WHEN GOD CUTS A MAN DOWN?

Text: I KINGS 13:33,34; 14:1-18

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INTRODUCTION:

1. Israel reached its peak of power and glory during the reign of King Solomon.
2. The magnificent temple in Jerusalem was built during the reign of King Solomon.
3. The famous Queen of Sheba traveled over 1,200 miles to Jerusalem to hear the wisdom of Solomon and see for herself the glory of his kingdom.
4. Much more could be said about this great king: his legendary wisdom, his 3,000 proverbs and his 1,005 songs, his remarkable prosperity, his copper mining, his chariots and horsemen, and his skillful diplomacy.
5. But unfortunately, by marrying many foreign wives, Solomon was led into idolatry (cf. I Kings 11:1-8). And as is often the case, this is what most people seem to remember about King Solomon.
6. "And the LORD was angry with Solomon" (11:9). So God had to judge Solomon for marrying different wives and for his idolatry, and God took his glorious kingdom away from him (I Kings 11:9-11).
7. The "servant" referred to in I Kings 11:11 was Jeroboam (11:26-36).
8. God made Jeroboam an offer. And it was a very good offer (11:37,38).
9. And do not forget that God has made you and me some very good offers too (cf. Proverbs 3:5,6; Matt.6:33).
10. But Jeroboam did not walk with God and so God had to judge him (I Kings 13:33,34).
11. I want for us to look carefully at 13:34. God cut Jeroboam off. Think about those words – "to cut it off."

1. HIS SON WAS CUT OFF
2. HIS HOUSE WAS CUT OFF
3. HIS LIFE WAS CUT OFF

1. HIS SON WAS CUT OFF

1. There are wicked men that are cold, cruel, and vicious. But they still love their children. King Jeroboam was like that. When his son got sick, he instructed his wife to disguise herself and go and see the prophet (14:1-3). King Jeroboam was being deceitful.
2. Jeroboam was thinking like all worldly people. He figured: "Ahijah the prophet is old and cannot see. You go over there and fool him."
3. But Jeroboam did not consider that God can see everything. Nothing escapes His attention (14:4-6; cf. II Chron.16:9).
4. I recently got out my concordance and was reminded of the many references in the Bible to "the eyes of the LORD." Beloved, God sees everything.
5. But people, sometimes even Christian people, tend to forget this. Another interesting study is to look up the term "the fear of the LORD." If you ask me the #1 problem in America today is that there is no fear of God (cf. Rom.3:10-18).
6. Jeroboam did not have the fear of God. That is why he "made two calves of gold" and instructed the people of Israel to worship them (I Kings 12:28-30). Idolatry blinded him and hardened him.
7. Jeroboam did not have the fear of God. That is why he invented his own pagan religion (I Kings 12:31-33). "He made priests of the lowest of the people" (12:31). We see the same thing today, with many religions choosing the worst rascals for their priests and ministers – adulterers, homosexuals, drunkards, crooks, etc.
8. There are many man-made religions out there today – JW, Mormonism, SDA, the Moonies, immediately come to mind.
9. Ninety percent of the RC religion is unscriptural and invented by man. I am talking about purgatory, the mass, the papacy, Mary-worship, and so on. You will not find these inventions in the Bible.
10. So Jeroboam started his own religion. And this false, idolatrous man-made religion was passed down from generation to generation. Every king that succeeded Jeroboam followed his wicked example.
11. If you have ever wondered how a wicked devil-worshiper like Ahab could be the King of Israel, just remember it started with King Jeroboam (cf. II Chron.11:13-15; I Kings 16:30-33).
12. King Jeroboam would not listen to God (I Kings 13:4-6). And so God judged him and killed his son (I Kings 14:12,16-18).
13. And not only was his son cut off, but his entire house was cut off.

