Charles Spurgeon wrote, “The precious blood of Jesus is not meant for us merely to admire and exhibit. We must not be content to talk about it, and extol it, and do nothing with it; but we are to use it in the great crusade against unholiness and unrighteousness, till it is said of us, ‘They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb.’ This precious blood is to be used for overcoming, and consequently for holy warfare. We dishonor it if we do not use it to that end . . . The dog of hell knows the dread name which makes him lie down: we must confront him with the authority, and specially with the atonement of the Lamb of God.” You will learn from the negative examples of Jeroboam and Rehoboam how to overcome Satan’s lies.
A man of God warned Jeroboam that Josiah born to the house of David would sacrifice the priests of the high places with human bones being burned on him. The altar would be split apart and ashes poured out. When Jeroboam tried to seize the man of God, he could not draw his hand back to himself. The king asked for prayer, which restored his hand. The man of God refused a reward because the word of the Lord commanded him to not eat bread nor drink water and to go back a different way from Bethel (1 Kings 13:1-10). Repent of sin if you want to prosper and live rightly.
An old prophet living in Bethel heard from his sons what the man of God spoke to the king. He found the man of God sitting under an oak and told him to come home and eat bread with him. The man of God said no. The old prophet said an angel spoke by the word of the Lord to bring him to his house so he could eat bread and drink water. But he lied to him and the man of God followed him to his house. The old prophet said to the man of God that his body would not come to the grave of his fathers because he disobeyed the Lord ‘s command by returning and eating bread and drinking water. A lion killed the man of God and his body was thrown on the road with the donkey and lion standing beside the body (1 Kings 13:11-25). Obey God’s word and reject lies so you don’t experience calamity.
When the old prophet learned that the man of God was killed by a lion, he buried the body in his own grave. He mourned over him saying, “Alas, my brother!” The old prophet told his sons that he wanted to be buried in the same grave as the man of God. He cried by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel and all the houses of the high places in the cities of Samaria. Jeroboam did not return from his evil way, but ordained priests of the high places from all the people. This event became sin to the house of Jeroboam to destroy it from the face of the earth (1 Kings 13:26-34). Cry out God’s word against evil so people will repent.
When Jeroboam’s son became sick, he disguised his wife to ask Ahijah the prophet what would happen to their son. Ahijah said that God exalted Jeroboam to be leader over Israel, but his evil exceeded all before him when he made other gods and molten images instead of keeping His commandments like David. Therefore, God brought calamity on the house of Jeroboam so dogs or birds would eat every male person. Their son would die, but only he would go to the grave and be mourned. The Lord would raise up for Himself a king over Israel to cut off the house of Jeroboam and scatter Israel beyond the Euphrates River because they made their Asherim, which provoked the Lord to anger. He would give up Israel because Jeroboam made them sin (1 Kings 14:1-20). Trust God’s judgment against sin that leaders provoke.
Judah did evil and provoked the Lord to jealousy more than all their fathers had done. They built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, Asherim on every high hill or luxuriant tree and male cult prostitutes in the land. They followed the abominations of the nations that the Lord dispossessed before the sons of Israel (1 Kings 14:21-24). Set yourself apart by not following the world system around you.
In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Egypt took all the treasures of the house of the Lord and the king’s house, including the gold shields Solomon made. Rehoboam made bronze shields and committed them to the care of the commanders of the guard. Whenever he entered the house of the Lord, the guards carried them and brought them back into the guards’ room. There was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam continually (1 Kings 14:25-31). Put on the armor of God and shield of faith to fight Satan’s lies.
How to overcome Satan’s lies: repent of sin, obey and cry out God’s word, trust His judgment, set yourself apart and put on the armor of God.
