JEROBOAM’S HAND GETS WITHERED (PARALYZED) This chapter reveals to us the longsuffering of God and His impartiality. He sent a man of God to Jeroboam who brought the idol-worship into the new divided kingdom. God chose Jeroboam to chastise Rehoboam, but being, himself, unfaithful, God sent to him a prophet from Judah to warn him against his apostasy from the Lord, and to chastise him. The hand that stretched to destroy the worship of the true God, got withered; Yet the amazing thing in God’s longsuffering, was that when the king showed remorse, he was forgiven, and his withered hand healed. The man sent by the Lord to warn the king was commanded not to eat nor drink in that location. Obeying God’s command, he could perform miracles; but when he disobeyed through the seduction of another, a lion devoured him. God has no partiality, He chastises whomever commits sin, whether a king or a prophet. 1- Jeroboam’s hand gets withered 1 - 5 2- Jeroboam shows remorse 6 3- The man of God refrains from eating 7 - 9 4- The man of God devoured by a lion 10 - 24 5- The man of God buried 25 - 32 6- Jeroboam persists on evil 33 – 34 1- JEROBOAM’S HAND GETS WITHERED: (1 – 5) “And behold, a man of God went from Judah to Bethel by the word of the Lord, and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.” (1) Jeroboam knew for sure that what he was doing constituted an opposition against the divine truth, and a disobedience to the commandment; Yet, as he ordained himself by himself, and started his work as a high priest by burning incense on the altar, the Lord sent to him a prophet from Judah to warn him by a clear sign, so that he would have no excuse. “ Then he (the man of God) cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord and said, ‘O altar, altar! Thus says https://coptic-treasures.com/ the Lord, Behold, a child, Josiah by name shall be born to the house of David, and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones shall be burned on you’” (2) The man of God did not whisper what the Lord said concerning the king, but courageously he cried out loudly. He did not deceive the king, nor fear him, or shamefully refrain to proclaim God’s message to him. The man of God did not fear the power of the king; for he who fears God fears no man whatever is his power or authority. + The fear of God is the guardian for practicing the commandments; It is the fruit of the sound faith. (Father Oghris) + The fear of God exhorts the soul to keep the commandments of God; through which the house of the soul is established. We wish, therefore, to fear God, and to establish houses for ourselves, to find a resort in the time of winter, against the cold and rain; for those who have no houses to protect them, would face great risks. + According to the fathers we can acquire the fear of God: a- If we remember death and sufferings; b-.If we ask ourselves every evening, how we spent the day; and every morning, how we spent the night. c- If we refrain from being rude. d- If we care to have a relationship of friendship with someone who fears God. A brother once asked a hermit, saying: [What should I do, O father, to fear God?] To which the hermit answered: [Go and dwell with someone who fears God; for by his behavior, you will learn how to fear God]. We would drive the fear of God away from ourselves through doing what contradict with the previous things: when we do not remember death nor sufferings; When we do not https://coptic-treasures.com/ bring ourselves into account, how we spend our time, but live slothfully; When we befriend people in whom there is no fear of God; And when we walk in life in a rude way; which is the worst of all, for nothing would take away the fear of God from the soul like rudeness. (Father Dorotheos) With great zeal, the man of God intended to deliver the word of the Lord to the king, and to whoever were present of the elite men of the nation, and of the people; as it has been an important occasion to them all. Yet, he did not address his talk to the king, nor to the statesmen, or to the people, but he addressed it to the stones, crying out: “O altar, altar!”. As the hearts of all were without sense toward the divine message, there was hope that the stones may hear more than the hearts of men. As the human hearts were closed to the divine message, he cried out to the stones, for they would probably listen and respond. As Jeroboam assumed that his plan would surely succeed, that he and his descendants after him would find stability and security, and that the people would never again return to the kings of Judah; The man of God confirmed to him that evil would never endure, and God’s plan had to be definitely realized. Hence, the man of God prophesied about Josiah, three and a half centuries before his birth, who will destroy the altars of idol-worship, and burn the bones of those who burn incense on them. We often wrongly