2. HIS HOUSE WAS CUT OFF (I KINGS 14:10,11)

1. When the Bible speaks of the house of someone, such as the house of Jeroboam, it is referring to the man’s family, his posterity.
2. King Jeroboam’s house would be taken away "as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone" (14:10b,11).
3. I read a beautiful article in the paper on Thanksgiving about the Pilgrims who came over here from Holland (originally they were from England).
4. William Bradford was the second governor of the Plymouth Colony and the author of the History of Plymouth Plantation. Here is how he explained why the Pilgrims chose to leave Holland, get into their boats and travel all the way to what was then called "the new world," new land called America.
5. Bradford wrote: "That which was more lamentable, and of all sorrows most heavy to be borne, was that many of their children, by…the great licentiousness of youth in that country (Holland), and the manifold temptations of the place, were drawn away by evil examples into extravagant and dangerous courses, getting the reigns off their necks, and departing from their parents…tending to dissoluteness and the danger of their souls, to the great grief of their parents and dishonor of God. So that they saw their posterity would be in danger to degeneracy and be corrupted."
6. Notice that the Pilgrims were concerned because "they saw their posterity would be in danger to degeneracy and be corrupted." And they were concerned enough to get up and move again – all the way to an unknown land called America.
7. Yet most parents today are not concerned enough to see who their children are associating with, or what they are doing on the Internet, or what they are learning in the public school, or what they are watching on the television, or what "music" they are listening to.
8. Most parents will accept a job transfer, take a survey trip, and scout our the houses, the stores, the schools, the malls – but not even bother to find out if there is a good church in the area.
9. It breaks my heart to say this but the majority of parents in America today do not care if their children attend a good Sunday School or church. They do not seem to care about anything as long as their kids do not get arrested or put in jail!
10. And some don’t even care much about that!
11. And then when these little unsaved barbarians grow up all messed up and as wicked as the devil, the parents cry out: "Where did we go wrong? We worked so hard! We bought a nice house!"
12. Remember King Jeroboam worked hard too. And he had the nicest house in Israel – the king’s palace. But God cut off the house of Jeroboam like He said He would (cf. I Kings 15:25-30).

3. HIS LIFE WAS CUT OFF (II CHRON.13:15-20).

1. I Kings 14:20 just tells us that King Jeroboam died, but II Chronicles gives us the details. "God smote Jeroboam" (II Chron.13:15), and "the LORD struck him, and he died" (II Chron.13:20).
2. God had promised to bless him if he would do right but he would not do right (I Kings 11:37,38).
3. I can never understand why people plan extensively for their retirement, which usually only lasts about ten years or so, but they never plan for eternity, which is for ever.
4. I can never understand why people are so preoccupied with their investments, and their portfolio, and their insurance, and so on but never consider that there is a day coming when they must stand face to face with God.
5. I heard a tape of Lester Roloff. In this message he said a man saw another man running down the street. "Hey man, where are you going?" "There’s a big bonfire and I’m going to jump in." Lester Roloff said that everyone would agree that the man was crazy. But yet we meet people everyday who are racing towards hell and no one questions their sanity.
6. I read an interesting story about the city of Galveston, Texas. One hundred years ago, the city of Galveston was filed with pride and confidence. Isaac Cline headed up the National Weather Bureau office in Galveston.
7. He wrote these words in the local Galveston newspaper: "The coast of Texas is according to the general laws of the motion of the atmosphere exempt from West Indian hurricanes...The opinion held by some who are unacquainted with the actual condition of things, that Galveston will at some time be seriously damaged by such disturbance, is simply an absurd delusion."
8. But Mr. Cline and his fellow meteorologists knew nothing about the Gulf Stream. It had not been invented yet. And so when the Weather Bureau heard reports of a dangerous hurricane moving in from the Caribbean, they told the people of Galveston not to worry.
9. The wind picked up. And the barometer dropped. And the rain began. Still no one in Galveston seemed to care. Train passengers found themselves stranded by rising water. And then on September 8, 1900, the hurricane hit with great force. Winds reached up to 150 miles an hour, with gusts of 200 miles per hour.
10. Soon Galveston was buried in water. Over 6,000 people were killed. Some say it was more like 10,000 because they were burning bodies in great piles for weeks.
11. When I read that story I thought about NYC and how easy it would be for God to cut it off the map in just a few minutes.
12. Please think about this: Are you ready to meet God?

CONCLUSION:

1. God gave King Jeroboam many warnings (cf. I Kings 13:1-6). But still he persisted in doing evil.
2. Then later on, God cut off the son of Jeroboam, but he still would not repent. Then God cut off Jeroboam and his entire house. Unsaved friend, what does God have to do to get your attention?
3. These words "cut off" are strong words (I Kings 13:34).
4. And these words "cut off" are used elsewhere in a different context. Daniel prophesied that the "Messiah (would) be cut off, but not for himself" (Dan.9:26).
5. He was cut off "not for Himself" but for you and for me.