Growing Older and Wiser in the Faith

1. 1 Kings 11 – 14 The Fall of King Solomon & the Reign of King Jeroboam Growing Older and Wiser in the Faith

2. Temptations We Face as Older Believers • Selfishness • Feeling Worthless • Stinginess • Giving Up • Morbidity • Feeling Abandoned • Bitterness • Despair • Doubt Doubt

3. Doubt • As we’ve discussed for the past 13 weeks, old age may not be what we think it will be • For some it can be delightful and beautiful, but for many getting old is difficult work • In fact, it may be the most difficult test of one’s entire life • Thus the greatest challenges (and temptations to sin) can be at the end of life, not in adolescence • When an old person faces pain, abandonment, and death and their old age did not turn out to be the icing on the cake, they can be tempted to doubt God’s goodness • Thoughts come into their loneliness saying, “You gave your whole life to God and the church and look what you got for it – is that how God rewards His servants?”

4. Doubt • The Enemy says, “So now you lost your wife, you lost your driving privileges, you have to move in with you son” • “Then they put you in this nursing home, the pastor and people (and even your own children) seldom come to see you…you are forgotten” • “Is that what God has given you for your life of service to the church? How could God be good if this is how He rewards your faithfulness?” • So older saints are tempted to surrender to the Enemy’s line of thought and doubt the goodness of God • Doubt is a besetting temptation of old age How do we resist the temptation to doubt?

5. Resisting the Temptation to Doubt • Admit that the Devil tempts even old saints to doubt the goodness of God • Share these temptations and pray for each other • Read faith affirming books that focus on what “Christians at all times and in all places have believed” • Keep your focus off the things that have changed (dress, behaviors, music, church rules, etc.) • Focus on the things that never change – those in the ancient creeds and the claims of the gospel

6. Live According To The Faith You Still Have • Remember, doubt is not unbelief … it is the bridge that connects our current faith to perfect faith • And that bridge will stand until our death or Christ’s return • When we go through a faith crisis, though, we don’t naturally see things this way • Once doubt enters and infects our lives on a conscious level, we may interpret it as outright unbelief • Do not let doubt influence your lives such that you start living like unbelievers • We must continue to live as Christians, repenting and believing the gospel, even if we don’t always feel like Christians

7. Doubt Your Doubts • Why give your doubt a courtesy you don’t give your faith? • Is your doubt so compelling that it can’t be questioned? • When we go through times of doubt, we need to make sure we are critical of our doubts as well • Doubt usually doesn’t offer a better solution; it just nags at the one we already have • For Christians, we can be sure that the central truths of our faith will never be outweighed by our doubt • Pestered, yes • But never, when we learn to doubt our doubts, should our faith be overthrown

8. Have Mercy On Those Who Doubt Jude 22 tells us to “have mercy on those who doubt” • It is easy to judge, condemn, and look down on doubters as if they are second-rate Christians • But to have mercy on those who doubt is to be there for them, comforting and building them up • Many times, this isn’t just an overnight bout with doubt that ends after a good night’s sleep • Some are doubters for a lifetime; it’s just in their nature • You need to learn to have mercy on them (and on yourself) • You may have to answer the same questions over and over again; that’s all right • It’s an opportunity for you to learn and practice patience

10. 1 Kings 11 – 14 The Fall of King Solomon & the Reign of King Jeroboam Growing Older and Wiser in the Faith Week #13 – 1 Kings 14:1-20

11. Dealing with a Sick Child • Today they would put the child in the hospital • The nurses would come and go at all hours of the day and night, checking vital signs and adjusting equipment before hurrying off to the next patient • The parents would sit anxiously by the bedside, listening to the whoosh of the ventilator • They would arrange the stuffed animals and the get-well cards, waiting desperately for some doctor to come and give them test results

12. Dealing with a Sick Child • Things were different in biblical times • There were no hospitals, heart monitors, or surgical procedures • Yet the great fear that clutched at the throat of every mother and father was the same: the fear of losing a beloved child • When the deadly fear of death comes – as it comes to everyone eventually in one form or another – we face a spiritual choice that reveals the true condition of our soul • Are we ready to face the great matters of life and death?

13. Facing Life or Death • Either we will trust in God with a genuine and humble faith, submitting to His sovereignty over life and death • Or else we will desperately grasp for anything to give us more control … perhaps some medical procedure or superstition that might give us the hope of survival • We may even use religion to try to manipulate God into giving us what we want • Many people who say they do not believe in God nevertheless pray for bedside miracles First Kings 14 tells the story of one child's illness and one family's struggle with life and death

14. 1 Kings 14:1-20 So with apologies to Dr. James Dobson, it is time now to ….

