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THE PROPHET VISITS JEROBOAM

I Kings 13

Elementary Lesson

Year Two, Quarter One, Lesson Three

Sunday, January 14, 2018

AIM: to use the story of this prophet to teach my students that we must always obey God’s Word.

OBJECTS TO HAVE: A picture of a golden calf

A picture of an altar

A picture of an oak tree

A picture of a big meal

A picture of a lion

Your Bible

POINT OF CONTACT: Have you ever played “hide-and-seek” before? When you play hide-and-seek, of course,

you have to have rules. First of all, you have to decide where the “base” is going to be. Then, you have to decide

where your boundaries are. And then you have to decide how long the person who is “it” is going to count. Let’s

pretend we were going to play tag this morning. I’m the teacher, so I’ll make the rules. First, I tell you that this

chair is the base. Then I tell you that I’ve decided that the boundaries are the whole Sunday School area. And I say

that when you’re it, you have to count 25 seconds.

Now, let’s suppose that you’re “it” first. While you count to 25, we all go hide. After you count to 25, you come

and look for us. While you’re looking for us, we try to get back to the base before you can tag us. But, let’s say that

you find me and tag me before I can get to the base. So that means that now I’m “it.” So I go to the base and cover

my eyes. But before I count I say: “When you’re it, you have to count to 25; but when I’m it, I only have to count

to 5. When you’re it, we can hide anywhere we want to in the downstairs; but when I’m it, you can only hide right

here in our classroom. This will make the game much easier for me.” Let me ask you a question: should there be

one set of rules for you, and a different set of rules for me? No! We all have to play by the same rules.

Now, you see, God made one set of rules for all of us. We all have to live by the same rules. But today I am going

to tell you about a man who was sent by God to announce the rules, but then he forgot, and he broke that rule himself.

STORY: I’m going to need your help today. As I tell the story, I’m going to need some of you to help me act out

the story. This story begins with King Jeroboam. Jeroboam was the king of the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Last

Sunday I told you how Jeroboam did a wicked thing. Jeroboam disobeyed God and built 2 golden calves. He told

the people of his kingdom that there was a brand new religion in the land. He told them that from now on, everyone

was supposed to offer sacrifices to those two golden calves. This was wicked for many reasons. The first reason it

was wicked is that it broke God’s very first commandment: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Jeroboam

should not have made those golden calves, and he should not have told the people of Israel to worship those golden

calves.

Then Jeroboam made a holiday on the 15th day of the month, and he commanded all of the people to offer sacrifices

on that holiday. The people would have to travel to the city of Dan or the city of Bethel to offer sacrifices to those

calves on that 15th day of the month. Jeroboam would stand at the altar, next to his calf, and offer the sacrifices for

the people. Now I need someone to be Jeroboam for me. Come stand over here next to the altar.

God did not like what Jeroboam had done. So God sent a preacher to go tell Jeroboam that He did not like what

Jeroboam had done. Who wants to be that preacher for me? God told that preacher: “Here’s what I want you to do:

I want you to go straight to Jeroboam while he is standing next to the altar. I want you to tell him that the altar is

wicked. I want you to tell him that some day that altar is going to be destroyed by a king named Josiah. And tell

Jeroboam that he must obey the Word of God.” Now, I want all of you to help me say that phrase, “He must obey

the Word of God.” Tell him that he must obey the Word of God. Very good. Now, preacher, do you understand?

Go and tell him that he must obey the Word of God. Say it again, he must obey the Word of God. Good.

Now preacher, one more thing. Before you go, I have some special instructions for YOU. When you finish giving

Jeroboam my message (What is my message? He must obey the Word of God. Good), I don’t want you to take any

SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON Kings and Prophets

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food from anyone. I don’t want you to take a drink from anyone. I want you to come straight back home, and I want

you to come home a different way than the way that you went. Got it? Now, let’s review it, because I want you to

get it right. First, go to the altar, and tell Jeroboam that he must obey the Word of God. Right. Then don’t take

any what? Food, that’s right, and don’t accept any what? Water. Very good. Come straight back home; but come

home a different way than the way that you went. Good job, preacher. Now, get going.

