The Kingdom Divides

1 Kings 13 & 14, 2 Chronicles 11 & 12

Two strange stories that happen to Jeroboam. The strange story about the man of God from Judah and the old prophet who met up with him and lied to him and made him break a vow not to eat or drink.  The man of God ate, and was mauled and killed by a lion on his way home.  The lion stood by the donkey and the dead body. The old prophet went back retrieved the body and buried it in his own tomb. (1 Kings 13)

A prophesy is spoken against Jeroboam in which his son, Abijah, will die. Jeroboam’s wife goes to Shiloh to see Ahijah.  She goes in disguise.  But he knows it is her before she knocks on the door. Ahijah with his blind eyes. 

In 1 Kings 14 Ahijah sends her on her way with a word from God for Jeroboam, “I am going to bring disaster on the house of Jeroboam.  When you set foot in your city, the boy will die.”

And it happened just as it was said.

And in the end, Judah, under Rehoboam, also worships pagan gods.   With Asherah poles and shrines on every high hill and under every spreading tree.   And it seems like it wasn’t that long ago that we read about each man enjoying the prosperity of the promised land so fully that they had their own homes and each enjoyed the shade of their own tree.  Just as the abundance of God’s blessings had reached every man, so now their disobedience stretched to all parts of this kingdom, into every home, every back yard.