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061104

Today's reading is found in 1 Kings 13:1-15:34 and 2 Chronicles 12:1-15:19.

God did send a prophet to Jeroboam to let him know that he would be punished, but another prophet brought him back to town after he left, which was against the wishes of God. The first prophet was killed for this. He was guilty of being lied to, which wasn't his fault, but if God was going to change his plans, He would have let the man know about it personally. The first prophet was guilty of being led astray, simple as that.

The punishment was as harsh as you would expect in these circumstances. Jeroboam's son died and his family line was to be utterly destroyed. Furthermore, Israel was being cast out of the land they were promised all those generations before. God was patient with Israel through their time in Egypt, the forty years of wandering, the time of the judges, three kings, and now this. He is a God slow to anger, but his anger is a terrible flame that consumes all He decides to cut from the rest.