15. 1 Kings 14:1-3 1At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick. 2And Jeroboam said to his wife, "Arise, and disguise yourself, that it not be known that you are the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh. Behold, Ahijah the prophet is there, who said of me that I should be king over this people. 3Take with you ten loaves, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what shall happen to the child." • It was a medical crisis, because in the ancient world there was no such thing as a routine illness; almost any sickness could end in death • Jeroboam was the king of Israel, so Abijah was the crown prince – the rightful heir to his father's throne • It was not just the boy's life that was in danger, therefore, but the royal dynasty • This situation was a real crisis • In what ways was this a • medical crisis? • political crisis? • spiritual crisis?

16. 1 Kings 14:1-3 1At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick. 2And Jeroboam said to his wife, "Arise, and disguise yourself, that it not be known that you are the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh. Behold, Ahijah the prophet is there, who said of me that I should be king over this people. 3Take with you ten loaves, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what shall happen to the child." • In ways that Jeroboam did not yet fully understand, this was also a spiritual crisis • The child's illness was yet another (!) gracious opportunity for the king to turn back to God • Every illness is a reminder that we live in a fallen world, that our bodies are weak and that one day we will die • Therefore, every illness is an opportunity to grow in faith • The same can be said of every trial we face • What problems are we facing in life, and what does God want us to learn about trusting in Him? • This situation was a real crisis • In what ways was this a • spiritual crisis?

17. 1 Kings 14:1-3 1At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick. 2And Jeroboam said to his wife, "Arise, and disguise yourself, that it not be known that you are the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh. Behold, Ahijah the prophet is there, who said of me that I should be king over this people. 3Take with you ten loaves, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what shall happen to the child." Instead of praying for mercy and trusting the Lord, what does Jeroboam do instead? • Jeroboam tried to work the religious system • Refusing to submit to the sovereignty of his Creator, he tried to manipulate God into giving him what he wanted • He did this by way of a crafty deception with his wife

18. 1 Kings 14:1-3 1At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick. 2And Jeroboam said to his wife, "Arise, and disguise yourself, that it not be known that you are the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh. Behold, Ahijah the prophet is there, who said of me that I should be king over this people. 3Take with you ten loaves, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what shall happen to the child." • There might be good reasons for hiding from Ahijah the prophet, but the king's first priority is to disguise his wife from his own people • He doesn’t want to be seen undermining his own cult practices as his wife travels south through Israel seeking a word from God by means of Ahijah • The same people whom Jeroboam first feared would defect are now the ones he would prefer not to be acquainted with his wife's venture to Shiloh Why does Jeroboam tell his wife to disguise herself?

19. 1 Kings 14:1-3 1At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick. 2And Jeroboam said to his wife, "Arise, and disguise yourself, that it not be known that you are the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh. Behold, Ahijah the prophet is there, who said of me that I should be king over this people. 3Take with you ten loaves, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what shall happen to the child." • They tell us that deep down, Jeroboam actually believed in the one true God • Even though he rejected God, when things got desperate he knew which God he had rejected • We know this because when the king was in trouble, he did not turn to one of his own priests • Instead, he went for help to the only prophet he knew who had the power to speak for God, the one who had promised him a kingdom What do the words to his wife reveal about the spiritual condition of Rehoboam?

20. Dealing with the Unsaved • This shows us something important about people who do not have a saving relationship with Jesus Christ • Whether people admit it or not, everyone believes in God, including atheists • The Bible says that God's eternal power is evident to everyone, and that even people who refuse to honor Him know that He is really there (see Romans 1:18-21) • For some people, this becomes obvious when they get desperate for a cure, or have some other problem in life, and end up turning for help to a Christian friend – someone who seems to have direct access to God

21. Dealing with the Unsaved • In our witness for Christ, we should make it our goal to be a go-to person for spiritual assistance • People outside the church may not be ready to consider the claims of Christ • But if we constantly love them with the truth, they will know how much we care about them and remember what we say about spiritual things • By the grace of God, when the time is right we will get an opportunity to give them the good news of salvation

22. 1 Kings 14:1-3 1At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick. 2And Jeroboam said to his wife, "Arise, and disguise yourself, that it not be known that you are the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh. Behold, Ahijah the prophet is there, who said of me that I should be king over this people. 3Take with you ten loaves, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what shall happen to the child." • While he “believed” in God, he doubted His omniscience, His power to know all things • Otherwise, why would he attempt a disguise? • Somehow he believed that God's prophet would never catch on to his deception • This would enable him to get a good word from God – not the bad news he deserved, but the good news he hoped to get about his son's recovery In what ways do Jeroboam's words also reveal his diminished and distorted view of God?

