Introduction: many Mother’s Day messages focus on the positive. Some sermons focus on any number of good mothers, those like Eunice (Timothy’s mother) who is only mentioned once in Scripture by name, but the deeds of her son speak volumes. Other good mothers come to mind, like Hannah, Leah, Samson’s (unnamed) mother, and many more could be listed. Each one of these mothers was born a sinner, but we’re sure they became believers in God and went to be with the LORD when their lives were completed.
But not every mother was a believer. Some were wicked beyond description; others seemed to do little if anything to stand against the evil which affected and infected Israel time and again. We would do well to balance the good with a reminder of the bad. There were, and are, a growing number of mothers who did not and will not raise their children for the True and the Living God.
The wife of Jeroboam was one such mother. Her faith and standing before God are not known to us, but there is no record she protested or did anything to keep her husband from placing the pair of golden calves in Bethel and Dan shortly after Jeroboam was made king of the ten northernmost tribes of Israel (1 Kings 12:26-33).
Things seemed to be going relatively well for Jeroboam, but there was one singular event that had to make him think about what he had done since becoming king. His son, probably the oldest, and therefore the crown prince, fell sick. Jeroboam sent his wife on a mission to discover the boy’s future. But as we’ll see, she got a message that she didn’t want to hear.
I She probably didn’t want to see the prophet
[1Kings 14:1-4, KJV] 1 At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick. 2 And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, I pray thee, and disguise thyself, that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam; and get thee to Shiloh: behold, there [is] Ahijah the prophet, which told me that [I should be] king over this people. 3 And take with thee ten loaves, and cracknels, and a cruse of honey, and go to him: he shall tell thee what shall become of the child. 4 And Jeroboam's wife did so, and arose, and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of Ahijah. But Ahijah could not see; for his eyes were set by reason of his age.
Note that the first thing Jeroboam did, once he realized Abijah, his son, became sick was to send his wife to find the prophet Ahijah! This prophet had informed Jeroboam that he was God’s choice to lead the Ten Tribes if he would follow the LORD, God of Israel. The golden calves and other means of “worship” prove Jeroboam had no intention of following the LORD at all. But instead of praying (did he pray to the calves he had made?) or repenting, he instead sent his wife on what may have been a very dangerous mission.
Jeroboam was living Tirzah, most likely in the central part of Ephraim’s territory, at the time. The distance between Tirzah and Shiloh, Ahijah’s home, is not certain but a guess would be about a complete day’s journey between the pair. Some maps of the area also give a suggestion of a rugged or hilly type of terrain which might have made travel even more difficult.
Regardless of how difficult the journey might be, Jeroboam sent his wife—in a disguise!—along with some gifts of food for the prophet. She was told to take 10 loaves of bread and a “cruse” or jar of honey. “Cracknels” is not easily defined but was different from bread itself. Why Jeroboam was sending food to the prophet is nowhere revealed. Perhaps Jeroboam remembered stories in the Old Testament (admittedly, there was not much besides the Law and maybe some of the Psalms available at the time) when Abraham prepared a meal for the Three Visitors in Genesis 18, or Jacob’s offering of various things when he sent his ten sons back to Egypt in order to buy food during the famine (Genesis 43). Or, did Jeroboam think that an offering of food would change the outcome or fortune?
Even so, Jeroboam seems to have counted on a few things that he may have hoped would put things in his favor. First, he asked (commanded?) his wife to disguise herself. The text does not give us the reason why he wanted her to do this. Maybe he was afraid that Ahijah the prophet would recognize her as, of course, Jeroboam’s wife and thus give her a pleasant message. If Jeroboam knew of Ahijah’s vision problems, the text does not say, but Jeroboam was taking no chances. Another idea is that since she was traveling, maybe, an entire day’s journey, Jeroboam was protecting his wife’s identity. Was he afraid she might be kidnapped or even worse?
Still another idea is that Jeroboam's wife might not have been a Hebrew woman. Her name, family, tribe, and ancestry are never revealed. Solomon's first wife, as far as we know was an Egyptian princess (1 Kings 9:24) and he married 1000 more wives and concubines from lands surrounding Israel (1 Kings 11:1). Jeroboam had fled to Egypt once Solomon found out about Ahijah's prophecy. Although it is never stated, it wouldn't have been too difficult for Jeroboam to marry a foreign woman, even as Solomon had done. Again, it in not certain where Jeroboam's wife came from but at any rate, Jeroboam wanted her to disguise herself, thinking this might fool the prophet.
A final thought is that Jeroboam knew he would receive Ahijah’s rebuke for leading the Ten Tribes into idolatry. By and large, these tribes never did repent and went into captivity because of their sins against God (see 2 Kings 17). How he managed to harden his heart, even after seeing the Temple and enjoying the prosperity under Solomon, and deliberately reject the God of Israel for the golden calves he had made (!), is something many people never understand.
So, Jeroboam’s wife set out from Tirzah to Shiloh. Disguised, she probably had some things to say about her change of clothes when, after all, she was the queen! She probably also wondered why her husband sent her, when he had been brave enough (or something else) to demand Israel worship his golden calves. Was he afraid of the truth? And what mother wants to leave her child, any of them, when the child is sick?
Besides all that, was she really ready to take the message back to her home?
