seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
1 Kings 14:1 At that time Abijah son of Jeroboam became ill, 2 and Jeroboam said to his wife, “Go, disguise yourself, so you won’t be recognized as the wife of Jeroboam. Then go to Shiloh. Ahijah the prophet is there—the one who told me I would be king over this people. 3 Take ten loaves of bread with you, some cakes and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy.” 4 So Jeroboam’s wife did what he said and went to Ahijah’s house in Shiloh.
Now Ahijah could not see; his sight was gone because of his age. 5 But the Lord had told Ahijah, “Jeroboam’s wife is coming to ask you about her son, for he is ill, and you are to give her such and such an answer. When she arrives, she will pretend to be someone else.”
6 So when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps at the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why this pretense? I have been sent to you with bad news. 7 Go, tell Jeroboam that this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I raised you up from among the people and appointed you ruler over my people Israel. 8 I tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you, but you have not been like my servant David, who kept my commands and followed me with all his heart, doing only what was right in my eyes. 9 You have done more evil than all who lived before you. You have made for yourself other gods, idols made of metal; you have aroused my anger and turned your back on me.
10 “‘Because of this, I am going to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam. I will cut off from Jeroboam every last male in Israel—slave or free. I will burn up the house of Jeroboam as one burns dung, until it is all gone. 11 Dogs will eat those belonging to Jeroboam who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country. The Lord has spoken!’
12 “As for you, go back home. When you set foot in your city, the boy will die. 13 All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He is the only one belonging to Jeroboam who will be buried, because he is the only one in the house of Jeroboam in whom the Lord, the God of Israel, has found anything good.
14 “The Lord will raise up for himself a king over Israel who will cut off the family of Jeroboam. Even now this is beginning to happen. 15 And the Lord will strike Israel, so that it will be like a reed swaying in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land that he gave to their ancestors and scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, because they aroused the Lord’s anger by making Asherah poles. 16 And he will give Israel up because of the sins Jeroboam has committed and has caused Israel to commit.”
17 Then Jeroboam’s wife got up and left and went to Tirzah. As soon as she stepped over the threshold of the house, the boy died. 18 They buried him, and all Israel mourned for him, as the Lord had said through his servant the prophet Ahijah.
19 The other events of Jeroboam’s reign, his wars and how he ruled, are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel. 20 He reigned for twenty-two years and then rested with his ancestors. And Nadab his son succeeded him as king.
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Here's the link to the commentary I read.
Disguise yourself, that they may not recognize you as the wife of Jeroboam: This was a familiar pattern for Jeroboam. In his time of need, he turned to the true God and men of God. He knew that idols could not help him in any true crisis. Yet he also knew that he had rejected God and His prophets, and so he told his wife to wear a disguise.
“How foolish! Jeroboam thought that the old prophet could penetrate the vail that hid the future, but not the disguise in which his wife wished to conceal herself.” (Meyer)
Ahijah could not see: As it turned out, there was no reason for the wife of Jeroboam to wear a disguise. Old age made Ahijah unable to see.
I have been sent to you with bad news: From this, the wife of Jeroboam learned two things. First, that the news was bad. Second, that though she thought she was sent to Ahijah by her husband, in truth Ahijah was sent by God with a message to her and Jeroboam.
I will bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every male: Jeroboam could have had a lasting dynasty, but he wasted the promise of God with his unbelief, idolatry, and outright rejection of God.
Every male: “Means literally ‘he who urinates against the wall’” (Patterson and Austel).
When your feet enter the city, the child shall die: Jeroboam sent his wife to discover the fate of his son. The bad news was that the child would die. Yet his death would be a demonstration of mercy, because at least he would be buried in honor and properly mourned. Such great judgment was coming upon the house of Jeroboam that all would see that by comparison, this son was blessed in his death.
He will uproot Israel from this good land which He gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the River: This would finally be fulfilled some 300 years later. God knew that the root of Jeroboam’s apostasy would eventually result in the bitter fruit of national exile.
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Oh boy, Jeroboam should never have cast those two golden calves. Jeroboam should have cared more about God than he did about his building projects. Now he's paying the price.
Jeroboam's son was sick. Jeroboam sent his wife, in disguise, to a prophet to inquire about his son.
Jeroboam didn't send his wife to one of his fake temples to talk to one of his fake preachers or priests.
Jeroboam sent his wife to a "prophet of God" because he really wanted God to intercede for him. Stupid human!
Jeroboam's wife could have saved all the time and expense of disguising herself as instructed by her stupid human husband. The prophet she was to visit with, Ahijah, was blind. He wouldn't have recognized her if she wrapped herself in an American Flag belted with a gun belt.
God knew Jeroboam's boy was sick.
God knew Jeroboam would inquire about his boy, by going to a real prophet, Ahijah.
God was not happy with Jeroboam, his fake temples, the golden calves, or his fake priests.
God told Ahijah that Jeroboam's wife was coming to see him.
God told Ahijah what to say.
Unlike the "fake prophet" that lied to the "man of God" in yesterday's story, Ahijah was a real prophet.
Ahijah told Jeroboam's wife everything he was instructed to say. He didn't skip a word or fabricate a pretty story to hide the horror about to happen.
As soon as Jeroboam's wife stepped back into the palace.... the boy died, as prophesized.
God knew Jeroboam was a liar and a fake.
God would get even with Jeroboam for those golden calves.
According to the combination of the commentary and verse 10: The boy would die, and the dynasty of Jeroboam would be totally destroyed. Not one male who "urinates against the wall" will back Jeroboam or his family. That is so descriptive!!!
So, Jeroboam could have had a kingdom for a lifetime, but he built fake churches and taught whatever the finance manager told him to teach in order to keep the workers, and their tithes, in the pews of the local temples, financed by the king to make the people stay in town during the holidays as set by God.
Can't you just see the men urinating on the palace walls?
Well at least his son, Nadab, will succeed him.
"He who urinates against the wall" ... So descriptive!
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