1 Kings 13

1 Kings 13

1 Kings 13:1 A man of God came, however, from Judah to Bethel by the word of Yahveh while Jeroboam was standing beside the altar to burn incense.

1 Kings 13:2 The man of God cried out against the altar by the word of Yahveh: “Altar, altar, this is what Yahveh says, ‘A son will be born to the house of David, named Josiah, and he will sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who are burning incense on you. Human bones will be burned on you.'”

1 Kings 13:3 He gave a sign that day. He said, “This is the sign that Yahveh has spoken: ‘The altar will now be ripped apart, and the ashes that are on it will be poured out.'”

1 Kings 13:4 When the king heard the message that the man of God had cried out against the altar at Bethel, Jeroboam stretched out his hand from the altar and said, “Arrest him!” But the hand he stretched out against him withered, and he could not pull it back to himself.

1 Kings 13:5 The altar was ripped apart, and the ashes poured from the altar, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of Yahveh.

1 Kings 13:6 Then the king responded to the man of God, “Plead for the favor of Yahveh your God and pray for me so that my hand may be restored to me.” So, the man of God pleaded for the favor of Yahveh, and the king’s hand was restored to him and became as it had been at first.

1 Kings 13:7 Then the king declared to the man of God, “Come home with me, refresh yourself, and I’ll give you a reward.”

1 Kings 13:8 But the man of God replied, “If you were to give me half your house, I still wouldn’t go with you, and I wouldn’t eat food or drink water in this place,

1 Kings 13:9 because this is what I was commanded by the word of Yahveh: ‘You must not eat food or drink water or go back the way you came.'”

1 Kings 13:10 So he went another way; he did not go back by the way he had come to Bethel.

1 Kings 13:11 Now a certain old prophet was living in Bethel. His son came and told him all the deeds that the man of God had done that day in Bethel. His sons also told their father the words that he had spoken to the king.

1 Kings 13:12 Then their father asked them, “Which way did he go?” His sons had seen the way taken by the man of God who had come from Judah.

1 Kings 13:13 Then he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him, and he got on it.

1 Kings 13:14 He followed the man of God and found him sitting under an oak tree. He asked him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” “I am,” he said.

1 Kings 13:15 Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat some food.”

1 Kings 13:16 But he answered, “I cannot go back with you or accompany you; I will not eat food or drink water with you in this place.

1 Kings 13:17 For a message came to me by the word of Yahveh: ‘You must not eat food or drink water there or go back by the way you came.'”

1 Kings 13:18 He said to him, “I am also a prophet like you. An angel spoke to me by the word of Yahveh: ‘Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat food and drink water.'” The old prophet deceived him,

1 Kings 13:19 and the man of God went back with him, ate food in his house, and drank water.

1 Kings 13:20 While they were sitting at the table, the word of Yahveh came to the prophet who had brought him back,

1 Kings 13:21 and the prophet cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, “This is what Yahveh says: ‘Because you rebelled against Yahveh’s command and did not keep the command that Yahveh your God commanded you —

1 Kings 13:22 but you went back and ate food and drank water in the place that he said to you, “Do not eat food and do not drink water”– your corpse will never reach the grave of your fathers.'”

1 Kings 13:23 So after he had eaten food and after he had drunk, the old prophet saddled the donkey for the prophet he had brought back.

1 Kings 13:24 When he left, a lion attacked him along the way and killed him. His corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey was standing beside it; the lion was standing beside the corpse too.

1 Kings 13:25 There were men passing by who saw the corpse thrown on the road and the lion standing beside it, and they went and spoke about it in the city where the old prophet lived.

1 Kings 13:26 When the prophet who had brought him back from his way heard about it, he said, “He is the man of God who disobeyed Yahveh ‘s command. Yahveh has given him to the lion, and it has mauled and killed him, according to the word of Yahveh that he spoke to him.”

1 Kings 13:27 Then the old prophet instructed his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” They saddled it,

1 Kings 13:28 and he went and found the corpse thrown on the road with the donkey and the lion standing beside the corpse. The lion had not eaten the corpse or mauled the donkey.

1 Kings 13:29 So the prophet lifted the corpse of the man of God and laid it on the donkey and brought it back. The old prophet came into the city to mourn and to bury him.

1 Kings 13:30 Then he laid the corpse in his own grave, and they mourned over him: “Oh, my brother!”

1 Kings 13:31 After he had buried him, he said to his sons, “When I die, bury me in the grave where the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones,

1 Kings 13:32 for the message that he cried out by the word of Yahveh against the altar in Bethel and against all the shrines of the high places in the cities of Samaria is certain to happen.”

