 00:45:20,600 --> 00:45:24,480 way that you came. So he went another way, and did 728 00:45:24,480 --> 00:45:26,600 not return by the way that he came to Bethel. 729 00:45:30,360 --> 00:45:32,800 We're not sure about Jeroboam's motive here. 730 00:45:34,080 --> 00:45:40,040 We know his reputation enough that he's a he's a bad guy. 731 00:45:40,640 --> 00:45:44,520 And we learned that his plea for help here was not truly from a 732 00:45:44,520 --> 00:45:48,680 repentant place. So if you have flags raised up, 733 00:45:48,680 --> 00:45:51,720 you have every right. If you have concern of this 734 00:45:51,720 --> 00:45:54,880 invitation, don't judge yourself and do be hard in yourself. 735 00:45:55,080 --> 00:45:57,720 You have right to be suspicious about Jeroboam's invitation 736 00:45:57,720 --> 00:45:59,920 here. We're not told why he's doing 737 00:45:59,920 --> 00:46:01,440 this. Maybe there's just a spontaneous 738 00:46:01,440 --> 00:46:03,560 gratitude that he's able to restore his hand. 739 00:46:03,560 --> 00:46:06,200 His hand is now back to normal and he just wants to show some 740 00:46:06,360 --> 00:46:10,920 surface level honorable gesture to this prophet and to just have 741 00:46:10,920 --> 00:46:14,600 him over his house. Regardless, this man of God has 742 00:46:14,600 --> 00:46:18,400 received 2 instructions from the Lord before this even happened, 743 00:46:19,240 --> 00:46:21,440 Unnamed unknown God spoke to this man. 744 00:46:21,440 --> 00:46:23,880 He says. Listen, when you go, I want you 745 00:46:23,880 --> 00:46:28,520 to also fast. When you go, I don't want you to 746 00:46:28,560 --> 00:46:30,880 eat there. I don't want you to drink. 747 00:46:31,160 --> 00:46:34,280 I don't want you to eat. And that makes sense. 748 00:46:34,280 --> 00:46:36,600 That is an obvious application to us, is it not? 749 00:46:36,600 --> 00:46:39,360 The picture here is that if the prophet were to come with such a 750 00:46:39,360 --> 00:46:43,560 strong word against this idolatrous people, namely the 751 00:46:43,600 --> 00:46:46,160 idolatrous leadership, and he has found eating and 752 00:46:46,160 --> 00:46:48,800 fellowshipping with him, that muddies the testimony, does it 753 00:46:48,800 --> 00:46:50,880 not? And you know where this goes in 754 00:46:50,880 --> 00:46:54,280 our context, right, of not being unequally yoked with people. 755 00:46:56,200 --> 00:47:00,800 I'm not associating with those who know the truth and still 756 00:47:00,800 --> 00:47:04,040 resist the truth and pursue disobedience and rebellion 757 00:47:04,040 --> 00:47:06,200 against God. We as the people of God have a 758 00:47:06,200 --> 00:47:10,520 mandate to disconnect ourselves from continual fellowship with 759 00:47:10,520 --> 00:47:14,360 such people for many reasons, and one of them is this, that 760 00:47:14,360 --> 00:47:19,200 you would not be tempted. There's the testimonial aspect. 761 00:47:19,200 --> 00:47:21,960 There's all of that too, but in this case it's obvious. 762 00:47:21,960 --> 00:47:24,160 Don't eat, don't trigger them. But here's another important 763 00:47:24,160 --> 00:47:27,480 point in the call of not being yoked with those who do not walk 764 00:47:27,480 --> 00:47:30,920 in the direction of the ways of God, You can be unequally yoked 765 00:47:30,920 --> 00:47:34,680 and still be kind and loving to such people, saying, what do you 766 00:47:34,680 --> 00:47:36,160 mean by that? Well, didn't he, didn't he 767 00:47:36,160 --> 00:47:39,120 intercede for him in verse six? Right. 