II. Three prophets for Jeroboam.
a. Scripture:
1 Ki. 11:29-39; 13; 14:1-18.
b. Situation:
In Israel it was always essential that the
king be subject to the prophet. This was
the means by which YAHWEH ruled Israel.
King Saul had Samuel, until he rejected the word of the prophet. David had Nathaniel and Gad. The Northern Kingdom also had prophets who claimed
to speak for God. Among them were Elijah
and Elisha, two prophets that were not obscure.
The first king of Israel, Jeroboam, had a prophet who spoke for the
LORD. His name was Ahijah.
i.
First Ahijah, 1 Ki. 11:29-39.
The first time the LORD sent Ahijah to
Jeroboam was during the reign of Solomon.
Because of Solomon’s idolatry the LORD determined to take ten tribes away
from the Davidic King, thus creating the Northern Kingdom of Israel. Ahijah informed Jeroboam that he would be
that first king, speaking through a graphic illustration, something common with
the prophets (11:29-31). Because Solomon
sought to kill Jeroboam, the latter fled to Egypt until the death of Solomon,
and then returned in the rebellion against Rehoboam, Solomon’s son. Abijah’s words to Jeroboam were significant. Speaking for the LORD, he said, “if you heed
all that I command you, walk in my ways, and do what is right in My sight … as
My servant David did, then I will be with you and build for you an enduring
house, as I built for David, and will give Israel to you” (11:38). That’s a pretty amazing promise.
ii.
Two more prophets, 1 Ki. 13.
In establishing his
kingdom Jeroboam chose to create a new religion to keep the loyalties of his
subjects from returning to the temple in Jerusalem. It is likely that his time in Egypt was
significant in his choice of two golden calves set up in Bethel and Dan. Remember that Israel, at Mt. Sinai, after 400
years in Egypt, also turned to this form of idolatry. In other words, Jeroboam did not keep God’s
words.
So God sent another
prophet, simply called “a man of God” (13:1).
He prophesied that a Davidic king named Josiah would destroy the altar
of idolatry in Bethel. God confirmed the
message by afflicting Jeroboam with leprosy when he attempted to arrest the
prophet, and then by curing him at the prophet’s command.
God also confirmed the message through yet
another prophet, who lived in Israel. By
deceitfulness, this prophet brought about the disobedience of “the man of God.” God had told the “man of God” that he would
die if he did not return to Judah immediately after preaching against Jeroboam’s
idolatry. But the man disobeyed. True to his own word, he was killed by a lion
on the way home.
iii.
Second Ahijah, 1 Ki. 14:1-18
At that time, Abijah, the young son of
Jeroboam, became sick. Jeroboam sent his
wife in disguise to go to Ahijah and ask if the child would live. It is interesting that Jeroboam knew who to
go to in order to inquire of the LORD. Ahijah’s
answer was that the child would die, which provided a third confirmation of God’s
displeasure with Jeroboam.
There are many
things for us to think about, including …
·
The issue in serving God is faithfulness,
not response. The prophet has done his
work by speaking God’s word, regardless of the response to that message.
·
Courage, meaning that we are strengthened in the
inner man by the Holy Spirit, is essential in speaking the word of God,
especially when confronting sin.
·
Repentance must be real. Jeroboam seemed to soften after he was cured
of the leprosy. But he did not change;
he did not turn to God in obedience.
·
Even today, the government must not be permitted
to have power over the gospel preaching of the Church. I do not mean we must have laws protecting
the Church. We mean the Church must
maintain the ability to speak truth to the nation and the community. There must be a separation between the
government and the Church so that the Church can perform her prophetic ministry.
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