1 Kings 13:33 Even after this, Jeroboam did not repent of his evil way but again made priests for the high places from the ranks of the people. He ordained whoever so desired it, and they became priests of the high places.

1 Kings 13:34 This was the sin that caused the house of Jeroboam to be made to disappear and be exterminated[1] from the face of the land.

[1] שָׁמַד = exterminate. 1 Kings 13:34; 15:29; 16:12.

links:

kachad
tempted to compromise – Devotions
the lure of fellowship

The 1 KINGS shelf in Jeff’s library

LISTEN TO HIM

LISTEN TO HIM

Matthew 17:1-9 NET.

¹Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter, James, and John, the brother of James, and led them privately up a high mountain. ²And he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light. ³Then Moses and Elijah also appeared before them, talking with him. ⁴So Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, I will make three shelters — one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” ⁵While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my one dear Son, in whom I take great delight. Listen to him!” ⁶When the disciples heard this, they were overwhelmed with fear and threw themselves down with their faces to the ground. ⁷But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Do not be afraid.” ⁸When they looked up, all they saw was Jesus alone. ⁹As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Do not tell anyone about the vision until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”

After fifteen months in the Old Testament, it feels good to return to the New Testament. But today’s passage helps us understand why those months mattered. The Transfiguration was a vision—a special moment where God pulled back the curtain so the disciples could see who Jesus really is. Moses and Elijah did not come back from the dead to talk with Him. Instead, God gave the disciples a picture, a lesson made clear through a vision. Jesus even told them not to share the vision until after His resurrection. So what was God showing them? He was revealing the truth about His Son, and that is what we will explore together in this text.

A Walk through the Transfiguration

Jesus takes Peter, James, and John up a mountain.

Jesus chooses Peter, James, and John to go with Him up a high mountain. He doesn’t take all the disciples—just these three. This shows that sometimes Jesus brings certain people closer so they can learn something special. The climb up the mountain also matters. It takes effort, and it pulls them away from the busy crowds below. Many important moments in the Bible happen on mountains, where God shows His power and His plans. By taking these three with Him, Jesus is preparing them for the hard and important things they will face later. They will see His glory here, and later they will see His deep sorrow in the garden. They need both moments to understand who He really is. Going up the mountain teaches them that following Jesus means trusting Him even when the path is steep or confusing. It also reminds us that sometimes we need to step away from noise and distractions so we can see Jesus more clearly. When we follow Him, He often leads us to places where our faith grows stronger. The question for us is whether we are willing to follow Him, even when the climb feels hard.

He is transfigured — His face shines, His clothes become radiant.

On the mountain, something amazing happens. Jesus’ face begins to shine like the sun, and His clothes become bright and white. This moment is called the “transfiguration.” It doesn’t mean Jesus changed into someone else. Instead, His true glory—who He really is—shines through. The disciples get to see that Jesus is not just a teacher or a miracle‑worker. He is the Son of God, full of power and light. This shining glory shows that Jesus is greater than anyone else they have ever known. It also reminds us of stories in the Old Testament, like when Moses’ face glowed after meeting with God. But Jesus’ light is even greater, because it comes from inside Him. This moment is like a preview of what Jesus will look like after He rises from the dead. It helps the disciples understand that even though Jesus will soon suffer and die, He is still the King who rules forever. For us, the transfiguration teaches that Jesus is always glorious, even when we cannot see it. When life feels dark or confusing, we can remember that His light never fades. He is always powerful, always good, and always worthy of our trust.

Moses and Elijah appear, representing the Law and the Prophets.

While Jesus is shining with glory, two important men from Israel’s history appear—Moses and Elijah. Moses represents the Law, and Elijah represents the Prophets. Together, they stand for the whole Old Testament. Their appearance shows that everything God taught before was pointing to Jesus. Moses once asked to see God’s glory, but he only saw a small part. Elijah met God on a mountain, too, but only in a whisper. Now both of them stand with Jesus, seeing His full glory. This shows that Jesus is the One they were waiting for. He is the One who completes God’s plan. Moses and Elijah do not shine like Jesus. They do not speak from the cloud. They are important, but Jesus is greater. Their presence teaches the disciples—and us—that Jesus is the center of the whole Bible. All the stories, laws, and prophecies lead to Him. When we read Scripture, we should look for how it points to Jesus’ love, power, and saving work. Moses and Elijah standing with Jesus remind us that God’s plan has always been moving toward this moment, when His Son would come to rescue the world.

