#480.5 A Better Man Than Me

It has been brought to my attention that I spent a bit too much time on the application in the last post. My apologies, let me see if I can find my way over to the text again, oh the irony.

The prophet of the Lord is given a farewell and God speed, atop the ass of the old prophet. His fate is certain, as any of the prophecies up until now, how horrifying. Now the report comes back that the man who cursed the altar is lying dead on the side of the rode. There is a lion there, next to a donkey, but the body of the man is not being eaten. It is a hope here that his punishment is fulfilled, that he has gone the way of all men, for it is given to men to die, yet he is not abused after his death. He will not return to his earthly home, but the wages of sin is here complete. I think Jeroboam will be pleased with this, whatever righteous fear had come upon him before will most likely be put aside at the announcement of the prophet's death. "He cursed my holy place, now look at the end of him, and a fitting end indeed." This is not a vane speculation, look at Revelation 11:7-11, where the people rejoice over the death of the two prophets of God. If you think that sin does not come with a corrupt form of everything good, including justice, then you are still very lost my friend.

The old prophet comes to collect the body from the lion, and what a surreal scene. The lion goes no further, he does not execute the liar, but let's him take the body home. He puts the bones of the dead prophet in his own sepulcher. Like the thief on the cross looks to Christ at his death, and he ask that Jesus remember him after death, the old prophet ask that his sons burry him next to God's messenger. I treated him dishonestly in life, but I would like to identify with him in death. Let my bones be mingled with his, for everything he said will come to pass. This is one response.

Jeroboam, however, did not turn from his evil ways, he has somehow justified himself, his sin. God is yet in control, for he could have stopped the old prophet from lying to His prophet, but He did not. Does this leave room for excuse? Does this release Jeroboam from any fault? No, because even before the prophet came with the word of God, there was the word of God, it said, "thou shalt not make unto thee any graven images." There was the Levitical priesthood, called of God, that Jeroboam goes around as well. This is no longer the religion of the only true God, this is idolatry. It says, he ordained any who wanted to be priest. What, is want of title not the same as qualification? Don't be surprised, there are many pastors like Jeroboam out there even now, more Jeroboams than there are Samuels and Elijahs. There is a whole made up priesthood, that men once used for power and bought their way into it, but we need no other high priest, we have Jesus. Idolatries go on in our day, and men still defy the words of God, still set up their own altars. God, forgive us our sins as we should ever forgive those around us, please lead us to repentance. Please reveal the truth in us, and let us serve gratefully in meekness. 

When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also [c]our Lord was crucified. 9 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations [d]will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves. 10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. Revelation 11:7-10 NKJV