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1 Kings 14

In 1 Kings 14, King Jeroboam’s son, Abijah, becomes ill, and Jeroboam sends his wife, disguised, to the prophet Ahijah for answers. Ahijah, despite her disguise, delivers God’s judgment: because Jeroboam led Israel into idolatry, his family line will be destroyed, and only Abijah, considered innocent, will receive a proper burial. The prophecy is fulfilled when Abijah dies, and Israel mourns. Meanwhile, in Judah, King Rehoboam also leads the people into idolatry and corruption, resulting in the kingdom's decline. The chapter notes Judah's punishment, including invasions and losses, as a consequence of the kings’ unfaithfulness. The passage underscores the downfall brought upon both Israel and Judah due to their leaders’ disobedience to God’s commands.

1 Kings 14:1-5 (NKJV)
1 At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam became sick.
2 And Jeroboam said to his wife, “Please arise, and disguise yourself, that they may not recognize you as the wife of Jeroboam, and go to Shiloh. Indeed, Ahijah the prophet is there, who told me that I would be king over this people.
3 Also take with you ten loaves, some cakes, and a jar of honey, and go to him; he will tell you what will become of the child.”
4 And Jeroboam’s wife did so; she arose and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. But Ahijah could not see, for his eyes were glazed by reason of his age.
5 Now the Lord had said to Ahijah, “Here is the wife of Jeroboam, coming to ask you something about her son, for he is sick. Thus and thus you shall say to her; for it will be, when she comes in, that she will pretend to be another woman.”

Abijah, Jeroboam’s son, became sick, and Jeroboam sought a divine answer through the prophet Ahijah, the same one who had prophesied Jeroboam’s rise to power. Jeroboam instructed his wife to disguise herself, possibly out of fear that Ahijah might not help if he knew her true identity. The deception highlights Jeroboam's lack of trust in God. Despite the disguise, God had already informed the prophet Ahijah about her arrival and the nature of her visit. This demonstrates God's all-knowing power and control over the situation.

1 Kings 14:6 (NKJV)
6 And so it was, when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps as she came through the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why do you pretend to be another person? For I have been sent to you with bad news.

Even though Ahijah was blind, he immediately recognized Jeroboam’s wife because God had revealed her identity to him. Her attempt to deceive the prophet failed, and Ahijah announced that she would receive bad news, indicating that God's judgment was about to fall on Jeroboam's house. This moment shows the futility of trying to hide anything from God.

1 Kings 14:7-9 (NKJV)
7 Go, tell Jeroboam, ‘Thus says the Lord God of Israel: “Because I exalted you from among the people, and made you ruler over My people Israel,
8 and tore the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it to you; and yet you have not been as My servant David, who kept My commandments and who followed Me with all his heart, to do only what was right in My eyes;
9 but you have done more evil than all who were before you, for you have gone and made for yourself other gods and molded images to provoke Me to anger, and have cast Me behind your back—

Ahijah reminded Jeroboam of how God had exalted him, taking the kingdom from David’s line to give it to him. Despite this favor, Jeroboam not only failed to walk in obedience like David but led Israel into even greater idolatry. By making golden calves and worshiping other gods, Jeroboam provoked God's anger, showing complete disregard for the Lord who had blessed him. His disobedience and idolatry would bring severe consequences.

1 Kings 14:10-11 (NKJV)
10 therefore behold! I will bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam every male in Israel, bond and free; I will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as one takes away refuse until it is all gone.
11 The dogs shall eat whoever belongs to Jeroboam and dies in the city, and the birds of the air shall eat whoever dies in the field; for the Lord has spoken!”’

God declared judgment on Jeroboam's family, promising to cut off all male descendants, whether slave or free. The destruction would be so thorough that his lineage would be wiped out like refuse, symbolizing God's complete rejection of Jeroboam's dynasty. The disgraceful deaths, with dogs and birds consuming the dead, emphasized the severity of God's wrath and the dishonor that would fall on Jeroboam's house.

1 Kings 14:12-13 (NKJV)
12 Arise therefore, go to your own house. When your feet enter the city, the child shall die.
13 And all Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he is the only one of Jeroboam who shall come to the grave, because in him there is found something good toward the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam.

Ahijah informed Jeroboam’s wife that as soon as she entered the city, their son would die. Though tragic, this death was also a mercy, as the child was the only one in Jeroboam’s household found to have any goodness toward God. His death would be honored by a proper burial, unlike the rest of Jeroboam’s family, who would face shameful deaths. This reflects both God's judgment and grace.

1 Kings 14:14-16 (NKJV)
14 Moreover the Lord will raise up for Himself a king over Israel who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam; this is the day. What? Even now!
15 For the Lord will strike Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water. He will uproot Israel from this good land which He gave to their fathers, and will scatter them beyond the River, because they have made their wooden images, provoking the Lord to anger.
16 And He will give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who sinned and who made Israel sin.”