The Father speaks: “This is my beloved Son… listen to Him.”

As Peter tries to speak, a bright cloud covers them, and God the Father speaks. His voice says, “This is my beloved Son… listen to Him.” These words are powerful. God is telling the disciples that Jesus is not just another leader or prophet. He is God’s own Son, loved and chosen. The Father’s command—“listen to Him”—shows that Jesus’ words are the most important words they will ever hear. This moment also connects to the Old Testament, where Moses said that God would one day send a special prophet, and the people must listen to Him. Now God Himself says that Jesus is the promised One. Today, many voices try to tell us what to believe or how to live. Some voices are loud, and some sound wise. But God tells us clearly that Jesus’ voice must come first. Listening to Jesus means trusting what He says, obeying His teachings, and letting His words shape our choices. It means believing that He knows what is best for us. The Father’s voice reminds us that Jesus is the center of our faith. When we listen to Him, we find truth, hope, and life.

The disciples fall in fear; Jesus comforts them.

When the disciples hear God’s voice and see the bright cloud, they fall to the ground in fear. They are overwhelmed by God’s power and holiness. This reaction is common in the Bible—when people see God’s glory, they often fall because it is so great and so different from anything on earth. But Jesus comes to them gently. He touches them and tells them not to be afraid. The same Jesus who shines like the sun also bends down to comfort His friends. When they look up, they see only Jesus. Moses and Elijah are gone, the cloud is gone, and the bright light is gone. But Jesus remains. This teaches us something important: God’s glory is real, but so is His kindness. Jesus does not leave His followers shaking on the ground. He lifts them and helps them stand again. In our lives, we may feel afraid or overwhelmed, too. But Jesus is near. He reaches out to us with love and tells us not to fear. His presence gives us courage. The disciples learned that day that Jesus is both powerful and gentle, and we can trust Him in every moment.

The Transfiguration confirms Jesus’ identity.

The Transfiguration shows the disciples exactly who Jesus is. They had seen His miracles and heard His teaching, but on the mountain, they saw His true glory. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became bright. This was God’s way of reminding them that Jesus is not just another leader. He is God’s Son. The vision helped the disciples refocus their hearts and minds on Jesus Himself. They had grown up honoring Moses and Elijah, two of the greatest heroes in Israel’s history. But now God was showing them something new: even the best traditions and the greatest leaders must take second place to Jesus.

When Moses and Elijah appeared, it might have been easy for the disciples to think all three were equal. But then the Father’s voice came from the bright cloud and made everything clear: “This is my beloved Son… listen to Him.” God did not say to listen to Moses or Elijah. He pointed only to Jesus. This means that every part of our faith must be centered on Christ. He is the One who shows us what God is like. He is the One we follow. The Transfiguration teaches us that Jesus deserves our full attention, our trust, and our obedience.

The Transfiguration foreshadows Jesus’ resurrection and coming glory.

The Transfiguration gives the disciples a small preview of what Jesus will look like after His resurrection. On the mountain, His face shines, and His clothes glow, showing His true power and glory. This moment helps the disciples understand that Jesus is not only going to suffer and die—He will also rise again and return in glory as the true King. Moses and Elijah appear beside Him, and they represent the Law and the Prophets. All of the Old Testament pointed forward to the coming of the Messiah, and now the disciples see that Jesus is the One those Scriptures were talking about.

Peter gets excited and offers to build three shelters—one for Jesus, one for Moses, and one for Elijah. But this idea is mistaken. Peter is treating all three as if they are equal. God quickly corrects him. A bright cloud covers them, and the Father’s voice speaks from heaven: “This is my beloved Son… listen to Him.” God does not tell them to listen to Moses or Elijah. He points only to Jesus.

This teaches us that Jesus is the center of God’s plan. He is the King of the coming kingdom, and His words explain the meaning of the Law and the Prophets. Our job is simple: listen to Him.

Coming King, help us to keep our focus securely on you. Give us the wisdom to remain Christocentric. May we value the Old Testament because it is a testament of you. May we value the church because it is your church. But may we never lose sight of your words because they are the foundation for your coming kingdom.

1 Kings 12

1 Kings 12

1 Kings 12:1 Then Rehoboam went to Shechem, because all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king.

1 Kings 12:2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard about it, he stayed in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon’s presence. Jeroboam stayed in Egypt.

