I can picture a religious feast going on. The king is celebrating with his invited guests the power of his rule and the security that he will bring to the land. The new altar is all prepared and the appointed priests have slaughtered the sacrifices. The king steps up to the altar to proclaim a blessing and place the sacrifice on the fire. The music stops in preparation for the kings pronouncement, but a bystander speaks first; “O altar, altar thus says the LORD…..” is how he introduced his condemnation. The king is aghast, who would dare to speak out over the king. And what is this message of judgment that he is speaking. The king’s anger flares and pointing at this rebel yells to his guards, “Seize him!” As the guards swarm around the man they hear the king shout out in agony. The frightened king might have shouted; “My arm. My arm. I can’t move it.” Then a rumbling of an earthquake and to the horror of all the special guests the altar breaks apart spilling the fire and the ashes of earlier sacrifices on the ground. Everyone is dismayed and as the shaking stops they begin asking one another what this could mean. The only peaceful face in this tumultuous crowd is firmly in the grasp of some very confused royal guards.
Finally king Jeroboam turns his fearful face from the destroyed altar to the man who had interrupted his speech. Any thought of a swift execution has disappeared. Jeroboam had heard the voice of an earlier prophet proclaim him as king over Israel. This time God sent bad news; even if Jeroboam rebuilds the altar a son of David will come and destroy it. Jeroboam cannot escape the family of David. Too bad he didn’t realize that he had rebelled against God and not Rehoboam.
It took me about 17 minutes to read this passage.
Stuart
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