Nougat 14

Having established that the prophet was not likely to be about a mission of mercy, today’s Holy Nougat provides more details about the visit

“He cried out against the altar with the word of Adonai and said: “O altar, altar, thus says Adonai, behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name, and upon you will he sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and human bones will be burned upon you.’”” ‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭13:2‬ ‭TLV‬‬

Oy oy oy! This is serious business! It’s not wrong to wonder whether it’s a true prophecy or false (prophelie). Have you heard of God prophesying to an object like this? The unknown, unnamed prophet was speaking futuristically to an altar at Bethel. For me, this begs more ‘research’ about the altar.

Bethel the place was recognized as a holy spot. Aside from its name meaning ‘House of God’, Bethel was a very holy spot, since both Abraham and Jacob had encountered God there. It was what some would call a portal since several mystical divine events occurred there, including Jacob’s vision of the heavenly ladder. Both patriarchs made sacrifices to God at Bethel.

Thus, by the time of Jeroboam, El Bethel was fully established as an altar for divine worship.

But

Bethel was not Jerusalem!!! And so, Jeroboam’s establishment of Bethel as the new worship site for Israel was a spiritual disaster from the beginning (see chapter 12). And despite Jeroboam’s initial plan, Bethel under Jeroboam’s rule was synony-mous with idolatry! The Levites had been banished, golden calves were visibly given credit for Israel’s salvation and people like Jeroboam were ‘authorized’ to perform the sacrifices.

It’s worth noting that any prophecy given about the Bethel altar automatically included Jeroboam. And that prophesy did. A Davidic king would burn priests on that altar – Jeroboam’s reign was under serious threat!

Moreover, we see the extreme significance of the prophet’s visit. If all legitimate prophets had been banished to Judah, then the prophet was unquestionably on enemy territory by visiting Bethel. The repercussions could have been deadly; so any utterances must have proven to be divinely sent.

And so it is with us when we are faced with idolatry. We need to fact check as God’s not bound by one way of speaking or operating. When convicted that it is indeed God Who has given us our What, the only thing left is our How. For we must have a plan of action; be it one revealed along the way by God or one approved by God for such a purpose. In Habakkuk 2, God was clear, ‘write the vision with clarity.’ So must we.

May we move past the shock of our Bethels and the way God is moving to focus on the task set before us.

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May all we seek be found in Christ