assume that evil is stronger and more endurable; but God confirms that it would only be for some time; then the light will come to scatter the darkness, and the truth will come to destroy the vanity. Idol-worship will surely come to an end; Whereas the Word of God will forever endure. “And he gave a sign the same day, saying, ‘This is the sign which the Lord had spoken: Surely the altar shall split apart, and the ashes on it shall be poured out” (3) God confirmed His message with a sign; which is shaking the altar, splitting it apart, and pouring out the ashes on it. By such a sign everyone would be sure of the identity of the one who spoke to them as a man of God; and that God would find no pleasure in sacrifices offered on a defiled altar, unable to sanctify the sacrifice. On another aspect, if their hearts have turned into stone like https://coptic-treasures.com/ their idols; the Word of God alone is capable to shake these hearts of stone, and to pour out what clang to them of the ashes of defilement. “So it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, who cried out against the altar in Bethel, that he stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, ‘Arrest him’. Then his hand which he stretched out toward him withered, so that he could not pull it back to himself” (4) Caring for Jeroboam, God sent the man of God to warn him. While God stretched His hand to Rehoboam with love, in the hope that he may repent and return to Him, Jeroboam paid God’s love back with arrogance, stretched his hand, not to put it in God’s stretched hand, but to oppose Him. Instead of presenting repentance, he increased his foolishness, thinking that he could take hold of the man of God and kill him. God did not allow for Jeroboam’s hand to wither while stretching to burn incense; but allowed it to be, when it stretched to take hold of the man of God. For any opposition against His men, God counts it as directed against Him personally. He does not allow for the rod of the wicked to come down on the portion of the righteous (Psalm 125: 3). He warned, saying: “Do not touch My anointed ones” (1 Chronicles 16: 22; Psalm 105: 15). + Here, we have a perfect example: In one single person, both the mercies, as well as the wrath of God appeared. When Jeroboam’s right hand suddenly withered, as he stretched it to arrest the man of God; and once he showed remorse, he was forgiven on the spot. (St. Ambrose) + Sin is a real running wild, and a corruption by man; a diversion away from the exalted Creator, and a descent to a lesser level of creation. (St. Augustine) “The altar also was split apart, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord” (5) God gave Jeroboam more than one chance to return from his evil, yet, because of his persistence on corruption, all things turned to his https://coptic-treasures.com/ perdition. As “All things work together for good to those who love God” (Romans 8: 28), all things will turn to the perdition of the wicked who persists on his evil. God gave Jeroboam ten tribes, sent to him a prophet from Judah to warn him; allowed for the split of the altar, and the pouring out of the ashes on it; and healed his withered hand when he showed remorse. Yet all those things have become a testimony against him to judge him, because he did not benefit from the longsuffering of God, but misused it. 2- JEROBOAM SHOWS REMORSE: (6) “Then the king answered and said to the man of God, ‘Please entreat the favor of the Lord your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me’. So the man of God entreated the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored to him, and became as it was before” (6) God who wounds is alone able to heal the wounds. The man of God did not bear the spirit of revenge, but with love, he paid the evil of the king back with goodness, opening before him the way of hope in the Lord, the true Physician of the soul and the body. The king enjoyed healing of his withered hand through returning to God, and seeking the intercession of the man of God on his behalf; For God listens to His children: He responded to Moses’ request for the sake of Pharaoh (Exodus 10: 17); to Job’s request for the sake of his oppressive friends; And to the request of the man of God, here, for the sake of Jeroboam; his persecutor (Matthew 5: 10). The king invited the man of God to eat in his house, and to accept a reward, but the man of God rejected his invitation, even if he gave him half of his kingdom; a firm decision instructed by the Lord Himself, not to have a fellowship with the wicked. Despite being most probably exhausted, hungry, thirsty, and having no money to buy food for himself; he rejected the king’s invitation and reward. According to the human way of thinking, he could have accepted the king’s invitation, to have a chance for a longer chat, through which the king might present a true repentance, and return to