1 Kings 12:3 But they summoned him, and Jeroboam and the whole assembly of Israel came and spoke to Rehoboam:

1 Kings 12:4 “Your father made our yoke heavy. You, therefore, lighten your father’s harsh service and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”

1 Kings 12:5 Rehoboam replied, “Go away for three days and then return to me.” So, the people left.

1 Kings 12:6 Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon when he was alive, asking, “How do you advise me to respond to this people?”

1 Kings 12:7 They replied, “Today if you will be a servant to this people and serve them, and if you respond to them by speaking kind words to them, they will be your servants forever.”

1 Kings 12:8 But he rejected the advice of the elders who had advised him and consulted with the young men who had grown up with him and attended him.

1 Kings 12:9 He asked them, “What message do you advise that we send back to this people who said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke your father put on us’?”

1 Kings 12:10 Then the young men who had grown up with him told him, “This is what you should say to this people who said to you, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you, make it lighter on us! ‘ This is what you should tell them: ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s waist!

1 Kings 12:11 Although my father burdened you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with barbed whips.'”

1 Kings 12:12 So Jeroboam and all the people came to Rehoboam on the third day, as the king had ordered: “Return to me on the third day.”

1 Kings 12:13 Then the king answered the people harshly. He rejected the advice the elders had given him

1 Kings 12:14 and spoke to them according to the young men’s advice: “My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke; my father disciplined you with whips, but I will discipline you with barbed whips.”

1 Kings 12:15 The king did not listen to the people, because this turn of events came from Yahveh to carry out his word, which Yahveh had spoken through Ahijah the Shilonite to Jeroboam son of Nebat.

1 Kings 12:16 When all Israel saw that the king had not listened to them, the people answered him: What future do we have in David? We have no inheritance in the son of Jesse. Israel, return to your tents; David, now look after your own house! So, Israel went to their tents,

1 Kings 12:17 but Rehoboam reigned over the Israelites living in the cities of Judah.

1 Kings 12:18 Then King Rehoboam sent Adoram, who oversaw forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam managed to get into the chariot and flee to Jerusalem.

1 Kings 12:19 Israel is still in rebellion against the house of David today.

1 Kings 12:20 When all Israel heard that Jeroboam had come back, they summoned him to the assembly and made him king over all Israel. No one followed the house of David except the tribe of Judah alone.

1 Kings 12:21 When Rehoboam arrived in Jerusalem, he mobilized one hundred eighty thousand fit young soldiers from the entire house of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin to fight against the house of Israel to restore the kingdom to Rehoboam son of Solomon.

1 Kings 12:22 But the word of God came to Shemaiah, the man of God:

1 Kings 12:23 “Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon, king of Judah, to the whole house of Judah and Benjamin, and to the rest of the people,

1 Kings 12:24 ‘This is what Yahveh says: You are not to march up and fight against your brothers, the Israelites. Each of you return home, because this thing is from me.'” So they listened to the word of Yahveh and went back according to the word of Yahveh.

1 Kings 12:25 Jeroboam built Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built Penuel.

1 Kings 12:26 Jeroboam said to himself, “The kingdom might now return to the house of David.

1 Kings 12:27 If these people regularly go to offer sacrifices in Yahveh ‘s temple in Jerusalem, the heart of these people will return to their lord, King Rehoboam of Judah. They will kill me and go back to the king of Judah.”

1 Kings 12:28 So the king sought advice. Then he made two golden calves, and he said to the people, “Going to Jerusalem is too difficult for you. Israel, here are your gods who brought you up from the land of Egypt.”

1 Kings 12:29 He set up one in Bethel, and put the other in Dan.

1 Kings 12:30 This led to sin; the people walked in procession before one of the calves all the way to Dan.

1 Kings 12:31 Jeroboam also made shrines on the high places and made priests from the ranks of the people who were not Levites.

1 Kings 12:32 Jeroboam made a festival in the eighth month on the fifteenth day of the month, like the festival in Judah. He offered sacrifices on the altar; he made this offering in Bethel to sacrifice to the calves he had made. He also stationed the priests in Bethel for the high places he had made.