23. Selective Hearing • What many people want from God is not the truth they need to hear, but the immediate help they wish they deserved but really don't • Jeroboam wants the help of the Word in the emergencies of life but not the rule of the Word over the course of life • To avoid making the same mistake, we need to ask ourselves what we are hearing from God: the truth we need, or only the message we want to hear? • If we want the true Word of the all-knowing God, we have to accept the bad news about our sin as well as the good news about the grace of God • This is Bill Brumma’s new hearing aid from the VA hospital • Wonder what he hears on the “wife” setting?

24. 1 Kings 14:1-3 1At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick. 2And Jeroboam said to his wife, "Arise, and disguise yourself, that it not be known that you are the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh. Behold, Ahijah the prophet is there, who said of me that I should be king over this people. 3Take with you ten loaves, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what shall happen to the child." • Given the way that he was running his kingdom, it would never do for him to appear before Ahijah in person since he had broken God’s law many times • This probably explains why he felt as if he needed to mask his true intentions • If he went in person, Ahijah was sure to condemn him, & then what hope would there be for his son? • Much better for him to send his wife incognito, in the hope that she would go unrecognized Do the actions of Rehoboam reveal a guilty conscience here?

25. Why do we have a continual tendency to try to deceive and be lacking in openness both with the Lord and each other? • Deep down, all of us know that we do not measure up to God's perfect standard, either • We have done many things that we should not have done and failed to do many things that we should have done • Desperate for God to accept us, or to give us what we want, we often pretend to be something we are not • We disguise ourselves, concealing our wicked intentions, hoping against hope that God will never find out • Wishing that there might be good news for us, even if it is not the truth, we pretend to be someone other than who we really are, even when we go to church

30. This was Jeroboam's foible • He thought he was a sharp king simply dealing with an old man (Ahijah) • He forgot that every time one deals with the word of God one is dealing with the God whose word it is • The word of God is not some extra-neous object out there for us to squeeze to our liking; rather it’s always warm with the very breath of God • YHWH is never detached from His word; Jeroboam & other superstitious folks learn that to their dismay • That word is not ours to capture but it is free, and it exposes us right down to our hidden motives

31. 1 Kings 14:4-6 4Jeroboam's wife did so. She arose and went to Shiloh and came to the house of Ahijah. Now Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were dim because of his age. 5And the Lord said to Ahijah, "Behold, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to inquire of you concerning her son, for he is sick. Thus and thus shall you say to her.” When she came, she pretended to be another woman. 6But when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, he said, "Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why do you pretend to be another? For I am charged with unbearable news for you.” What information are we given about the prophet Ahijah? • The old prophet was visually impaired, suffering from failing eyesight; this would seem to put him at a further disadvantage • How would he ever be able to see through Mrs. Jeroboam's disguise?

32. 1 Kings 14:4-6 4Jeroboam's wife did so. She arose and went to Shiloh and came to the house of Ahijah. Now Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were dim because of his age. 5And the Lord said to Ahijah, "Behold, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to inquire of you concerning her son, for he is sick. Thus and thus shall you say to her.” When she came, she pretended to be another woman. 6But when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, he said, "Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why do you pretend to be another? For I am charged with unbearable news for you.” • Ahijah was the true prophet of God, thus his apparent disability did not matter in the least • Our physical limitations do not limit the Holy Spirit's ability to use us to do God's work • Though this man was blind, yet he could see by the revelation of God’s Spirit, who would tell him everything he needed to know What information are we given about the prophet Ahijah?

33. Foolish Behavior • Abraham Lincoln said, "You can fool all of the people some of the time, and some of the people all of the time, but you cannot fool all of the people all of the time” or words to that effect • That famous statement has a theological corollary: you can never fool God, and if you think you can, you are only fooling yourself! • God knows absolutely every detail of our existence, down to the number of hairs on our heads (Matthew 10:30) • Why would we ever think, therefore, that we could fool Him?

