CXXXIII - I Kings 13:1-14:20 - More About Jeroboam

The nation Israel is now divided.  Rehoboam, Solomon's son is the king of only the Judah and Benjamin tribes of Israel.  This kingdom will be refered to as "Judah" for the next 345 years.  Jeroboam, an Ephraimite, is the king of the ten other tribes, which is refered to as Israel, and will exist as a nation with those boundries within the Promised Land for 209 years.  The reason I mention those length of times is that those two nations will cease to exist with their current boundries.  The last post and this one will describe how each began to seal their fates early, starting with their first kings, Rehoboam and Jeroboam.  In the last post we saw Rehoboam squander his opportunity to keep his father's entire kingdom intact by ignoring wise council and making a foolish decision.  We also saw how Jeroboam has turned his own people to pagan idol worship and has disregarded all of God's laws concerning idol worship and even the Levites. 

Chapter 13 - Jeroboam, The Man of God, and The Old Prophet

Look at the first verse.  It looks to me like Jeroboam was taking more than a casual part in sacrificing at the altar he had built in Bethel.  It almost gives the impression that he was "officiating" in some capacity.  Anyway, an unnamed man of God from Judah appeared.  Not much is said to tell us about this man, but he seems to suddenly appear out of nowhere.  Also, somewhat abruptly, he stated one of the Bible's prophecies:  He fortold Josiah's birth.  {We'll learn more about Josiah later.}  And he stated this prophesy in an unusual manner.  He told it to the inanimate altar to which Jeroboam was making sacrifices.  But the important part was that he made this prophesy in the presence of Jeroboam.  This man of God declared that the altar at Bethel was unacceptable to God and was destined to be destroyed by Josiah (a descendant of David).  This would take place in about 300 years.  Jeroboam's first response was to kill the man of God, but was unable to do him harm because God had paralized Jeroboam's arm and shriveled his hand.  After Jeroboam had realized this man represented the all powerful God of Israel, he sought to gain favor with him.  He actually invited the man to join him in a royal feast in his home and to accept a gift.  However, the man rejected the offer because God had instructed him not to eat or drink with anyone in Bethel, and to return a different route.

Then starting in verse 11, the Scripture suddenly changes subjects and introduces another character:  An old prophet who lived in Bethel.  {This man is somewhat of questionable character, based on his actions and attitude.}  This old prophet heard about what had happened at the altar and wanted to learn more about this man of God, by whom miracles had been wrought, even unto the king himself.  The old prophet cought up with the man of God.  He tried to persuade the man of God to stay at his house with him and share the evening meal.  Of course the man of God rejected the invitation for the same reason he gave Jeroboam:  God instructed him not to eat or drink in Bethel.  But the old prophet must have been desparate because he lied to the man of God and told him and an angel told him to have the man of God share the meal with him.  The man of God agreed to go home with the old prophet.  {Both men were at fault here.  Obviously the old prophet persuaded him by telling a lie.  The man of God was at fault because:  Since when did the word of an angel trump the direct word of God?}  Seemingly unusual, in verse 20 that the Holy Spirit spoke through the old prophet to pronounce judgement on the man of God for his disobedience.  His punishment would be that he would not be buried in the tomb of his ancestors.   Vss 23-32 tell of the man of God being killed by a lion, then buried in Bethel in a tomb owned by the old prophet.  {Not being buried with one's ancestors was a big deal to the Hebrews of this time period.  This prophesy probably upset the man of God terribly, not only that he would not be buried with his ancestors, but also that his death would be untimely, which it was.}

The last two verses in this chapter tells that even after Jeroboam had that contact with the man of God, he actually got worse at leading his people into pagan worship rather than better.

Chapter 14:1-20  -  Judgment Comes to Jeroboam

I'm not certain how much time has passed since Jeroboam had the encounter with the man of God.  Chapter 14 opens with Jeroboam's son Abijah having become ill.  Too ill for any known cure.  Jeroboam tells his wife to disguise herself and go to Shiloh to find the prophet Ahijah.  {Remember, Ahijah was the one who anointed Jeroboam to be king of the ten tribes of Israel?}  Vs 4b - Ahijah had grown very old and he could not even see.  But God told him that Jeroboam's wife was coming to see him and she had disguised herself.  In verse 6 when Ahijah heard her footsteps he said, "Come in, wife of Jeroboam.  Why the pretense?"  She now knows she has been busted, but Ahijah continues on by telling her he has bad news for her.  He proceeds to tell her of the sins of Jeroboam in light of all that God has done for him.  He goes on in verse 9, speaking of Jeroboam, "you have done more evil than all who have lived before you.......you have made other gods, you have turned your back on Me, you have aroused My anger........".  Ahijah continues in the following verses to say how God will punish the house of Jeroboam.  He will cut off the house of Jeroboam.  {To "cut off" meant all male descendants will die, thus the house of Jeroboam will be literally cut off from existence.  Not only that, but none of his descendants will even have the honor of being buried.  Instead, dogs and birds will feed on their carcasses.  This would have been horrible news for this woman to have to give to her husband Jeroboam.}  Before Ahijah sends her on her way,  he gives her one more bit of bad news:  When she stepped foot back into her house, her son Abijah would die.  {This was not a good visit for the wife of Jeroboam.  I find the latter part of verse 13 interesting.  God (through Ahijah) indicates that the Abijah, the son of Jeroboam will die although he was the only decent member of Jeroboam's family, immediate and extended.  Perhaps death was the most merciful thing that could happen to this boy in lieu of what God was going to do to the entire family.}

Verse 15 is an EXTREMELY important word of prophesy:  Ahijah tells that God is going to uproot Israel from the Promised Land and give her over to those beyond the Euphrates River.  {200 years later, Assyria conquered Israel and took all of them captive and took them as slaves to Assyria.}  But look at vs 16.  God states emphatically that this will happen because of Jeroboam leading his people into paganism.  In verse 17 she steps in her house and Abijah, her son at that moment died.

Vss 19-20 say that Jeroboam died, having reigned in Israel for twenty-two years, and Nadab his shon succeeded him as king.

Next post - More about Rehoboam, King of Judah.