8 Sept. 1 Kings 14:1-20

8 Sept. Ahijah prophesies God will bring disaster to Jeroboam

“At that time Jeroboam’s son Abijah became very sick. So Jeroboam said to his wife, ‘Go to Shiloh to see the prophet Ahijah. He is the one who said I would become king of Israel. But dress yourself so people won’t know you are my wife. Take the prophet ten loaves of bread, some cakes and a jar of honey. Then ask him what will happen to our son, and he will tell you.’…”

“Now Ahijah was very old and blind. The LORD said to him, ‘Jeroboam’s son is sick, and Jeroboam’s wife is coming to ask you about him. When she arrives, she will pretend to be someone else.’ Then the LORD told Ahijah what to say.”

“When Ahijah heard her walking to the door, he said, ‘Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why are you pretending to be someone else? I have bad news for you. Go back and tell Jeroboam that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: “Jeroboam, I chose you from among all the people and made you the leader of my people Israel.”’”

“’”I tore the kingdom away from David’s family, and I gave it to you. But you are not like my servant David, who always obeyed my commands and followed me with all his heart. He did only what I said was right. But you have done more evil than anyone who ruled before you. You have stopped following me and have made other gods and idols of metal. This has made me very angry, so I will soon bring disaster to your family. I will kill all the men in your family, both slaves and free men. I will destroy your family as completely as fire burns up manure.”…’”

“Then Ahijah said to Jeroboam’s wife, ‘Go home now. As soon as you enter your city, your son will die, and all Israel will be sad for him and bury him. He is the only one of Jeroboam’s family who will be buried, because he is the only one in the king’s family who pleased the LORD, the God of Israel.’”

“The LORD will put a new king over Israel, who will destroy Jeroboam’s family, and this will happen soon. Then the LORD will punish Israel, which will be like grass moving in the water. The LORD will pull up Israel from this good land, the land he gave to their ancestors. He will scatter Israel beyond the Euphrates River, because he is angry with the people. They made the LORD angry when they set up idols to worship Asherah…’”

“Then Jeroboam’s wife left and returned to Tirzah. As soon as she entered her home, the boy died. After they buried him, all Israel had a time of sadness for him, just as the LORD had said through his servant, the prophet Ahijah.”

“Everything else Jeroboam did is written in the book of the history of the kings of Israel. He fought wars and continued to rule the people, serving as king for 22 years. Then he died, and his son Nadab became king in his place.”

(1 Kings 14:1-20)

Jeroboam’s son Abijah fell ill and he sent his wife to the shrine at Shiloh to consult the prophet Ahijah. The king told his wife to go in disguise, but the LORD warned Ahijah that Jeroboam’s wife would be visiting him, and told him what to say to her.

Ahijah prophesied that God would bring disaster on Jeroboam’s household because he had worshipped idols: “You have done more evil than anyone who ruled before you. You have stopped following me and have made other gods and idols of metal.” (1 Kings 14:9)

Because Jeroboam caused Israel to worship foreign gods, Ahijah prophesied that the people of Israel would be uprooted and scattered beyond ‘the river’ (the River Euphrates).

Ahijah also told Jeroboam that his son Abijah would die as soon as his wife returned home to Tirzah, north east of Shechem, where Jeroboam had built a royal residence (see 1 Kings 14:17). In time, King Baasha moved the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel to Tirzah in c.910 BC.

Jeroboam went on to reign for 22 years as king of Israel. When he died in c.911BC, he was succeeded by another son, Nadab, who reigned briefly from c.911 to c.910BC.

The photo (by Guillaume Paumier) shows the village of Al-Jiftlik near the site of Tirzah.