Thorny Ground

Posted by Christina Scovone on Tuesday, April 26, 2011

King James Bible Study: Thorny Ground
For: Tuesday April 26, 2011
Chapters: I Kings 12-13
Click Here to Read Them or Go to: http://imfollowingjesus.com/bible-april-26.php

Details of Today's Reading: Rehoboam becomes king, the peoples plea for leniency, Rehoboam's rejection, the kingdom is divided, Jeroboam reigns over ten of the tribes, Jeroboam brings idolatry to the Northern Kingdom, Jeroboam's hand withers as a punishment, God sends a prophet who prays for Jeroboam and is healed, the prophet is deceived into disobeying God and dies as a result.

Hello My Friend/Guest,
There comes a time in everyone's life where they reflect upon their lives, upon their discovery one of two things happens, they realize it's time to change and do something about it or they realize it's time to change and do nothing about it. Jesus describes those who accept Him as seeds planted in different types of soil, the majority of people who accept Christ are what Jesus refers to as planted in thorny ground. Jesus said, “He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” - Matthew 13:22,23.

Those who are fruitful realize they need God and as they start living their lives through Christ they begin to prosper. Those who are unfruitful also realize they need God, but usually end up with a lot of affliction in their lives because they never make an effort to let Christ live through them. “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” - Ephesians 3:20,21. If we as Christian's want to bare much fruit we need to be consistent in our walk with Christ, that means doing exceeding, abundantly above what the cares of this world have to offer.

After the death of king Solomon, his son Rehoboam inherited the kingdom, power, and a treasury full of wealth from his father. However, just as God promised, this would be the start of a divided kingdom, Solomon ran a very tight government so when Rehoboam took over the reigns the people came before him, begging him to make their burdens lighter. Rehoboam did not now how to handle this so he sought advice from the people.

“That they sent and called him. And Jeroboam and all the congregation of Israel came, and spake unto Rehoboam, saying, Thy father made our yoke grievous: now therefore make thou the grievous service of thy father, and his heavy yoke which he put upon us, lighter, and we will serve thee...And the young men that were grown up with him spake unto him, saying, Thus shalt thou speak unto this people that spake unto thee, saying, Thy father made our yoke heavy, but make thou it lighter unto us; thus shalt thou say unto them, My little finger shall be thicker than my father's loins...Wherefore the king hearkened not unto the people; for the cause was from the LORD, that he might perform his saying, which the LORD spake by Ahijah the Shilonite unto Jeroboam the son of Nebat.” - I Kings 12:3,4,10,15.

Rehoboam foolishly took the advice of his friends, the people rejected him as king and all, but one tribe, Judah stayed in Jerusalem, the rest followed Jeroboam to the north and they made him king. “So Israel rebelled against the house of David unto this day. And it came to pass, when all Israel heard that Jeroboam was come again, that they sent and called him unto the congregation, and made him king over all Israel: there was none that followed the house of David, but the tribe of Judah only. And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.” - I Kings 12:19-21.

God put a stop to the fight, stating that brothers should not be fighting against brothers, even today the tribes are divided and only a few Jews follow Jesus Christ, yet we are still encouraged to stop the fighting as we are also brothers with the Jews. “Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile; But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the Jew first, and also to the Gentile: For there is no respect of persons with God. For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;” - Romans 2:9-12.

Jeroboam thought he had everything under control, ever since he fled Israel to escape death from Solomon he waited for the day he could get even with the house of David. Now, he is king of the Northern Kingdom, but there was one problem, how were the people to worship God when the only place they were allowed to worship Him was at the Temple in Jerusalem. Fearing that he would lose control of the Northern Kingdom, he foolishly had two altars built within the kingdom.

“If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan.” - I Kings 12:27-29.

It did not take long before the people of the Northern Kingdom began building their own altars and making up feasts and observances of their own. Of course, God was not pleased by this so He sent a young prophet from Judah to confront Jeroboam. Little did this young prophet know that that trip would cause him to make one wrong decision that would end his life. After this young man rejected all the bribes of the king and went on his way as God commanded he ran into an old prophet, who influenced him to go against what God told him.

“And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward. And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place: For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest...He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.” - I Kings 13:7-9,18.

The greatest danger to the Church is not the outside world, but wicked, fundamentally sound believers who, like the old prophet, lie to get people out of the will of God. We need to be on constant guard of those who are quick to offer help or give advice that goes against the will of God. We must be aware of the influence of those who should know the right answers, but whose daily conduct and conversation reveals a life that is rather questionable. Jesus said, “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” - Matthew 7:13-15.

The wolves are the false religions that claim to know Christ, even know some Scripture, but they unknowingly work for Satan, who has every intention of taking many lost souls with him. Lost souls that have spent their entire lives trusting in what they were taught and like the young prophet lose their lives because they listened to the prophet instead of God. The only way we can know the truth is to be planted in the only soil that can keep us from getting stuck in the thorns, Jesus Christ is that soil. “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.” - Romans 6:5-7.

Jesus Revealed: Today Jesus is revealed through Through Shemaiah who spoke for the Lord (12:22). Jesus spoke only what the Father told Him, “For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak.” - John 12:49.

God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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