So, the preacher did what God told him to do. He went to Bethel where Jeroboam had the altar set up next to the

golden calf. With Jeroboam standing right there next to the altar, the preacher preached the sermon in front of

everybody. “Altar, I have come in the name of the Lord. God has said that a king named Josiah is going to arise,

and he is going to burn all of these false priests on the altar. This altar is wicked in the sight of God. It is going to

be broken into pieces. Jeroboam, God says that you must obey the Word of God.”

Well, Jeroboam did not like what the preacher was saying. So Jeroboam reached out his hand and said to his guards,

“Get him, boys!” But when Jeroboam reached out his arm, his arm froze. He couldn’t move it. It was like it went

dead. Jeroboam screamed, “Help! My arm! Hey preacher, please, help me!” The preacher prayed for Jeroboam,

and Jeroboam’s arm was healed. Jeroboam said, “Whoo! That’s better! Thank you preacher.” Then Jeroboam said,

“Hey, preacher, since you healed my arm, won’t you come back to my house, let me feed you, and give you a drink,

and give you a nice reward, and then you can be on your way!”

And that preacher said, “No, I cannot. God has commanded me not to take any food or drink from anybody, and I

must obey the Word of God.” Then, the preacher turned around, and went home a different way than he came.

Well, there was an old, old preacher living in Bethel near where Jeroboam’s altar was. Who wants to be the old

preacher for me? Good. That old preacher wasn’t really the kind of preacher that he should have been. But when

he heard what the brave young preacher had done, he wanted to meet him. So the old preacher got on his donkey,

and he set out to find the brave young preacher. Finally, he found the young preacher sitting under an oak tree. The

old preacher said, “Young man, I’m a preacher. I heard what you did with the king today, and I want you to know

that I’m proud of you. I’d be honored to have you come and eat at my house.”

The young preacher said, “No, sir. God gave me clear instructions not to take food from anyone, not to take a drink

from anyone, and to go home a different way than the way I came. And I must obey the Word of God.”

The old man said, “Well, son, I admire that. But, like I said, I’m a preacher, too. And God spoke to me, too. And

God told me to tell you that it would be okay to go against what He told you before. He told me that He would make

an exception for you.” But you see, kids, that old preacher was lying! God never changes His Word. God never

goes against His own Word. And God never wants you to go against His Word.

The young preacher thought for a second. Then he said, “Well, I am awfully hungry and thirsty. And if that’s what

God told you…okay, I’ll come to your house.” The young preacher came back, and ate with the old preacher. But

while they were eating, the Lord spoke through the old preacher and said to the young preacher, “You have disobeyed

me. You should not have gone against the word that I commanded you. Because you disobeyed the word of God,

you will not make it back to Judah safely.”

The young preacher’s heart was broken. He finished his meal, he got up, and he started home. On his way home, a

young lion jumped out into the road, and killed that young preacher. Why? Because he had told Jeroboam, “You

must obey the Word of God.” But he himself turned his back on the Word of God. The same rule that applied to

Jeroboam applied to that young preacher.

You see, kids, God’s rules are for everybody. Nobody sins against God and gets away with it. You may know

somebody who is living in sin, and it may seem like he’s having a great time, but he is going to find out that sin hurts

and sin kills.

The same goes for you, too. If you play around with sin, you are going to find out that sin hurts, and sin kills. You

must obey the Word of God. I must obey the Word of God. Your friends must obey the Word of God. Our

Pastor must obey the Word of God. God’s rules are for everybody.

That young preacher did a brave thing when he stood before Jeroboam. But he failed to realize that the same rules

that applied to Jeroboam also applied to him.

Let’s learn our memory verse. James 1:22 – But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own

selves.

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THE PROPHET VISITS JEROBOAM

I Kings 13

Teen and Adult Lesson

Year Two, Quarter One, Lesson Three

Sunday, January 14, 2018

Teacher, choose one of the following truths to expand upon in teaching this portion of Scripture to your

teen/adult class. Teach and apply the truth that you choose using statements and illustrations that are most

helpful and applicable to your students.

I. GOD DEALS WITH SIN ON HIS TIMETABLE. God sent this prophet to

declare a message against Jeroboam’s altar; but it was a message that would not

be fulfilled for over 300 years. God deals with things in His time, which is

always the right time. Just because you don’t see things dealt with when you

think they should be dealt with does not mean that God is not doing anything

about it. He knows exactly when and how to deal with things.