768 00:47:39,120 --> 00:47:41,080 Didn't he say, entreat the Lord for me? 769 00:47:41,240 --> 00:47:43,720 And we're told here, and the man of God entreated the Lord. 770 00:47:44,600 --> 00:47:47,360 So being separated from the world doesn't mean that you 771 00:47:47,360 --> 00:47:51,040 scorned the world, disowned the world, disdain the world, hate 772 00:47:51,040 --> 00:47:52,200 the world. No. 773 00:47:52,200 --> 00:47:54,680 Here's a man who prays for this individual. 774 00:47:54,680 --> 00:47:57,360 Here's a man who lovingly is willing to stand in the gap for 775 00:47:57,360 --> 00:48:00,960 him, but we're still willing to not associate himself with him 776 00:48:00,960 --> 00:48:03,360 and partner with him and be mistaken with him. 777 00:48:03,600 --> 00:48:05,640 That makes sense. That's called balance in the 778 00:48:05,640 --> 00:48:07,920 Christian life. That's called the wisdom from 779 00:48:07,920 --> 00:48:09,920 God. To know how to navigate with 780 00:48:09,920 --> 00:48:11,560 relationships and family members. 781 00:48:11,760 --> 00:48:14,240 Enough what we show them that we love them and care for them. 782 00:48:14,400 --> 00:48:17,320 And also enough to say I don't agree with what you do because 783 00:48:17,320 --> 00:48:20,880 I'm a Christian. Don't eat or drink. 784 00:48:21,360 --> 00:48:24,520 Clear. What's unclear, not so clear is 785 00:48:24,520 --> 00:48:28,520 the second instruction. I've been told by God not to go 786 00:48:28,520 --> 00:48:31,960 the same way I came in. I have to take a different Rd. 787 00:48:33,360 --> 00:48:36,560 I have to change my directions on the GPS. 788 00:48:37,720 --> 00:48:39,640 Can't go back. We're not told why that was the 789 00:48:39,640 --> 00:48:41,560 case. We're not given a lengthy 790 00:48:41,560 --> 00:48:43,200 explanation, or any explanation, really. 791 00:48:43,880 --> 00:48:48,400 And perhaps that's on purpose, because God doesn't owe us every 792 00:48:48,400 --> 00:48:50,520 single explanation behind every single command. 793 00:48:52,160 --> 00:48:56,000 He gives us enough to know that every command is for his glory 794 00:48:56,000 --> 00:49:00,480 and for your joy, but not every single instruction he gives 795 00:49:00,480 --> 00:49:03,880 needs a reason behind it, at least extensively. 796 00:49:05,240 --> 00:49:09,120 And so perhaps God giving this instruction to this unnamed man 797 00:49:09,120 --> 00:49:13,440 of God was to simply win the aroma of obedience in a land 798 00:49:13,440 --> 00:49:16,360 filled with disregard for his word. 799 00:49:17,960 --> 00:49:21,600 Son, don't go back the way you came in, OK? 800 00:49:21,840 --> 00:49:25,280 Just trust me on that. No explanation given. 801 00:49:25,840 --> 00:49:28,240 OK, you told me to do that. I'm not going to do it. 802 00:49:28,360 --> 00:49:31,720 It's as simple as that. Simple obedience. 803 00:49:32,520 --> 00:49:35,680 And that is especially necessary to remember in times where you 804 00:49:35,680 --> 00:49:38,360 know the word of God and you're in a situation where it 805 00:49:38,360 --> 00:49:41,480 perfectly aligns or calls for that step of obedience, but it 806 00:49:41,480 --> 00:49:44,240 may not seem relevant or may not seem helpful. 