1 Kings 14

We’re going to have a quiz. What is Bill Gates devoted to? The expected answer is computers. What is Colonel Sanders devoted to? Chicken. What is Hugh Hefner devoted to? Impurity, immorality and perversion. What is Papa John devoted to? Pizza!

We can answer questions about those mentioned above because we have seen the results of their devotion. We’ve seen them pursue their devotion and succeed in it.

So the question for today is, “Who or what are we devoted to?” What are the identifying marks of our lives?

Many forces are battling for our devotion, from people to politics to food and retail establishments, as well as varying emotions and attitudes. Which forces are “winning” in our lives?

In 1 Kings 14 God describes several different types of devotion. Our challenge is to battle for devotion to that which pleases Him.

Devotion to Self (Read 1 Kings 14:1-3)
Jeroboam heads our list of people devoted to self. While we’ve seen many others exhibit this trait throughout our study, his selfish nature is one of the most obvious.

After accepting God’s call to be king of Israel, he immediately struck out on his own. In these three verses we see him in crisis, but rather than turn to God in repentance and acknowledgement of his need, he simply wanted “to know what will happen.” He seemed concerned about his son’s illness, but not enough to humble himself and seek the only One who could truly help him.

He was first of all bossy and aloof. He ordered his wife around and expected Ahijah to fall into his plan. His son was sick, and he wouldn’t even make the effort to go for help himself.

He was deceptive. He obviously feared Ahijah and felt the need to lie. Manipulation and misrepresentation may fool everyday people, but they do not fool the Lord.

He was…(I could not think of a more appropriate word!)…dumb. This man knew the truth. He had encountered the one true God of the universe, been given a lifetime of promises and blessings, and lived to see the beginning of their fulfillment. He still had time to give his devotion to the Lord, and yet he continued to follow a path that would surely lead to death and destruction. Dumb is just the only word that comes to mind.

It’s like a respected doctor telling you he can provide necessary treatment for an illness, but you choose to try to “work it out yourself.”

Devotion to self is characterized by a bossy aloofness, deception and manipulation, and ignorance (though we may not see it immediately).  In what area of your life are you battling a devotion to self? Jesus can help you win that battle if you will simply turn to Him.

Devotion to God (Read 1 Kings 14:4-18)
While we will discuss many different aspects of this passage, let’s begin with the positive role models. Ahijah, David and Abijah (Jeroboam’s son) represent those with an appropriate devotion to God.

Devotion to God is not dependent on physical wholeness. Ahijah had proven himself through each call of God and continued his faithfulness in this next challenge. However, he was older at this point and as verse 4 says, “his sight was gone because of his age.” A critical element in remaining true to the Lord is not allowing physical limitations to end our availability to Him.

I can be the biggest baby when I get sick or have any physical inconvenience. I am not proud of it, and through this lesson have been reminded once again that God can still work through my frail humanness.

God has blessed me with so many wonderful examples of those who serve in spite of ALS, cancer, broken bodies, and even broken hearts. May we all refresh our commitment to Him in such times!

Devotion to God is and always will be marked by continual communication with Him in the form of both speaking and listening. I love the way God told Ahijah everything in advance! He completely prepared His prophet for the task ahead. He will prepare us as well – if we will simply make ourselves available to Him.

Devotion to God is truthful and obedient. Ahijah’s assignment was not a pleasant one; however he wasted no time in fulfilling it. I imagine myself delaying that type of situation, but disobedience causes more harm than good. Whatever God has called you to do, He will sustain you through it. What has He called you to today? How are you responding?

Devotion to God is also characterized by the three main descriptions of David in verse 8, “David…kept My commands and followed Me with all his heart, doing only what was right in My eyes.” The Lord seeks those who will partner with Him in every way, who are concerned with pleasing Him above all. Who are we trying to please?

Devotion to God is about developing His characteristics in our lives. When verse 13 speaks of Abijah’s predicted death it says, “he is the only one in the house of Jeroboam in whom, the LORD…has found anything good.” Jesus explained in Mark 10:18, “No one is good except God alone.” Therefore any goodness within us has come from Him. Abijah had begun developing a relationship with the one, true God even in the midst of a godless household and country. What traits are we developing daily?

How are you battling devotion to God? What is getting in the way of your relationship with the Lord? He is worth fighting for!

Devotion to Silence (focusing on Jeroboam’s wife in previously read verses)
Jeroboam’s wife is easy to dismiss as a pawn in the big story, but it seems to me that she was silent to a fault. Silence in the face of her husband’s consistently bad choices helped no one. It may have been her culture (Egyptian) or her attempt at avoiding conflict, but if for no other reason, the life of her child should have motivated her to speak up for some type of change.

Complete silence in any relationship is not a relationship – it’s a dictatorship. God has called us to healthy communication of ideas and thoughts in every relationship. Which relationships have a muzzle on you? Examine them for God’s wisdom. Ecclesiastes 3:7b reminds us, “There is a time to be silent and time to speak.” Don’t neglect those speaking opportunities.

Jeroboam’s wife was not only devoted to silence toward her husband (and probably other relationships), she was silent toward God. As Ahijah brought forth his very difficult prediction about her son, I have no doubt she could have cried out to God at that moment and changed the course of events. But she never sought Him out. She simply walked away. Have you walked away from God in any way? He will welcome you back immediately if you simply call out to Him!

Devotion to False Gods (Read 1 Kings 14:19-24)
These verses about Judah and the previous verses about Israel, give us a brief glimpse of the alternate worship the people had chosen. Asherah poles, male shrine prostitutes, and detestable practices consumed both lands. The God who delivered them from Egypt was forgotten and “thrust behind their backs” (see verse 9).

While it is easy to shake our heads in wonder that they would desert Him, we must examine our own lives for anything that replaces God and His daily lordship. Unfortunately simple things like television and monetary pursuits, even people (often unintentionally) regularly replace God’s importance in our lives, making us no different than God’s wayward people.

What false gods are you battling?

Devotion to Fluctuation (Read 1 Kings 21-24 (again) and 25-28)
Rehoboam mastered the art of vacillating between devotion to self and devotion to God. 2 Chronicles 11-12 gives a more complete picture of his reign including the first three years of devotion to the Lord, the subsequent abandoning of God by him and the people, the punishment of God through Shishak’s invasion, and immediate repentance when confronted by God’s prophet Shemaiah.

God honors a humble heart toward him any time. The times of fluctuation lead to unnecessary destruction and defeat. In what way are you fluctuating in your devotion to God? Bring it to him today, and be blessed!

Devotion to War (Read 1 Kings 25-28 (again) & 29-31)
Rehoboam, Jeroboam and Shishak were devoted to war at the expense of devotion to God. Shishak represents wars against our enemies, while Rehoboam and Jeroboam’s wars represent battles among family and friends. Unlike David’s wars which were part of God’s call on his life to establish Israel, these wars were godless choices made by wayward men. In what way are you “at war” in your life? In your job? Your finances? Your relationships? Your commitments? Your ministry? Are those wars part of accomplishing God’s call or the result of a devotion apart from God?

We mentioned in the beginning several men and their “identifiable devotions.” What is the identifiable devotion in your life? Most importantly is your devotion to God identifiable…especially to Him? What devotions do we need to eliminate? What devotions do we need to develop more fully?

The battle for your devotion is real. Who will win that battle in your life?