God; But he did not do such a thing, in obedience of the command of the Lord, who is wiser than men. As a messenger he obeyed the One who sent him. In His longsuffering, God wishes for the salvation of the sinners, and not for their perdition. Despite knowing beforehand that Jeroboam will resume offering sacrifices to the idols; yet, when https://coptic-treasures.com/ he presented repentance God forgave him and healed his withered hand. He did not allow for him to die on the spot, with the hope that he might repent and live. God desires the salvation of all. 3- THE MAN OF GOD REFRAINS FROM EATING: (7-9) “Then the king said to the man of God, ‘Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward” (7) According to some, this was an invitation from the king to the prophet to be a priest with him, a handsome and seductive reward for the sake of healing his withered hand. But the divine command to the man of God, was not to return the same way he came; First, as a practical test for his obedience to God; and on another aspect, to avoid any chance for someone to recognize, and harm him for rebuking the king, and rejecting his invitation to go home with him, and eat on his royal table. “But the man of God said to the king, ‘If you were to give me half your house, I would not go in with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water in this place. For so it was commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘You shall not eat bread nor drink water, nor return by the same way you came’” (8-9). In the sight of God, keeping His commandment or obeying Him is far better than acquiring half of Jeroboam’s kingdom.. So the believer sees the divine commandment, not as an object for debate or for discussion, but rather as a chance of an encounter of love, that would satisfy his whole being. He see it, not as a deprivation from a certain pleasure, nor a suppression of a particular feeling; but in it he sees a kind of pleasure that surpasses any other pleasure in the whole world. In it he sees an acquirement of all good gifts, and an enjoyment of the Creator of heaven and earth. The commandment satisfies his depths and rejoices his soul; It is his treasure which he tightly holds with his whole heart in his inner depths. The psalmist says: “How sweet are Your words to my taste; sweeter than honey to my mouth” (Psalm 119: 103). The Word of God has a special sweetness, more than all the philosophies, knowledge, and wisdom of the world. There is a great difference between him who studies the Word of God in a human, dry and mental way, and him who feeds on it, to find it satisfying and sweet, sweeter than honey. It gives sweetness to the soul, and turns the dryness of our cruel hearts, into the sweetness of the wide and compassionate love. It is as though, in its sweetness, https://coptic-treasures.com/ the word of God turns the believer to the sweet life, that others will find it sweet to have fellowship with him. + In case man eats sour grapes, his teeth will stand on edge, that he would not be able to eat bread. So it will be if man feeds on an abundance of the defilement of this world, and plunged into vain talks of slander; he would then, despise and reject the sweet divine Scripture; that even if he reads it, he cannot say together with the prophet: “How sweet are Your words to my taste, O Lord” (Psalm 119: 103) + The sweetness of the Word of God will endure in us, if we plant it in others, through continuously repeating it with utter flowing love. (Father Caesarius bishop of Arle) + Sometimes, certain verses of the Holy Scripture, has an increasing sweetness in the mouth (Psalm 119: 103); as when man repeats a simple phrase in his prayer several times without getting satisfied, nor moving to another phrase. (Mar Isaac bishop of Nineveh) + It is the magic of the truth, expressed by the psalmist, saying, “How sweet are your words to my taste; sweeter than honey to my mouth” (Psalm 119: 103) (St. Basil) + The words of God became sweet to me like honey; that I cried out loud seeking knowledge, and wisdom. (St. Gregory the Nezianzen) + “Go to the bee and consider her wise ways and be wise” . If you meditate in how it moves from one flower to another to collect nectar, you will then move between the holy books, will hold fast to your salvation; and once you get satisfied, you will say: “How sweet are Your words to my taste; sweeter than honey in my mouth”. (St. Cyril of Jerusalem) https://coptic-treasures.com/ According to St. John Chrysostom, only the sound and healthy soul will find sweetness in the word of God; For the sick does not feel the taste nor sweetness of the food. + Some may even not know that there are Holy Books; Hence, believe me, nothing sound, nor of benefit will come out of us. (St. John Chrysostom) Writing about the widow ‘Furia’, St. Jerome speaks of ‘Deborah’, as the bee that gathers the nectar from the flowers of the Holy Book. St. Jerome says: [It is well to call her ‘Deborah’, for she feed on the flowers of the Book; has been surrounded by the sweet fragrance of the Holy Book; and gathers together, in unity with the prophetic healing, the sweet juice of nectar]. 