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Topic: Instant Judgement
[DCLM Daily Manna 28 July 2019 Daily Devotional by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi]
Text: 1 Kings 13:1-6 (KJV)
1 And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.
2 And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men’s bones shall be burnt upon thee.
3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.
4 And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, 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.
5 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.
6 And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat 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 was restored him again, and became as it was before.
Key Verse: “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 13:5).
MESSAGE:
Too often, people tend to take our judicial systems for granted. Because of the provision of the law that deems a suspected criminal innocent of a crime until otherwise proven by a competent court of law, more people tend to commit crimes with a high level of impunity. They not only try to ride on this provision of the law but often take advantage of our weak judicial system. It is for this reason that some people in certain parts of the world carry out what has come to be known as “jungle justice” an act of instantly meting out punishment to criminals caught in the act. Though this is not to be encouraged, it is a clear example of instant judgment.
Also Read: Open Heaven 28 July 2019 – Christ’s Ambassador Indeed?
As directed by God, a young, dynamic and zealous prophet set out to Bethel to warn King Jeroboam of divine wrath coming upon him for rebellion and idolatry. The prophet cried against the altar in the word of the Lord and declared prophecies of the birth of a king by name Josiah, who would revenge the wickedness of the day. He also foretold how the idolatrous altar erected by Jeroboam would be destroyed.
There were moments in life when God showed up as a Man of war. This encounter of the young prophet with Jeroboam was one of such. Jeroboam reacted in pride as he attempted to arrest the man of God but lost his right hand which withered instantly.
Men should fear God. He is our Father and Friend. We must always realise also that He is our Lawgiver, Judge, Avenger and Rewarder of all acts of men (Revelation 22:12). King Jeroboam missed it as he counselled himself wrongly which affected him greatly. Such a blind fear ruined his life and ministry. We need to shun fear and anxiety and continue strictly to absorb the word of God for peace, progress and success in all areas of life.
Thought For The Day: Blessed is the man whose confidence is the Lord.
The Bible In One Year: 2 Chronicles 34–36
