Jeroboam still went on in his evil way in spite of the faithful testimony of this man of God from Judah. Indeed he went deeper and deeper into sin. Surely the slippery paths of sin always lead one farther and farther away, and when we have refused God’s warnings at the beginning of such a path, it is easy to pass them over and over again. God is patient, but how sure is His government, first upon His own and later upon the world.
Since this was the first instance of establishing another center than that which God had chosen, God has definitely and fully given us His mind as to it, as well as the path to be taken by the obedient child of God at such times. He bore patiently with this state of things for some time after, but His mind had not changed. It is so today; there is still a path (and only one!) for faith, and happy is the child of God who searches the Word of God under the guidance of the Holy Spirit to find it. “There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture’s eye hath not seen: the lion’s whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it.” Job 28:7, 87There is a path which no fowl knoweth, and which the vulture's eye hath not seen: 8The lion's whelps have not trodden it, nor the fierce lion passed by it. (Job 28:7‑8). “If any man will do His will, he shall know.” John 7:1717If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself. (John 7:17).
God’s judgment had fallen upon His disobedient servant, as we have noticed, for His Word says: “the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?” 1 Peter 4:1717For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? (1 Peter 4:17). We see therefore in our chapter the hand of God dealing with the ten tribes for their sins. The greater our privileges, the greater our responsibility, but no one escapes.
In spite of Jeroboam’s evil course, he knew to whom he could turn in trouble. When his son took sick, he did not go to his own center, nor to the wicked priests whom he had chosen, but sent his wife to Ahijah the prophet of the Lord in Shiloh. He told his wife to disguise herself and take a present of ten loaves, cracknels, and honey to this man, and then ask him what would happen to their sick child. He recalled that Ahijah had told him that he would be king over Israel, so he counted him for his friend.
By disguising his wife and sending this nice present, Jeroboam thought he could deceive the old prophet, who was now blind, but he forgot that he was not dealing with man but the Lord, whose word the prophet spoke. The ten loaves would perhaps figure to us his pretended obedience to God’s law, the ten commandments; and the honey would typify the sweetness of nature. These things in the hand of his disguised wife looked very fine, but God can see behind the nice outward show we may try to put on His Word uncovers it all. Nor did the fact that this prophet had once spoken good things of Jeroboam hinder him from being faitul at this time, for he spoke the word of God and was not a man-pleaser. The natural heart of man is governed by natural motives, but the believer has a new life, a new object, and new motives which the world cannot understand.
The Lord told Ahijah that the wife of Jeroboam was coming to him in disguise, and exactly what to say to her. When she arrived at the door of the old prophet’s home, we can imagine her surprise when she was greeted with the words, “Come in, thou wife of Jeroboam; why feignest thou thyself to be another? for I am sent to thee with heavy tidings.” How solemn it is to have to do with God who knows all!
ML 04/08/1956