1 Kings 12:33 He offered sacrifices on the altar he had set up in Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month. He chose this month on his own. He made a festival for the Israelites, offered sacrifices on the altar, and burned incense.

links:

ACST 2 The Promise
bad call – Devotions
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Friday, October 6, 2023
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Tuesday, October 8, 2019
the price of popularity

The 1 KINGS shelf in Jeff’s library

1 Kings 11

1 Kings 11

1 Kings 11:1 King Solomon loved many foreign women in addition to Pharaoh’s daughter: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women

1 Kings 11:2 from the nations about which Yahveh had told the Israelites, “You must not marry them, and they must not marry you, because they will turn your heart away to follow their gods.” To these women Solomon was deeply attached in love.

1 Kings 11:3 He had seven hundred wives who were princesses and three hundred who were concubines, and they turned his heart away.

1 Kings 11:4 When Solomon was old, his wives turned his heart away to follow other gods. He was not wholeheartedly devoted to Yahveh his God, as his father David had been.

1 Kings 11:5 Solomon followed Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and Milcom, the abhorrent idol of the Ammonites.

1 Kings 11:6 Solomon did what was evil in Yahveh’s sight, and unlike his father David, he did not remain loyal to Yahveh.

1 Kings 11:7 At that time, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh, the abhorrent idol of Moab, and for Milcom, the abhorrent idol of the Ammonites, on the hill across from Jerusalem.

1 Kings 11:8 He did the same for all his foreign wives, who were burning incense and offering sacrifices to their gods.

1 Kings 11:9 Yahveh was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from Yahveh, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.

1 Kings 11:10 He had commanded him about this, so that he would not follow other gods, but Solomon did not do what Yahveh had commanded.

1 Kings 11:11 Then Yahveh said to Solomon, “Since you have done this and did not keep my covenant and my statutes, which I commanded you, I will tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.

1 Kings 11:12 However, I will not do it during your lifetime for the sake of your father David; I will tear it out of your son’s hand.

1 Kings 11:13 Yet I will not tear the entire kingdom away from him. I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem that I chose.”

1 Kings 11:14 So Yahveh raised up Hadad the Edomite as an enemy against Solomon. He was of the royal family in Edom.

1 Kings 11:15 Earlier, when David was in Edom, Joab, the commander of the army, had gone to bury the dead and had struck down every male in Edom.

1 Kings 11:16 For Joab and all Israel had remained there six months, until he had killed every male in Edom.

1 Kings 11:17 Hadad fled to Egypt, along with some Edomites from his father’s servants. At the time Hadad was a small boy.

1 Kings 11:18 Hadad and his men set out from Midian and went to Paran. They took men with them from Paran and went to Egypt, to Pharaoh king of Egypt, who gave Hadad a house, ordered that he be given food, and gave him land.

1 Kings 11:19 Pharaoh liked Hadad so much that he gave him a wife, the sister of his own wife, Queen Tahpenes.

1 Kings 11:20 Tahpenes’s sister gave birth to Hadad’s son Genubath. Tahpenes herself weaned him in Pharaoh’s palace, and Genubath lived there along with Pharaoh’s sons.

1 Kings 11:21 When Hadad heard in Egypt that David rested with his fathers and that Joab, the commander of the army, was dead, Hadad said to Pharaoh, “Let me leave, so I may go to my own land.”

1 Kings 11:22 But Pharaoh asked him, “What do you lack here with me for you to want to go back to your own land?” “Nothing,” he replied, “but please let me leave.”

1 Kings 11:23 God raised up Rezon son of Eliada as an enemy against Solomon. Rezon had fled from his master King Hadadezer of Zobah

1 Kings 11:24 and gathered men to himself. He became leader of a raiding party when David killed the Zobaites. He went to Damascus, lived there, and became king in Damascus.

1 Kings 11:25 Rezon was Israel’s enemy throughout Solomon’s reign, adding to the trouble Hadad had caused. He reigned over Aram and loathed Israel.

1 Kings 11:26 Now Solomon’s servant, Jeroboam son of Nebat, was an Ephraimite from Zeredah. His widowed mother’s name was Zeruah. Jeroboam rebelled against Solomon,

1 Kings 11:27 and this is the reason he rebelled against the king: Solomon had built the supporting terraces and repaired the opening in the wall of the city of his father David.

1 Kings 11:28 Now the man Jeroboam was capable, and Solomon noticed the boy because he was getting things done. So he appointed him over the entire labor force of the house of Joseph.

1 Kings 11:29 During that time, the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite met Jeroboam on the road as Jeroboam came out of Jerusalem. Now Ahijah had wrapped himself with a new cloak, and the two of them were alone in the open field.