807 00:49:44,480 --> 00:49:47,360 In those moments, trust and obey. 808 00:49:47,800 --> 00:49:50,880 Tell me why, for there's no other way. 809 00:49:51,480 --> 00:49:53,640 It's the best way. Trust and obey. 810 00:49:54,600 --> 00:49:58,680 Why can't I'm hey, man of God? Why can't you go back the way 811 00:49:59,440 --> 00:50:03,080 God told me to? That's enough for me. 812 00:50:03,400 --> 00:50:10,040 God told me to, OK, And so this man's willingness to obey God in 813 00:50:10,040 --> 00:50:14,440 this way would be a final rebuke before turning his back on this 814 00:50:14,440 --> 00:50:18,680 king and his men who have so disobeyed God, they are now 815 00:50:18,680 --> 00:50:24,520 staring at a man who obeys God. Something happened to me in my 816 00:50:24,520 --> 00:50:27,480 Bible study, in my personal study of this, these first 10 817 00:50:27,480 --> 00:50:30,920 verses, and Joel was there. Obviously she can testify to 818 00:50:30,920 --> 00:50:33,040 this. I'm coming near the end of the 819 00:50:33,040 --> 00:50:35,480 Bible study and I noticed something. 820 00:50:36,360 --> 00:50:39,120 I noticed something, I thought to myself, ah, that could have 821 00:50:39,120 --> 00:50:41,440 been a whole Bible study on its own. 822 00:50:41,440 --> 00:50:47,320 Do you know how many times the title man of God appears in the 823 00:50:47,320 --> 00:50:49,200 1st 10 verses? That's why. 824 00:50:49,240 --> 00:50:50,840 Because I, you know, you're reading it, you're reading and 825 00:50:50,840 --> 00:50:52,480 you're looking out. OK, what about this altar? 826 00:50:52,480 --> 00:50:54,480 What about it opening up. Oh stones. 827 00:50:54,480 --> 00:50:56,160 Jesus talked about stones. Who testify and witness. 828 00:50:56,360 --> 00:50:57,640 You get caught up in all these things. 829 00:50:57,640 --> 00:50:59,880 And then I just step back and I said, I've been reading these 830 00:50:59,880 --> 00:51:02,400 verses and all that keeps coming up is man of God, man of God, 831 00:51:02,400 --> 00:51:03,560 man of God, man of God, man of God. 832 00:51:03,560 --> 00:51:08,400 Seven times in 10 verses. We don't have his name. 833 00:51:09,760 --> 00:51:12,880 Now he could have been referenced by or identified as 834 00:51:12,880 --> 00:51:15,800 so many other things. So one might just explain this 835 00:51:15,800 --> 00:51:18,480 way simply saying, well, this is just to identify him. 836 00:51:18,480 --> 00:51:19,960 He's a man of God. We don't know his name, so he's 837 00:51:19,960 --> 00:51:23,640 a man of God. But again, out of all the ways 838 00:51:23,640 --> 00:51:27,720 you can describe somebody, the high honor of being referred to 839 00:51:27,720 --> 00:51:32,960 as a man of God, I believe there's something else in here. 840 00:51:32,960 --> 00:51:36,880 It's not just to give us a way to identify the man. 841 00:51:37,360 --> 00:51:41,600 Perhaps even in these 10 verses, we have the traits of a man, of 842 00:51:41,600 --> 00:51:46,040 God. We have some of the elements of 843 00:51:46,040 --> 00:51:51,880 what makes up a man of God. Not all of them, but some of 844 00:51:51,880 --> 00:51:54,960 them. And I I was like, maybe we 845 00:51:54,960 --> 00:51:56,480 should do that for the Bible study. 