141 At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam became sick . 2 Jeroboam said to his wife , "Arise now , and disguise yourself so that they will not know that you are the wife of Jeroboam , and go to Shiloh ; behold , Ahijah the prophet is there , who spoke concerning me that I would be king over this people . 3 " Take ten loaves with you, some cakes and a jar of honey , and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy ." 4 Jeroboam's wife did so , and arose and went to Shiloh , and came to the house of Ahijah . Now Ahijah could not see , for his eyes were dim because of his age . 5 Now the Lord had said to Ahijah , "Behold , the wife of Jeroboam is coming to inquire of you concerning her son , for he is sick . You shall say thus and thus to her, for it will be when she arrives that she will pretend to be another woman ." 6 When Ahijah heard the sound of her feet coming in the doorway , he said , "Come in, wife of Jeroboam , why do you pretend to be another woman ? For I am sent to you with a harsh message.
7 "Go , say to Jeroboam , 'Thus says the Lord God of Israel , " Because e I exalted you from among the people and made you leader over My people Israel , 8 and tore the kingdom away from the house of David and gave it to you- yet you have not been like My servant David , who kept My commandments and who followed e Me with all his heart , to do only that which was right in My sight ; 9 you also have done more evil than all who were before you, and have gone and made for yourself other gods and molten images to provoke Me to anger , and have cast Me behind your back - 10 therefore behold , I am bringing calamity on the house of Jeroboam , and will cut off from Jeroboam every male e person, both bond and free in Israel , and I will make a clean sweep of the house of Jeroboam , as one sweeps away dung until it is all gone . 11 " Anyone belonging to Jeroboam who dies in the city the dogs will eat . And he who dies in the field the birds of the heavens will eat ; for the Lord has spoken it."' 12 "Now you, arise , go to your house . When your feet enter the city the child will die . 13 "All Israel shall mourn for him and bury him, for he alone of Jeroboam's family will come to the grave , because in him something good was found toward the Lord God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam . 14 "Moreover, the Lord will raise up for Himself a king over Israel who will cut off the house of Jeroboam this day and from now on. 15 "For the Lord will strike Israel , as a reed is shaken in the water ; and He will uproot Israel from this good land which He gave to their fathers , and will scatter them beyond e the Euphrates River , because e they have made their Asherim , provoking the Lord to anger . 16 "He will give up Israel on account of the sins of Jeroboam , which he committed and with which he made Israel to sin ." 17 Then Jeroboam's wife arose and departed and came to Tirzah . As she was entering the threshold of the house , the child died . 18 All Israel buried him and mourned for him, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke through His servant Ahijah the prophet . 19 Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam , how he made war and how he reigned , behold , they are written in the Book of the Chronicles e of the Kings of Israel . 20 The time that Jeroboam reigned was twenty-two e years ; and he slept with his fathers , and Nadab his son reigned in his place .
Matthew Henry's Commentary on 1 Kings 14:1-20
Commentary on 1 Kings 14:1-6
(Read 1 Kings 14:1-6)
"At that time," when Jeroboam did evil, his child sickened. When sickness comes into our families, we should inquire whether there may not be some particular sin harboured in our houses, which the affliction is sent to convince us of, and reclaim us from. It had been more pious if he had desired to know wherefore God contended with him; had begged the prophet's prayers, and cast away his idols from him; but most people would rather be told their fortune, than their faults or their duty. He sent to Ahijah, because he had told him he should be king. Those who by sin disqualify themselves for comfort, yet expect that their ministers, because they are good men, should speak peace and comfort to them, greatly wrong themselves and their ministers. He sent his wife in disguise, that the prophet might only answer her question concerning her son. Thus some people would limit their ministers to smooth things, and care not for having the whole counsel of God declared to them, lest it should prophesy no good concerning them, but evil. But she shall know, at the first word, what she has to trust to. Tidings of a portion with hypocrites will be heavy tidings. God will judge men according to what they are, not by what they seem to be.
Commentary on 1 Kings 14:7-20
(Read 1 Kings 14:7-20)
Whether we keep an account of God's mercies to us or not, he does; and he will set them in order before us, if we are ungrateful, to our greater confusion. Ahijah foretells the speedy death of the child then sick, in mercy to him. He only in the house of Jeroboam had affection for the true worship of God, and disliked the worship of the calves. To show the power and sovereignty of his grace, God saves some out of the worst families, in whom there is some good thing towards the Lord God of Israel. The righteous are removed from the evil to come in this world, to the good to come in a better world. It is often a bad sign for a family, when the best in it are buried out of it. Yet their death never can be a loss to themselves. It was a present affliction to the family and kingdom, by which both ought to have been instructed. God also tells the judgments which should come upon the people of Israel, for conforming to the worship Jeroboam established. After they left the house of David, the government never continued long in one family, but one undermined and destroyed another. Families and kingdoms are ruined by sin. If great men do wickedly, they draw many others, both into the guilt and punishment. The condemnation of those will be severest, who must answer, not only for their own sins, but for sins others have been drawn into, and kept in, by them.