1 Kings 11:30 Then Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he had on, tore it into twelve pieces,

1 Kings 11:31 and said to Jeroboam, “Take ten pieces for yourself, for this is what Yahveh God of Israel says: ‘I am about to tear the kingdom out of Solomon’s hand. I will give you ten tribes,

1 Kings 11:32 but one tribe will remain his for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem, the city I chose out of all the tribes of Israel.

1 Kings 11:33 For they have abandoned me; they have bowed down to Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, to Chemosh, the god of Moab, and to Milcom, the god of the Ammonites. They have not walked in my ways to do what is right in my sight and to carry out my statutes and my judgments as his father David did.

1 Kings 11:34 ” ‘However, I will not take the whole kingdom from him but will let him be ruler all the days of his life for the sake of my servant David, whom I chose and who kept my commands and my statutes.

1 Kings 11:35 I will take ten tribes of the kingdom from his son and give them to you.

1 Kings 11:36 I will give one tribe to his son, so that my servant David will always have a lamp before me in Jerusalem, the city I chose for myself to put my name there.

1 Kings 11:37 I will appoint you, and you will reign as king over all you want, and you will be king over Israel.

1 Kings 11:38 ” ‘After that, if you obey all I command you, walk in my ways, and do what is right in my sight in order to keep my statutes and my commands as my servant David did, I will be with you. I will build you a lasting dynasty just as I built for David, and I will give you Israel.

1 Kings 11:39 I will humble David’s descendants, because of their unfaithfulness, but not forever.'”

1 Kings 11:40 Therefore, Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam, but he fled to Egypt, to King Shishak of Egypt, where he remained until Solomon’s death.

1 Kings 11:41 The rest of the events of Solomon’s reign, along with all his accomplishments and his wisdom, are written in the Book of Solomon’s Events.

1 Kings 11:42 The length of Solomon’s reign in Jerusalem over all Israel totaled forty years.

1 Kings 11:43 Solomon rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of his father David. His son Rehoboam became king in his place.

links:

adversaries
Maranatha Daily Devotional – Tuesday, November 8, 2016
not wholeheartedly devoted – Devotions
Sheol in the Bible- The Old Testament Consensus
the collector reflects on human nature

The 1 KINGS shelf in Jeff’s library

On “eternal generation.”

Good morning. I’d like to offer a response to Eric Reynolds’ recent video on the doctrine of eternal generation. Eric raised this topic because our denomination will soon vote on whether to adopt a new Declaration of Principles. In the proposed declaration, article 3 states that Jesus the Son is “eternally begotten of the Father.” This wording comes from the church’s debate with Arianism and was formally expressed in the Nicene Creed of AD 325: “God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, of the same essence as the Father.”

Eric urges Advent Christians to adopt this new Declaration of Principles because it makes clear where we stand in reference to the nature of Christ. It certainly does that. But I suggest that Eric went too far when he said, “You cannot be a Christian and reject the eternal begottenness of Jesus.”

First, many sincere Christians throughout the early centuries wrestled with how Scripture describes Jesus as the monogenēs of the Father (John 1:14, 18; 3:16, 18; 1 John 4:9). The Nicene theologians did not settle on their formulation immediately; their conclusions emerged only after generations of debate and reflection, eventually taking shape centuries later.

Secondly, the New Testament never uses the adjective “eternal” (αἰώνιος) to describe:

Christ as monogenēs, or

Christ’s generation/procession from the Father.

The NT simply does not pair aiōnios with monogenēs, nor with any verb of begetting, sending, or proceeding.

In other words, the Bible does not specifically teach eternal generation. It may be true, but Advent Christians have historically been wary of accepting theological constructions just because other Christians believe them to be true.

Thirdly, it was no surprise to me that, almost immediately after the proposed 2026 Declaration of Principles was published, people from many different perspectives began questioning its language. In several areas, the new proposal uses theological terms with a precision unfamiliar to many Advent Christians, while in other areas it introduces ambiguity where our current Declaration has traditionally been quite clear.

Over the past several weeks, I’ve received many emails and phone calls, and I’ve sat down with people from various backgrounds—all of whom share serious concerns about the proposed changes. Because of these conversations, I am persuaded that 2026 is not the year for our denomination to alter its guiding principles. If you are a delegate at the August triennial convention, please vote NO on the proposed revision to the Declaration of Principles. And if your church is sending delegates, please ask them to vote NO as well.

Thank you.

Jefferson Vann

For the video of the above, see: