Old Testament: 1Ki 13.4–5

To read the Bible in a year, read First Kings 12–13 on May 6, In the year of our Lord Christ 2023

By Don Ruhl 

King Jeroboam of the Northern Kingdom of Israel received that kingdom from the Lord, but he did not in turn bless the Lord. Instead the king set up altars to prevent his people from returning to Jerusalem to worship. 

Therefore, the Lord sent a prophet against the king, who preached God’s message, but the king did not like what he heard. 

That led the king to stretch out his hand from the altar as he was burning incense and direct it toward the prophet, saying, “‘Arrest him!’ Then his hand, which he stretched out toward him, withered, so that he could not pull it back to himself. 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” (1 Kings 13.4–5). 

If you oppose a man delivering the word of God, I am not saying that your hand shall wither, but the God of the word will turn against you and who knows what he will do? 

Questions: 

• Who was the king of Judah at that time? 
• What have you done when the message offended you? 

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Don preaches with the Savage Street Church of Christ in Grants Pass, Oregon. 

Listen to his sermons here: GrantsPassChurchOfChrist.com