846 00:51:56,880 --> 00:52:00,160 Maybe look at this 7 verses of what this man of God does and 847 00:52:00,160 --> 00:52:01,600 doesn't do. Maybe there's something here 848 00:52:01,600 --> 00:52:05,160 about what a man of God is. And here's here's how this 849 00:52:05,200 --> 00:52:09,560 minister to me, because I'm far, too far deep into everything 850 00:52:09,560 --> 00:52:10,880 else to go in that direction now. 851 00:52:12,440 --> 00:52:16,080 So I have homework to do, and maybe that's something you can 852 00:52:16,080 --> 00:52:17,440 look into. Here's the Here's how I'm ending 853 00:52:17,440 --> 00:52:20,400 it. Isn't it amazing how in one 854 00:52:20,400 --> 00:52:22,960 passage God can speak in so many ways? 855 00:52:23,840 --> 00:52:26,920 That's what I took out of it. It says, do I got a nudge today, 856 00:52:27,280 --> 00:52:30,480 little nudge. You can look at this text in a 857 00:52:30,480 --> 00:52:34,000 completely different way and it's still be faithful to the 858 00:52:34,000 --> 00:52:37,600 text. And I just, I was getting ready 859 00:52:38,120 --> 00:52:41,280 and I was just like worshipping the Lord and just thanking the 860 00:52:41,280 --> 00:52:43,640 Lord for the Holy Spirit for just giving that. 861 00:52:44,000 --> 00:52:46,200 Not enough for me to change the whole thing, but enough for me 862 00:52:46,200 --> 00:52:49,800 to say you can look at the 10 verses of this chapter and get a 863 00:52:49,800 --> 00:52:53,040 completely different Bible, say completely different sermon, a 864 00:52:53,040 --> 00:52:55,000 completely different set of truths. 865 00:52:55,320 --> 00:52:59,800 My book is unlike any other. So that's what I leave with you 866 00:52:59,800 --> 00:53:02,360 in the ending of this. And maybe one day you'll get a 867 00:53:02,360 --> 00:53:06,080 sermon about what a man of God looks like according to First 868 00:53:06,080 --> 00:53:08,040 Kings chapter 13. Maybe not. 869 00:53:08,640 --> 00:53:11,200 But before I go into that Bible study, I'm going to end it so 870 00:53:11,200 --> 00:53:23,370 that you and I can go home. Let's pray, worship the Lord 871 00:53:23,370 --> 00:53:25,570 with me. Please honor him with me 872 00:53:25,570 --> 00:53:28,810 tonight. Please bestow upon him the 873 00:53:28,810 --> 00:53:32,880 exaltation that he deserves. Lord, you are mighty. 874 00:53:33,560 --> 00:53:38,520 You are awesome. Your word is greater than any 875 00:53:38,520 --> 00:53:42,680 other spoil that can be found, any other reward that can be 876 00:53:42,680 --> 00:53:47,160 achieved, any other experience that can be purchased or 877 00:53:47,160 --> 00:53:50,080 realized. Your word is our joy. 878 00:53:50,880 --> 00:53:54,200 It is our light. It is our sustenance. 879 00:53:54,560 --> 00:53:57,000 It is the window by which we see you. 880 00:53:57,640 --> 00:54:00,240 And we rejoice in your word tonight. 881 00:54:02,400 --> 00:54:05,040 Thank you for nourishing our faith tonight. 882 00:54:06,000 --> 00:54:10,680 Thank you even reminding us that we can never exhaust the Word of 883 00:54:10,680 --> 00:54:12,440 God. Then when we feel like we have 884 00:54:12,440 --> 00:54:16,920 mined a certain cave of the Word, there are other layers yet 885 00:54:16,920 --> 00:54:19,560 untouched. There are depths not yet 886 00:54:19,560 --> 00:54:22,000 reached. There are pieces of gold and 887 00:54:22,000 --> 00:54:28,120 silver not yet uncovered. Lord, your Word is unimaginable 888 00:54:28,680 --> 00:54:31,200 in the sense that we can't fully grasp it. 889 00:54:32,000 --> 00:54:34,440 And, Lord, if anybody ever comes to the point where they think 890 00:54:34,440 --> 00:54:37,640 they have a grasp on it, Lord humbled them to realize that can 891 