Christ Triumphant - A Devotional by E.G. White
| Beware of Those Who Contradict God's Commands |
|
Today's Text:
Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.... The altar also was rent, 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 13:1-5
|
The Message:
When Jeroboam [king of ten tribes of Israel after Solomon] saw the altar rent and the ashes from it poured out on the ground, he cried out in wrath, "Lay hold on him.""And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him." In alarm he said to the prophet, "Entreat now the face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the Lord, and the king's hand ... became as it was before."
"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 ... 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." The prophet refused to receive anything from Jeroboam, but he fell under the temptation of an aged prophet living at Bethel.... To him he said, "Come home with me, and eat bread." But the man of God answered him as he had answered Jeroboam.... The old prophet then lied to him, saying, "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." He declared that the Lord had spoken through him, when He had not.... The man of God had been fearless in delivering his message of rebuke. He had not hesitated to denounce the king's false system of worship. And he had refused Jeroboam's invitation, even though promised a reward. But he allowed himself to be overpersuaded by the one who claimed to have a message from heaven.
When the Lord gives a person a command such as He gave this messenger, He Himself must countermand the order. Upon those who turn from the voice of God to listen to counterorders, the threatened evil will come. Because this messenger obeyed false orders, God permitted him to be destroyed....
The rent altar, the palsied arm, the fearful result of the prophet's disobedience-these were evidences that should have led the king to turn from his evil ways and serve the Lord. But we read, "After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way."-Manuscript 1, 1912. |
|
Commentary:
My friend, King Jeroboam had setup a false center of worship designed to keep the people of God within his kingdom. He setup an alter that was supposed to worship God, but since it was not in accordance to the command of God it was a false god. The same is true today. The church has introduced to us a god that is not the God of the Bible, and as such is directing the minds and hearts of the people to worship the strange god of the trinity.
God is sending a message to His people to come away from this false god to worship the One true God of the Bible. That message comes from the Faithful and True Witness through His messengers. The message is "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." (Revelation 3:15, 16). The condition of His people are such that it sickens Him to the point where He will vomit them from His mouth.
Their condition is this "Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:" (Revelation 3:17). They are in this condition because they are worshiping the false god of the trinity, and as such they do not have the righteousness of Christ. They are blind to their condition because the trinity has a form of godliness, but it does not give them the power to overcome sin but rather comforts them in their sins. It leads them to a false salvation, a false righteousness by faith.
His counsel to them is found in verse 18 saying "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see." His counsel is that they may go through the fires of affliction that their faith may be tested and that through this trial their eyes may be opened and they may recognize their true condition before God.
He does this because He loves them, for He cannot save them while they are in this condition; He cannot save them while they are worship the false god of the trinity. He says to them "As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:19, 20). He loves His people and desires to come into their hearts and cleanse them from the defilement of sin. The position of Jesus to His end-time church is that He is on the outside. He is on the outside because they are worshiping the false God of the trinity. They must turn from this false god and invite Him into their hearts.
The promise to His people is found in verse 21 "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."
My friend, the false god of the trinity cannot give you victory over sin, only the indwelling of Jesus within our hearts can do this. It is time to awaken from the deception that has been played upon us all and awake to righteousness. Invite Jesus into your heart today that He may come in and cleanse you from all unrighteousness.
God bless,
|
|
Video of the Week
|
Comments
Post a Comment