Its not uncommon to see unattended stores in our neighborhoods these days, and no amount of surveillance and warning signs will stop someone who is determined to steal from them. We cant control people with surveillance, but we cant escape Gods eyes. God is always watching over each of us, and He never sleeps or slumbers. Today, lets consider together what the Lord saw in Jeroboam II, what the consequences were, and how we should respond.
First, He sees my wicked ways.
In the 15th year of Amaziahs reign as king of Southern Judah, Jeroboam II became the fourth king of the Jehu dynasty. His father, Joash, had been favored by Elisha, but because he did not know the Word, he named his son Jeroboam, which means multiply the people. The Bible records Jeroboam the son of Nebat as being synonymous with evil, and Jeroboam the son of Joash, like his namesake, greatly expanded the territory, boomed the economy, and increased the population. But after 41 years of glorious reign, Jeroboam the son of Joash did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord (v. 24). Literally, 'in the eyes of the LORD' means 'in the eyes of the LORD,' and 'eyes' means judgment. So he hasnt turned away from all the sins of Jeroboam I, and God says, 'I see and take note of this wicked man!' He expands Israels territory from the mouth of the Hamath to the Sea of Arava, restoring the glory of Solomons time. This prosperity is no accident, but a word from God through the prophet Jonah. God, who is not deceived, sees Jeroboams unwillingness to repent of his values of prosperity and success, which are masked by greed and pride, and calls his 41-year reign 'wickedness' in a single word. You should know that no matter how prosperous we are, God concludes that any unrepentant behavior is 'evil.'
Second, He sees my severe affliction.
God allowed the wicked Jeroboam to prosper because He saw the severe affliction of Israel (v. 26). In 1 Kings 14:10 and 21:21, when God saw Jeroboam, Asherah, and Ahab worshiping the golden calf and Baal, He was extremely angry and warned that He would sweep away those who were bound so that they would know the contagiousness of sin and how great and severe the cost of sin is. Yet this same passage is presented in todays text as the reason for saving Northern Israel. God, who loves Israel to the end, is not using this as a punishment, but rather as a 'preparatory step for restoration.' As it says, Northern Israel goes from extreme hardship to suddenly enjoying a heyday because the LORD has seen the wickedness, and he has seen the severe hardship. The power to bring about the heyday of my life is not in me, my family, or my circumstances. Life reversal is only possible when the LORD sees it.
Northern Israels outward affliction was the uninterrupted Aramean abuse that continued from the time of Jehu to the time of Joash. But there is an even worse affliction than the outward affliction, and that is the 'evil' of Jeroboams refusal to leave his sin. As Jeremiah 2:19 says, 'Know that the absence of the fear of God in you is evil and torment,' and that not returning to God and repenting is the worst of all afflictions. No matter what kind of despair you are in, if you repent and live from the place of suffering, I believe that God, who sees us, will surely save you. Remember that life is as short as a tree cut down at the base, but God sees it as a reward.
Third, I should also see God.
Verse 27 says, 'For the LORD had not promised to remove the name of Israel from the face of the earth but he saved it by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash.' It makes it clear that the restoration of Northern Israels territory was something that God saved by the hand of Jeroboam, and it emphasizes that it was only according to Gods word. God loves northern Israel so much that He even doubles down and says, 'I never said I wouldnt help you,' and He says, 'I never said I wouldnt help you,' and He says, 'I never said I wouldnt help you,' and He finds and finds and finds and finds a reason to help you until the very end, even though youre a people who have nothing to say to Him, even though you could wipe them off the face of the earth.' And then Jeroboams 41 years of great prosperity ends in just seven verses. If it doesnt lead to salvation, it passes in one line. No matter what kind of life Im living, if I listen to You right now, if I seek You and seek Your will, thats the 'beginning of repentance' - seeing You and turning back to You. It is Gods heart to grow us in holiness we must know this love and see and love the Lord with all our hearts.
The community confession is a QT posted by a shepherd in the couples chat room. Our oldest child, who is in middle school, is said to become emotional when something unpleasant happens at school, disrupting the class and turning off even the normally friendly kids. So the teacher asked his parents to apologize and ask for forgiveness in front of his classmates. When we first got the call, we were frustrated as to why our child, the victim, should apologize, but as a pastoral prescription, his dad stood in front of the kids instead of his tearful wife. That morning, I meditated on Jeremiah Cuties words, 'He who surrenders lives,' and I apologized to my children with a heart of surrender, laying down my resentment. I also confessed my sin of not taking good care of my child due to my frequent business trips abroad. Later that day, as I meditated on the Word, I realized that I had built my own house of fornication and unrighteousness instead of a house for my family and community, and the Lord struck and tore it down through my child, saying, 'Will you be king?' I repented. People, it is not about people and circumstances, but about me listening to the Word right now.
God sees my wickedness, and He sees my severe affliction. I should not envy my evil condition, but know that God notices and sees me, and I should see God. Seeking the Lord and asking for His will is the beginning of repentance to return to God. May we be the ones who lift up our hands in prayer, believing that the Lord is there to help our families and our country when there seems to be no one to help.
