Jeroboam's Hand Withered

King Jeroboam stretched out his hand to seize a prophet at the altar of Bethel - and the hand withered on the spot, while the altar split in two.

As King Jeroboam stood by his altar at Bethel to burn incense, a man of God came out of Judah and cried against the altar by the word of the LORD. He foretold that a child of the house of David, Josiah by name, would one day burn the bones of the idolatrous priests upon it, and he gave a sign that the altar would be rent. Jeroboam put out his hand and ordered the prophet seized, but his hand dried up so that he could not pull it back. The altar split and its ashes poured out. When the humbled king begged the man of God to pray for him, the LORD restored his hand.

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Details

Category: Judgment
Testament: Old Testament
Performed by: God

Key Chapters

1 Kings 13 The Man of God from Judah 7 min read God defends His messenger and confirms His word, yet He also shows mercy by rest...

Key Passages

The Altar at Bethel

1 Kings 13:1-6

God defends His messenger and confirms His word, yet He also shows mercy by restoring the hand of the king who opposed Him.

A¹nd, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.

² And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men’s bones shall be burnt upon thee. ³ And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the LORD hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out. ⁴ And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him. ⁵ The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the LORD. ⁶ And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the LORD thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the LORD, and the king’s hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.