A prophet from Judah interrupts the festivities by proclaiming the altar an offense to God. The Lord told the prophet not to eat or drink in Bethel, nor return by the way he came. When Jeroboam tempted him, the prophet obeyed God’s command. But, the prophet later disobeyed God and believed a lie. After hearing about the events at the altar, an old prophet finds the man of God and uses a lie to persuade him to come eat and drink at his home in Bethel. The prophet was persuaded and disobeyed God. As a result, he was killed by a lion.
The old prophet’s behavior after he retrieved the man of God’s body is peculiar. The old prophet cried out “Alas, my brother!" After he buried him, he said, "When I die, bury me in the grave where the man of God is buried. Lay my remains beside his." Jeroboam didn't give up his evil ways and therefore his house was cut off and destroyed from the earth.
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Solomon had died and Rehoboam and Jeroboam were competing for the throne, each leading different halves of Israel. Jeroboam built altars with golden claves in outlying areas for the people to worship so they wouldn't go to Jerusalem and claim allegiance with Rehoboam.
Jeroboam was at one of these altars at Bethel offering sacrifices when a man of God came up to the altar. He cried out to the altar prophesying saying that a son named Josiah will be born and that he will sacrifice people on you (the altar) and that the sign for this will be that the altar will split open and ashes pour out.
Jeroboam lifted his hand toward the man to stop him and his hand shriveled up. At that moment the altar split and ashes fell out. He asked the man to intercede with God to restore his hand which he did. Jeroboam invited him to come home with him to eat and receive a gift but the man said that the Lord forbids it and to return home a different way.
There was an old prophet in Bethel whose sons told him all of this news. The prophet asked his sons to take him to the man. When he met him he invited him home with him but the man, again, said that the Lord forbids it. The old prophet lies to the man and said that the Lord revealed to him to invite him home. The man believes him and goes home with him. Once there, the prophet scolds him for breaking the Lord's instructions. When the man left a lion killed him by the road but didn't eat him or hurt his donkey. Some people saw this and reported it. The old prophet goes to retrieve the body and bury him in his own tomb and tells his sons to bury him beside him when he dies for he carried the word of the Lord against the evil sacrilege of Jeroboam.
Jeroboam continued his evil ways making priests of anyone who wanted to be one. This led to his destruction from the face of the earth.
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