34. 1 Kings 14:4-6 4Jeroboam's wife did so. She arose and went to Shiloh and came to the house of Ahijah. Now Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were dim because of his age. 5And the Lord said to Ahijah, "Behold, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to inquire of you concerning her son, for he is sick. Thus and thus shall you say to her.” When she came, she pretended to be another woman. 6But when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, he said, "Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why do you pretend to be another? For I am charged with unbearable news for you.” • By depriving us of this information in advance, the narrator increases our sense of identification with this tragic woman • We wait for the news just as she does, we receive it at the same moment, and see it from her eyes • In verse 5 God is about to tell Ahijah what to say to the wife of Jeroboam • But the narrator does not allow us to hear the message; instead, he replaces the message with "thus and thus" • What effect does this gap have on you as a reader here?

35. 1 Kings 14:7-9 7Go, tell Jeroboam, 'Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: "Because I exalted you from among the people and made you leader over my people Israel 8and tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, and yet you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commandments and followed me with all his heart, doing only that which was right in my eyes, 9but you have done evil above all who were before you and have gone and made for yourself other gods and metal images, provoking me to anger, and have cast me behind your back.”

36. 1 Kings 14:10-13 10Therefore behold, I will bring harm upon the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam every male, both bond and free in Israel, and will burn up the house of Jeroboam, as a man burns up dung until it is all gone. 11Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat, for the Lord has spoken it."' 12Arise therefore, go to your house. When your feet enter the city, the child shall die. 13And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something pleasing to the Lord, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam.

37. 1 Kings 14:7-9 7Go, tell Jeroboam, 'Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: "Because I exalted you from among the people and made you leader over my people Israel 8and tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, and yet you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commandments and followed me with all his heart, doing only that which was right in my eyes, 9but you have done evil above all who were before you and have gone and made for yourself other gods and metal images, provoking me to anger, and have cast me behind your back.” What is the unbearable news Ahijah has for the wife of Jeroboam? • Not only did Ahijah see through her useless disguise, but he also pronounced God's judgment against her husband's kingdom • This message came in two parts: an indictment documenting the sins of Jeroboam, & a sentence of judgment pronounced by God the great Judge

38. 1 Kings 14:7-9 7Go, tell Jeroboam, 'Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: "Because I exalted you from among the people and made you leader over my people Israel 8and tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, and yet you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commandments and followed me with all his heart, doing only that which was right in my eyes, 9but you have done evil above all who were before you and have gone and made for yourself other gods and metal images, provoking me to anger, and have cast me behind your back.” • Here Ahijah reminds Jeroboam how greatly blessed he was and tells him how far short he came from meeting God's standard of righteousness • His particular sin was idolatry – not just worshiping other gods, but actually making them • To put things in legal terms, verses 7-9 form the indictment • What is Jeroboam being indicted on?

39. 1 Kings 14:7-9 7Go, tell Jeroboam, 'Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: "Because I exalted you from among the people and made you leader over my people Israel 8and tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, and yet you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commandments and followed me with all his heart, doing only that which was right in my eyes, 9but you have done evil above all who were before you and have gone and made for yourself other gods and metal images, provoking me to anger, and have cast me behind your back.” • Even worse comes the final condemnation at the end of v. 9 in a phrase that describes Jeroboam's general attitude toward God: • He cast God behind his back, or as people would say it today, he turned his back on God • To put things in legal terms, verses 7-9 form the indictment • What is Jeroboam being indicted on?

40. Count Your Blessings • What is our own attitude toward God? Are we dealing with him openly and honestly, or have we turned our back on Him? • Before giving an answer, we should consider all the blessings that God has brought into our lives – not a kingdom, perhaps, but many blessings nonetheless • We have life and strength with God's generous provision for our daily needs, as well as our gifts and talents, whatever they happen to be • Maybe there are times when we wish God had given us something He has given to someone else, but rather than thinking about what we lack, it is good for us to remember everything we have been given

41. Turning Our Backs • Now, are we living up to everything that God has given us, or should we be indicted for turning our back on Him? • We turn our backs on God when we worship other gods, like money, sex, and power • We do it when we neglect to thank God for His many blessings, but complain instead about all the troubles of life • We do it when we fail to feed upon His Word, or speak with Him in prayer, but turn to Him only as a last resort • In these and a thousand other ways, we turn our backs on God

42. 1 Kings 14:10-13 10Therefore behold, I will bring harm upon the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam every male, both bond and free in Israel, and will burn up the house of Jeroboam, as a man burns up dung until it is all gone. 11Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat, for the Lord has spoken it."' 12Arise therefore, go to your house. When your feet enter the city, the child shall die. 13And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something pleasing to the Lord, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam. • Sin is a serious matter, as Jeroboam discovered • In every trial there must be a verdict • So what judgment did God render against the king for his many sins (verses 10-11)? • Death • In truth, this is a rather vulgar prophecy