4-THE MAN OF GOD DEVOURED BY A LION: (10 – 24) “So he went another way and did not return by the way he came to Bethel. Now an old prophet dwelt in Bethel, and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel; they also told their father the words which he had spoken to the king. And their father said to them, ‘Which way did he go?’ For his sons had seen which way the man of God went who came from Judah” (10-12) Many are the tricks and deceptions of the devil. The man of God could stand before the king, and with courage, refused to enter into his house and to sit at his table; and in obedience to God he did not return by the same way he came. However the devil did not let him enjoy the blessings he has got for the sake of his obedience, but sent someone to keep him from consummating the command of God; sent him an old deceiving and lying prophet, who gave him a counsel, falsely referring it to a heavenly proclamation. That deceptive old prophet was probably raised in the school of prophets founded by the prophet Samuel; yet, through the seduction of the world, the spirit of prophecy forsook him; for it is befitting of the true prophets of God to be holy (2 Peter 1: 21). However, according to some, what https://coptic-treasures.com/ that deceptive prophet did, was in good faith, with the intention to offer food and drink to the hungry and exhausted man of God. But the prevailing view is that he was one of the false prophets who rejoice to see the fall of the true prophets. He indeed did not partake of the idol-worship together with the king, and his sons, who went there, probably for the sake of curiosity and not to take a positive role; came back to tell him what took place. But their father was not faithful to the Lord. He dwelt in a heathen town, did not stand against the king, and did not testify to the truth. As to the man of God, if he had the spirit of discernment between what is true and what is vain; that false prophet would not be able to deceive him. + Pray to God to grant you the grace of sound perception of all things, to be able to discern between good and evil. According to the apostle Paul: “But solid food belongs to those who are of full age” (Hebrew 5: 14); Namely to those, who by persistent work and strife, have their senses and tendencies trained on discerning between the good and evil; hence counted as the children of the kingdom, and among the children of God, to whom God gives the good discernment, that no man or devil can deceive them. The enemy fights against the believers under the pretension of doing good, and succeeds to deceive a multitude of those who lack the wisdom and good discernment. Hence the apostle taught about the riches and greatness of understanding; kept for the believers; writing in his epistle to the Ephesians: “That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him; the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of your calling; what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints” (Ephesians 1: 17, 18). He so wrote, motivated by his great and increasing love for them; and knowing that, in case they acquire the understanding, nothing would be difficult for them, nor fear would ever touch them, but will be comforted by the joy of the Lord, day and night; and all works would always be sweet to them. Many monks and virgins in the monasteries, may indeed have such understanding to a certain degree. But if you intend to get it with perfection, you should flee away from those who bear the title of “monks and virgins” without having the true perception and the good discernment. For mixing with them will hinder your progress, and may quench your zeal; on account of that they, themselves coldly walk after their lusts. If they ever come to you to https://coptic-treasures.com/ speak of earthly things according to their own nature, do not listen to them; for the apostle Paul, knowing that nothing would quench the spirit like vain talking, counsels us, saying: “Do not quench the spirit, and do not despise prophesies” (1 Thessalonians 5: 19, 20); (St. Abba Anthony) “Then he said to his sons, ‘Saddle the donkey for me’. So they saddled the donkey for him, and he rode on it, and went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak. Then he said to him, ‘Are you the man of God who came from Judah?’