II. WE OUGHT TO DESIRE TO DO WHATEVER JOB GOD NEEDS US TO

DO. The name of this prophet is not given, though his message was of great

importance. It is not important that our names be known; what should matter to

each of us is that we are ready and willing to do the job that God wants us to do.

III. GOD REQUIRES EACH OF US TO FOLLOW HIS INSTRUCTIONS. This

prophet was coming to rebuke Jeroboam for not following God’s instructions;

yet the prophet himself failed to keep God’s instructions in the delivery of the

message. None of us is exempt from following God’s instructions to us. This

man died for failing to follow God’s instructions.

IV. GOD’S WORD DOES NOT CHANGE. The older preacher deceived the

younger preacher into thinking that God had changed His instructions. His

? deception may seem unfair to us; nevertheless, it was this young prophet’s duty

to know that God’s Word does not change. It is a difficult decision when we are

faced with rejecting the instructions of someone we respect, when their

instructions conflict with God’s Word; yet, it is our duty to always adhere to

God’s Word.

V. GOD ALWAYS VINDICATES HIS PEOPLE. 2 Kings 23:15-18. Over 300

years later, this prophet’s prophecy regarding Josiah was fulfilled. And after

300 years, the people of that city still knew who that unnamed prophet was. God

stood by His man, and validated his message and his ministry.

SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON Kings and Prophets

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God Uses an Unnamed Messenger

I. I KINGS 13:1-

1-5 The prophet gives Jeroboam a sign

6-

8-

II. I KINGS 13:11-

11-

16-

III. I KINGS 13:19-24 The

20-

23-

IV. I KINGS 13:25-

25-28 The old prophet finds the youn

29-30 The old prophet buries the young prophet in his own grave

31-32 The old prophet asks to be buried with the young prophet

V. I KINGS 13:33-

house is condemned

Adult Bible Class

The Prophet Visits Jeroboam I Kings 13

Sunday, January 14, 2018

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THE PROPHET VISITS JEROBOAM I Kings 13

Sunday, January 14, 2018

God sent a prophet to destroy the altar of Jeroboam’s wicked false religion.

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only,

deceiving your own selves.

JAMES 1:22

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________ 1. Jeroboam was the king of the southern kingdom.

________ 2. Jeroboam had built two golden donkeys and told the people

to worship them.

________ 3. God sent a prophet to Jeroboam, to preach against the altar

that Jeroboam had built.

________ 4. The prophet foretold the coming of a king of Judah named

Josiah.

________ 5. God instructed the prophet that on this trip he was not to

take any food or drink from anybody.

________ 6. Jeroboam was very happy to hear the prophet’s message.

________ 7. When Jeroboam’s arm stiffened, the prophet prayed for

him and his arm was instantly healed.

________ 8. An old prophet in Bethel told his sons to lie to the young

preacher, to get the young prophet to come eat with him.

________ 9. It was okay for the young prophet to go to the old prophet’s

house, because he was a prophet.

________ 10. God sometimes changes His mind about what is right and

wrong.

The Prophet Visits Jeroboam

I Kings 13 Sunday, January 14, 2018

From today’s Bible story, write “TRUE” next to each true statement below,

and “FALSE” next to each false statement.

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only,

deceiving your own selves. JAMES 1:22

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FALSE 1. Jeroboam was the king of the southern kingdom.

FALSE 2. Jeroboam had built two golden donkeys and told the people

to worship them.

TRUE 3. God sent a prophet to Jeroboam, to preach against the altar

that Jeroboam had built.

TRUE 4. The prophet foretold the coming of a king of Judah named

Josiah.

TRUE 5. God instructed the prophet that on this trip he was not to

take any food or drink from anybody.

FALSE 6. Jeroboam was very happy to hear the prophet’s message.

TRUE 7. When Jeroboam’s arm stiffened, the prophet prayed for

him and his arm was instantly healed.

TRUE 8. An old prophet in Bethel told his sons to lie to the young

preacher, to get the young prophet to come eat with him.

FALSE 9. It was okay for the young prophet to go to the old prophet’s

house, because he was a prophet.

FALSE 10. God sometimes changes His mind about what is right and

wrong.

The Prophet Visits Jeroboam

I Kings 13 Sunday, January 14, 2018

The answers to today’s puzzle