God's judgment would not only destroy Jeroboam’s house but also bring turmoil to the nation of Israel. A new king would arise to carry out the destruction of Jeroboam’s line. Moreover, because of Israel’s idolatry, initiated by Jeroboam, God would eventually uproot the nation from their land and scatter them in exile. This foreshadows the future Assyrian captivity of Israel, showing how Jeroboam’s sins had long-lasting consequences for the entire nation.

1 Kings 14:17-18 (NKJV)
17 Then Jeroboam’s wife arose and departed, and came to Tirzah. When she came to the threshold of the house, the child died.
18 And they buried him; and all Israel mourned for him, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke through His servant Ahijah the prophet.

Just as Ahijah had prophesied, Jeroboam’s wife returned home, and upon crossing the threshold, her son died. His death confirmed God’s word through Ahijah, and the nation mourned for him. This was a solemn moment where the people grieved not only the loss of a child but also the foreshadowing of the impending judgment on Jeroboam’s house. The mourning also signaled the recognition of God's active hand in Israel’s affairs.

1 Kings 14:19-20 (NKJV)
19 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, how he made war and how he reigned, indeed they are written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel.
20 The period that Jeroboam reigned was twenty-two years. So he rested with his fathers. Then Nadab his son reigned in his place.

Jeroboam’s reign lasted twenty-two years, marked by warfare and rebellion against God. The chronicles of the kings of Israel recorded his deeds, indicating that his legacy was filled with conflict and idolatry. Upon his death, his son Nadab succeeded him, but the future of Jeroboam’s dynasty was already under God’s judgment, making Nadab’s reign a brief and troubled one.

1 Kings 14:21-24 (NKJV)
21 And Rehoboam the son of Solomon reigned in Judah. Rehoboam was forty-one years old when he became king. He reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city which the Lord had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, to put His name there. His mother’s name was Naamah, an Ammonitess.
22 Now Judah did evil in the sight of the Lord, and they provoked Him to jealousy with their sins which they committed, more than all that their fathers had done.
23 For they also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and wooden images on every high hill and under every green tree.
24 And there were also perverted persons in the land. They did according to all the abominations of the nations which the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel.

While Jeroboam ruled in Israel, Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, reigned over Judah. Judah, despite being the kingdom where God had chosen Jerusalem, fell into deep sin, engaging in idolatry and adopting the practices of the pagan nations. They built high places, sacred pillars, and worshiped false gods, defiling the land with immoral and perverse acts. Rehoboam’s rule was marked by spiritual decline, mirroring Israel’s unfaithfulness. Both kingdoms had turned away from God, provoking His anger.

1 Kings 14:25-26 (NKJV)
25 It happened in the fifth year of King Rehoboam that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem.
26 And he took away the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king’s house; he took away everything. He also took away all the gold shields which Solomon had made.

In Rehoboam’s fifth year, King Shishak of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. The invasion was a consequence of Judah’s sins, as they had abandoned God. Shishak looted the temple and the royal palace, taking away all the treasures, including the golden shields Solomon had made, which symbolized the glory and wealth of Solomon's reign. This loss reflected Judah’s spiritual decline and the judgment that followed.

1 Kings 14:27-28 (NKJV)
27 Then King Rehoboam made bronze shields in their place, and committed them to the hands of the captains of the guard, who guarded the doorway of the king’s house.
28 And whenever the king entered the house of the Lord, the guards carried them, then brought them back into the guardroom.

After the loss of the gold shields, Rehoboam replaced them with bronze shields, a cheaper and less valuable material. This change symbolized the diminishing glory of Judah under his reign. Although the shields were still used ceremonially, the substitution of bronze for gold reflected the nation's decline both materially and spiritually. Judah, once flourishing under Solomon, now experienced the consequences of their disobedience to God.

1 Kings 14:29-31 (NKJV)
29 Now the rest of the acts of Rehoboam, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah?
30 And there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days.
31 So Rehoboam rested with his fathers, and was buried with his fathers in the City of David. His mother’s name was Naamah, an Ammonitess. Then Abijam his son reigned in his place.

Rehoboam's reign is summarized, with the record of his actions being kept in the chronicles of Judah’s kings. His rule was marked by constant conflict with Jeroboam, highlighting the divided and tumultuous state of Israel and Judah. Rehoboam died and was buried in Jerusalem, and his son Abijam took the throne. The mention of his mother’s name, Naamah, an Ammonitess, emphasizes the foreign influence that may have contributed to Judah’s spiritual downfall under Rehoboam’s leadership.

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