. And he said, ‘I am’. Then he said to him, ‘Come home with me and eat bread;” (13-15) Refusing such an invitation was unacceptable in East, for it would bear the meaning of despise of the host. It was the custom when some stranger reaches a town, that one of its inhabitants receives him, offer him food, and a place to protect him against the weather and the attacks of thieves; and in that case, the guest, considered then as a member of the family that received him; or rather the guest of God, would partake of worshipping the god of the host. “Then he said, ‘I cannot return with you nor go in with you, neither can I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place. For I have been told by the word of the Lord, ‘You shall not eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by going the way you came’. He said to him, ‘I am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you in your house, that he may eat bread and drink water; But he lied to him”. (16-18) According to some, that old prophet could not be a liar; but, as the word ‘angel’ could mean (a messenger); saying that an angel spoke to him by the word of the Lord (18), he might mean by it his two sons who came to him from the king’s house and told him all what happened with the man of God; and that they wished to give him hospitality. Hence what he said was a reference to his two sons as being sent by the Lord to exhort him to give hospitality to the man of God; especially when he saw him sitting extremely exhausted, under the oak tree, and felt that he is in need for food and drink to sustain him. According to them, therefore, that old prophet was himself https://coptic-treasures.com/ deceived by the devil, that by reason of compassion he would seduce the man of God to disobey the command of God to him, saying that “Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of life” (2 Corinthians 11: 14). He deceives men, and provokes them to deceive others under the pretence of virtue. Anyway, it was possible for the man of God to reveal the deception of that old prophet, on account of that, as the divine command came directly to him from God, there was no reason for it to be changed through a third party. And why did he not return to God to ask him before disobeying His command? So both of them, the man of God and the old prophet were in need of the spirit of discernment; For if the old prophet was deceived under his desire to give hospitality to the exhausted man of God; the later had no excuse; for he came from Judah by a direct divine call, prophesied to the king, his prophecy was realized; on his hand the king’s hand got withered, and on his hand it was healed; He was in need of the spirit of discernment between the truth and the vanity. The spirit of discernment is the secure way; is the gift of the Holy Spirit who leads us along the royal path, leading to the bosom of the Father. “So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water. Now it happened as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back” (19-20) “And he cried out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying: ‘Thus says the Lord, Because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord, and have not kept the commandment which the Lord your God commanded you; but you came back, ate bread, and drank water in the place of which the Lord said to you… “(21) It was “the word of the Lord” that cried out. It came to him first bearing the spirit of strength and conquest, and made him not fearful before the king and his men. Now, having disobeyed the commandment, the word of the Lord came to terrify him, and to dissolve his heart. It is the twoedged sword, that bears the spirit of strength to support, and to bring forth, as well, the divine chastisement. https://coptic-treasures.com/ “But you came back, ate bread, and drank water in the place of which the Lord said to you, ‘Eat no bread and drink no water’, Your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your fathers. So it was after he has eaten bread, and after he drank, that he saddled the donkey for him; namely the prophet who brought him back. So when he was gone, a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey stood by it. The lion also stood by the corpse” (22-24) The lion that devoured the man of God, came as a living testimony of the impartiality of God. In case someone sins against God, he will fall under the rod of chastisement. What did happen was according to a divine command, and not by chance. The lion killed the man, did not devour him, nor came near the donkey; but it amazingly stood beside the corpse, as though watching upon it, together with the donkey. Here, the hand of God is obvious! God allows for killing the body, to let all learn that disobedience leads to the death and perdition of the soul. Yet, the body not being devoured, reveals the longing of God to glorify man, body and soul, and not to be destroyed by corruption forever. + it is amazing that the lion that did not touch the donkey, did not let the man of God barely leave his table! … He, who could perform miracles while fasting, once he ate, he had to pay back a penalty for the pleasure of eating; Hence the prophet Joel cries out