00:54:37,640 --> 00:54:40,960 never be so. And if any person is bored with 892 00:54:40,960 --> 00:54:44,440 the word of God, Lord, infuse them with the revelation that 893 00:54:44,440 --> 00:54:48,440 your Word is your voice and that you're You have preserved this 894 00:54:48,440 --> 00:54:52,680 Word, and you have designated this Word to be a lifelong 895 00:54:52,680 --> 00:54:59,040 supply of truths and treasures that can keep us stable and 896 00:54:59,040 --> 00:55:01,640 satisfied until we see you face to face. 897 00:55:02,320 --> 00:55:05,720 What a word this is. What a book this is, what an 898 00:55:05,720 --> 00:55:09,760 author you are. We acknowledge you today, Lord. 899 00:55:09,920 --> 00:55:13,200 We cannot help but burst out and praise for your Word. 900 00:55:13,720 --> 00:55:16,200 And so we give you the glory that is due to your name. 901 00:55:16,440 --> 00:55:20,680 Revive us to the Word. Revive us through your Word. 902 00:55:20,920 --> 00:55:24,200 May there be a revival of the Word in the land again. 903 00:55:24,800 --> 00:55:29,920 Oh, we long for it, Lord. So open our eyes to see just how 904 00:55:29,920 --> 00:55:32,880 glamorous and brilliant the Word is. 905 00:55:33,400 --> 00:55:37,560 We thank you for this portion that you have provided us today. 906 00:55:37,840 --> 00:55:44,080 Help us be men and women of God. Help us, Lord, be men who are 907 00:55:44,080 --> 00:55:48,440 able to speak the truth despite the lack of response. 908 00:55:48,760 --> 00:55:52,040 Help us be men who also, yes, Thunder the truth, but like this 909 00:55:52,040 --> 00:55:57,040 man, were able to demonstrate grace and mercy and forgiveness 910 00:55:57,200 --> 00:56:01,000 and help to the center. Help us be men and women of God 911 00:56:01,320 --> 00:56:03,920 that were regardless of the command you give, whether it is 912 00:56:03,920 --> 00:56:08,120 clear to our context or not. We say He said it, so I will do 913 00:56:08,120 --> 00:56:10,640 it. Help us be men and women of God. 914 00:56:11,040 --> 00:56:12,640 We love you, Lord, we worship you. 915 00:56:12,640 --> 00:56:15,600 We adore you. You are the true and living God 916 00:56:15,920 --> 00:56:18,840 and Lord. We know that one day you will 917 00:56:18,840 --> 00:56:23,360 expose the foolishness of idolatry and man's innovations, 918 00:56:23,760 --> 00:56:25,960 and if you don't do it in this life, you will do it on that 919 00:56:25,960 --> 00:56:31,200 final day where everything that has been in your place by 920 00:56:31,200 --> 00:56:34,840 unbelievers will be exposed as nothing. 921 00:56:36,280 --> 00:56:37,880 Thank you that we walk in the truth. 922 00:56:38,880 --> 00:56:42,360 Keep us in the truth, lest you have to put a bit or less. 923 00:56:42,360 --> 00:56:45,800 You have to put a harness on us and force us, or painfully 924 00:56:45,800 --> 00:56:47,800 redirect us. We want your word to be enough, 925 00:56:48,600 --> 00:56:50,560 to be our guide and our compass in life. 926 00:56:51,000 --> 00:56:53,640 We give you thanks. In Jesus name we pray. 927 00:56:54,080 --> 00:56:55,360 Amen. Amen. 928 00:56:56,920 --> 00:57:03,400 The more I study this book, the more Psalm 119 becomes a reality 929 00:57:03,400 --> 00:57:06,040 to me. I want to challenge you to 930 00:57:06,040 --> 00:57:07,440 something as the Prestine comes up. 931 00:57:07,520 --> 00:57:09,320 Read Psalm 119. OK. 932 00:57:09,680 --> 00:57:12,880 It's all about the Bible. It's all about sentiments and 933 00:57:12,880 --> 00:57:16,000 emotions and realities and promises that come from knowing 934 00:57:16,000 --> 00:57:17,440 the word of God. And here's what I want to 935 00:57:17,440 --> 00:57:20,440 encourage you to do. If you can't resonate with the 936 00:57:20,720 --> 00:57:24,960 psalmist in Psalm 119, get on your knees before God and beg 937 00:57:24,960 --> 00:57:28,880 him for the insight that that psalmist has with the Bible. 