43. 1 Kings 14:10-13 10Therefore behold, I will bring harm upon the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam every male, both bond and free in Israel, and will burn up the house of Jeroboam, as a man burns up dung until it is all gone. 11Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat, for the Lord has spoken it."' 12Arise therefore, go to your house. When your feet enter the city, the child shall die. 13And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something pleasing to the Lord, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam. • The KJV frankly and accurately translates the Hebrew expression for "every male" (verse 10) as "him that pisseth against the wall” • The house of Jeroboam will be treated like so much excrement • His sons will not receive the honor of a decent burial, but die and get eaten by dogs in the city streets or by birds in the country

44. 1 Kings 14:10-13 10Therefore behold, I will bring harm upon the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam every male, both bond and free in Israel, and will burn up the house of Jeroboam, as a man burns up dung until it is all gone. 11Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat, for the Lord has spoken it."' 12Arise therefore, go to your house. When your feet enter the city, the child shall die. 13And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something pleasing to the Lord, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam. What word from the Lord does Ahijah have concerning the fate of Prince Abijah? • He, too, will die just as his mother enters the city of their house

45. 1 Kings 14:10-13 10Therefore behold, I will bring harm upon the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam every male, both bond and free in Israel, and will burn up the house of Jeroboam, as a man burns up dung until it is all gone. 11Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat, for the Lord has spoken it."' 12Arise therefore, go to your house. When your feet enter the city, the child shall die. 13And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something pleasing to the Lord, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam. What details are revealed about the child? • At the beginning of this story Abijah seemed like the unfortunate one • He was on his sickbed, after all, and there was a chance he would never recover

46. 1 Kings 14:10-13 10Therefore behold, I will bring harm upon the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam every male, both bond and free in Israel, and will burn up the house of Jeroboam, as a man burns up dung until it is all gone. 11Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat, for the Lord has spoken it."' 12Arise therefore, go to your house. When your feet enter the city, the child shall die. 13And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something pleasing to the Lord, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam. • The prophecy that he would die seems worse, but in fact Abijah turns out to be the fortunate one • He is the only person in his family whose life was “found something pleasing to the Lord” • What does this suggest about him? What details are revealed about the child?

47. 1 Kings 14:10-13 10Therefore behold, I will bring harm upon the house of Jeroboam and will cut off from Jeroboam every male, both bond and free in Israel, and will burn up the house of Jeroboam, as a man burns up dung until it is all gone. 11Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs shall eat, and anyone who dies in the open country the birds of the heavens shall eat, for the Lord has spoken it."' 12Arise therefore, go to your house. When your feet enter the city, the child shall die. 13And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something pleasing to the Lord, the God of Israel, in the house of Jeroboam. • From what the Bible says (Heb 11:6), we know the child had put his trust in God since without faith it is impossible to please God • So if there was anything that pleased God about Abijah, it must have come from his faith • The boy would still die, of course, but at least his death would be properly mourned and his body would receive a decent burial

48. A Sickness Unto Death • Abijah's early yet dignified death actually was the proof that he was under the grace of God • The literal meaning of the boy's name came true, both in his life and in his death: "The Lord is my father” • Abijah's story reminds us that there is a fate worse than death • When Jesus heard that his friend Lazarus had fallen ill, He assured His disciples that the man did not have a "sickness unto death'' (John 11:4 KJV) • This was a strange saying, because Lazarus did in fact die … but he didn’t stay dead • As a sign of the resurrection power of God, Lazarus was raised from the grave

49. A Sickness Unto Death • So when Jesus said that Lazarus did not have a sickness unto death, He meant that his sickness would not lead to eternal and spiritual death; it was not the deadly sickness of unforgiven sin • By the mercy of God, therefore, Lazarus would not die but live, not just on the day that Jesus brought him back from the grave, but for all eternity • Whether we are healthy or sick, whether we live or die, the most important thing is to have the saving cure for sin, without which we will surely fall under the everlasting judgment of God • That saving cure is the forgiveness of our sins and the promise of eternal life through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ

50. A Sickness Unto Death How does this passage show that it is still possible to honor God in a godless society? • Ahijah's prophecy shows that little Abijah had been cured of sin • His life was pleasing to the Lord, so although he died, his sickness was not unto spiritual death • Do not be surprised by his illness, thinking that the righteous do not suffer or die, even in their youth • God often calls His children to suffer, and sooner or later, He will call us home to Himself • Abijah was the one person in his family who was ready to die, for he had put his trust in God • Blessed is the person who is as ready to die as he was!