loudly, saying: “Consecrate a fast; Call a sacred assembly” (Joel 2: 15; 1: 14 LXX); to show that fasting is consecrated by other works; and that the holy fast brings forth healing from sin. (St. Jerome) 5- THE MAN OF GOD BURIED: (25-32) “And there, men passed by and saw the corpse thrown on the road, and the lion standing by the corpse. Then they went and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt. So when the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard it, he said, ‘It is the man of God who was disobedient to the word of the https://coptic-treasures.com/ Lord. Therefore the Lord has delivered him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the word of the Lord, which he spoke to him. And he spoke to his sons, saying, ‘Saddle the donkey for me’, and they saddled it. Then he went and found the corpse thrown on the road, and the donkey and the lion standing by the corpse. The lion had not eaten the corpse nor torn the donkey” (25-28) The Hebrews cared very much about being buried together with their fathers (Genesis 27: 30; 49: 29; 2 Samuel 19: 37 etc.) “And the prophet took up the corpse of the man of God, laid it on the donkey and brought it back. So the old prophet came to the city to mourn and to bury him. Then he laid the corpse in his own tomb, then mourned over him, saying, ‘Alas, my brother’. So it was after he had buried him, that he spoke to his sons, saying, ‘When I am dead, then bury me in the tomb where the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones’” (29-31) Although being a false prophet, yet the old prophet desired that when he is dead to be buried together with the man of God. Feeling guilty, and perceiving his responsibility for what happened to the man of God, he desired to be buried beside him, to be raised together with him. “For the saying which he cried out by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel, and against all the shrines on the high places which are in the cities of Samaria” (32) Although Samaria was not yet built by Omri (1 kings 16: 24); the prophet, by the spirit of prophecy referred to it; the same way the man of God referred to Josiah by name three and a half centuries before his birth. 6-JEROBOAM PERSISTS ON HIS EVIL: (33-34) https://coptic-treasures.com/ “After the event, Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but again he made priests from every class of people for the high places; whoever wished he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places. And this thing was the sin of the house of Jeroboam, so as to exterminate and destroy it from the face of the earth: (33-34) God presented to Jeroboam every way, in the hope that he would return from the evil he practiced; But he did not benefit from any of them: -- Instead of offering a sacrifice of thanksgiving to God who let him reign over ten tribes, he diverted the people to idol-worship -- He did not listen to the man of God who came from Judah to warn him, but intended to kill him -- The prophecy said by the man of God was realized, the altar was split, and the ashes on it was poured out; but Jeroboam’s heart was not shaken before the word of God. -- Although he enjoyed the healing of his withered hand, his heart was not healed of its spiritual paralysis. -- Although he heard about the death of the man of God, as a result of his disobedience to a commandment that seemed minor to him, yet Jeroboam did not return from his evil ways. ------------------------ AN INSPIRATION FROM 1 KINGS 13 WHO WILL HEAL MY WITHERED HAND? WHO WILL SAVE ME FROM THE HARDNESS OF MY HEART? + You set Jeroboam a king; and the foolish man denied Your love; Instead of offering a sacrifice of thanksgiving, he set two golden calves contrary to the commandment; In Your love, You sent him a prophet from Judah to shake the altar; But in his foolishness, stretching his hand to threaten the man of God, it was paralyzed; He prayed to You, and You healed it Yet he persisted on his stone-like heart https://coptic-treasures.com/ In obedience, the man of God refused to eat with the king, nor to accept his gift; Then, deceived by a false old prophet, he disobeyed the commandment; And, for his disobedience, he was killed by a lion on the road. + Take the denial off my heart; to give You thanks for setting me a king? No golden calf will ever enter into my heart; But You will dwell in my depths; + Grant me a gentle heart, that would never disregard Your warnings; So that my hand would not stretch to do evil, and lose its activity; Let me, together with that man of God, reject evil; And never desire all the riches of the world; Let Your commandment stay engraved in my heart; Let it be portrayed before my sight; For Your commandment carries me along the royal path; It keeps me against the devil, the ferocious lion; It heals my wounds, and renews my heart.
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