938 00:57:29,160 --> 00:57:31,040 Beg him. If you can't read that, be like, 939 00:57:31,120 --> 00:57:33,480 I get that. Oh yeah, that's what I said. 940 00:57:33,680 --> 00:57:35,760 Oh yeah, that's what I feel. Oh yeah, that is true. 941 00:57:35,920 --> 00:57:39,920 If you can't get there, get on your knees with that chapter 942 00:57:39,920 --> 00:57:41,320 before your face. Say God, please. 943 00:57:41,320 --> 00:57:44,240 I want Psalm 119 to be something I can quote and say. 944 00:57:44,240 --> 00:57:46,200 This was not just true of him, it's true of me. 945 00:57:46,400 --> 00:57:49,120 Do it. If you mean it, watch the Holy 946 00:57:49,120 --> 00:57:51,720 Spirit do it. This book will come alive. 947 00:57:52,760 --> 00:57:55,800 You will see things in this book and you will hear the teaching 948 00:57:55,800 --> 00:58:00,520 voice of the Holy Spirit in a way that Will Rock your world. 949 00:58:01,880 --> 00:58:05,040 You got to get desperate though. And unfortunately so many people 950 00:58:05,040 --> 00:58:06,320 are satisfied with entertainment. 951 00:58:06,320 --> 00:58:08,880 You know, I heard a preacher say one time, this might offend a 952 00:58:08,880 --> 00:58:10,480 lot of people. So be it. 953 00:58:10,880 --> 00:58:13,680 Entertainment is the devil's substitute for joy. 954 00:58:16,920 --> 00:58:21,240 If your life's joy is in trivial things that man produces, you 955 00:58:21,240 --> 00:58:24,240 have not tasted of the wells of life in God yet. 956 00:58:24,760 --> 00:58:27,280 I'm not against fun. Some people believe fun is sin. 957 00:58:27,360 --> 00:58:30,120 Some believe it tastes good. If it feels good, if it looks 958 00:58:30,120 --> 00:58:31,480 good, then it must be of the devil. 959 00:58:31,880 --> 00:58:34,520 It's called legalism. I'm not in that camp, and nor 960 00:58:34,520 --> 00:58:35,800 will I would be by the grace of God. 961 00:58:36,840 --> 00:58:39,400 But I'm saying that there is something that this world can 962 00:58:39,440 --> 00:58:43,200 offer that no matter what is given to you, even if it's good 963 00:58:43,200 --> 00:58:45,720 and joyful, you give God glory for it because you see him as 964 00:58:45,720 --> 00:58:47,880 the source, the stream that it comes from. 965 00:58:48,440 --> 00:58:52,960 But if your life is just one adrenaline rush to the next that 966 00:58:52,960 --> 00:58:55,600 you have to pay for, or you have to travel to, or you have to 967 00:58:55,600 --> 00:58:59,680 gain, you have not yet known the joys of what God offers. 968 00:59:00,160 --> 00:59:03,200 And I'm saying open Psalm 119. Crack that chapter open. 969 00:59:03,360 --> 00:59:08,400 Get before God and say God, make this real to me, the word, the 970 00:59:08,400 --> 00:59:12,640 Word, and he can do it. If you guys don't start singing, 971 00:59:12,640 --> 00:59:15,960 I'll keep preaching. So let's stand and sing and 972 00:59:15,960 --> 00:59:16,560 worship the Lord.