Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on the Whole Bible
back to:
1 Kings
Book: 1 Kings
Chapter: 13
Overview:
Jeroboam's
Sin reproved.
(1-10) The
Prophet deceived.
(11-22)
The disobedient
Prophet is slain,
Jeroboam's obstinacy.
(23-34)
1-10 In threatening the
Altar, the
Prophet threatens the
founder and worshippers. Idolatrous
Worship will not continue,
but the
Word of the
Lord will endure for ever. The prediction
plainly declared that the family of
David would continue, and
support true religion, when the ten tribes would not be able to
resist them. If
God, in
Justice, harden the hearts of sinners,
So that the
Hand they have stretched out in
Sin they cannot pull
in again
By Repentance, that is a spiritual
Judgment,
represented
By this, and much more dreadful.
Jeroboam looked for
help, not from his calves, but from
God only, from his power,
and his favour. The time may come when those that hate the
preaching, would be glad of the prayers of
Faithful ministers.
Jeroboam does not desire the
Prophet to pray that his
Sin might
be pardoned, and his
Heart changed, but only that his
Hand might
be restored. He seemed affected for the present with both the
Judgment and the
Mercy, but the impression wore off.
God forbade
his
Messenger to eat or
Drink in
Bethel, to show his detestation
of their
Idolatry and apostasy from
God, and to teach us not to
have
Fellowship with the
Works of
Darkness. Those have not
learned self-denial, who cannot forbear one forbidden meal.
11-22 The old
Prophet's conduct proves that he was not really a
godly
Man. When the change took place under
Jeroboam, he
preferred his ease and interest to his religion. He took a very
bad method to bring the good
Prophet back. It was all a
Lie.
Believers are most in danger of being drawn from their duty
By
plausible pretences of
Holiness. We may wonder that the wicked
Prophet went unpunished, while the holy
Man of
God was suddenly
and severely punished. What shall we make of this? The judgments
of
God are
Beyond our power to
Fathom; and there is a
Judgment
to come. Nothing can excuse any act of wilful disobedience. This
shows what they must expect who hearken to the great deceiver.
They that yield to him as a tempter, will be terrified
By him as
a tormentor. Those whom he now fawns upon, he will afterwards
Fly upon; and whom he draws into
Sin, he will try to drive to
despair.
23-34 God is displeased at the sins of his own people; and
No
Man shall be protected in disobedience,
By his office, his
nearness to
God, or any services he has done for him.
God warns
all whom he employs, strictly to observe their orders. We cannot
Judge of men
By their sufferings, nor of sins
By present
punishments; with some, the
Flesh is destroyed, that the
Spirit
may be saved; with others, the
Flesh is pampered, that the soul
may ripen for
Hell.
Jeroboam returned not from his evil way. He
promised himself that the calves would secure the
Crown to his
family, but they lost it, and sunk his family. Those betray
themselves who think to support themselves
By any
Sin whatever.
Let us dread prospering in sinful ways; pray to be kept from
every delusion and
Temptation, and to be enabled to walk with
self-denying perseverance in the way of
God's commands.