II She didn’t want to hear the words of the prophet about her husband
5 And the LORD said unto Ahijah, Behold, the wife of Jeroboam cometh to ask a thing of thee for her son; for he [is] sick: thus and thus shalt thou say unto her: for it shall be, when she cometh in, that she shall feign herself [to be] another [woman]. 6 And it was [so], when Ahijah heard the sound of her feet, as she came in at the door, that he said, Come in, thou wife of Jeroboam; why feignest thou thyself [to be] another? for I [am] sent to thee [with] heavy [tidings]. 7 Go, tell Jeroboam, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Forasmuch as I exalted thee from among the people, and made thee prince over my people Israel, 8 And rent the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it thee: and [yet] thou hast not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments, and who followed me with all his heart, to do [that] only [which was] right in mine eyes; 9 But hast done evil above all that were before thee: for thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back:
Jeroboam’s wife seems to have forgotten that the True God sees everything, even if anyone is wearing a disguise. She also didn’t seem to remember that God communicates to His servants, the prophets (Amos 3:7) especially in the days before the canon of Scripture was complete. Thus, the message God told Ahijah was not something she was even expecting to take place. True, Jeroboam himself knew that God would speak to Ahijah but one wonders if Jeroboam or his wife would ever believe that message. God may have told them something they didn’t want to hear.
Certainly she didn’t want to hear that Ahijah knew who she was! God had already told him she was coming, so her disguise was for nothing. Imagine the shock, when she heard the first thing from the prophet that she didn’t want to hear!
And she didn’t want to hear the reminder from God, the God of Israel, that He—alone—had arranged things so that Jeroboam would become king of the Ten Tribes. Jeroboam had been a high ranking official in Solomon’s time (1 Kings 11:28) but that was no prediction or even indication he would ever become king. But Ahijah knew, and remembered, likely, even as Samuel remembered and mourned over Saul’s failures to follow God completely (1 Sam 16:1).
Something else she didn’t want to hear was the reminder that Jeroboam had done evil in God’s eyes. Comparison with David, the best king of Israel up to that point was hard enough but to hear God’s condemnation of her husband’s deeds was worse—to her. The text does not say whether or not she remained faithful to the God of Israel or the “gods” Jeroboam had made but there is no record, either, that she ever rebuked him or even said anything about his idolatry being wrong.
What kind of emotion or feeling was going through her mind at this time? On the other hand, who really wants to be reminded of their sins—deliberate, or otherwise?
And she hadn’t heard anything about her son. Yet. But there was more for her to hear.
III She didn’t want to hear anything about her family’s future
10 Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, [and] him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone. 11 Him that dieth of Jeroboam in the city shall the dogs eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat: for the LORD hath spoken [it].
Ahijah’s words don’t seem to have given Jeroboam’s wife any comfort at all, up to this point. He hadn’t even spoken about her son who was sick—but he wasn’t done with God’s message about her family’s future by this time. He had reminded her about Jeroboam’s past, how God had chosen him to be king; and his present, where he had basically thrown away God Himself and any semblance of obedience to Him. Now Ahijah gives her a graphic picture of what was in store for Jeroboam and his household.
First, Ahijah says God will bring evil upon the family (“house”) of Jeroboam. Poetic justice: Jeroboam had not only done evil himself in God’s eyes but had forced Israel’s northern tribes into doing evil as well. Jeroboam had sown evil, and was going to reap even more evil.
Then Ahijah went further, saying that God was going to “cut off” or destroy every male in Jeroboam’s household (the King James era language is somewhat different than the English of our day). The reference to those “shut up and left” is not certain but could refer to any of Jeroboam’s family who might have survived or escaped execution—they weren’t going to survive, no matter where they might go.
Note that Ahijah hints at this by saying any of Jeroboam’s family who died in the city would be eaten by the dogs (wild dogs or scavengers in those days). This may refer to Tirzah, where he was then living but by extension, maybe any city. Ahijah went on to say that any of Jeroboam’s family who escaped to the field would have their bodies eaten by the birds (probably vultures or other birds of prey). He concluded this part of his message by saying, “the LORD has spoken it”—not any of the prophets or priests of Jeroboam’s idols, but the God of Israel Himself had given this message.
Even though she had been sent to receive God’s message, Jeroboam’s wife was probably not happy by this time.
But even worse news was about to come.
IV She didn’t want to hear the message about her son’s future
12 Arise thou therefore, get thee to thine own house: [and] when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die. 13 And all Israel shall mourn for him, and bury him: for he only of Jeroboam shall come to the grave, because in him there is found [some] good thing toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam.
Ahijah didn’t mince words when he delivered God’s message to Jeroboam’s wife. Jeroboam had sent her to find out what would happen. Now she knew what was going to happen.
The boy was going to die. Just as soon as his mother got back to “the city” of Tirzah. Even so, there was a glimmer of hope: he would be mourned by all Israel (probably the Ten Tribes) and he would be given a proper burial.
And the glimmer of hope was this: the boy (Abijah, verse 1) had “some good thing” towards the LORD, the God of Israel.
What could that be? Did this mean Abijah had remained at least somewhat faithful to the God of Israel, and not the false gods his father had made?
The glimmer of hope was also for Jeroboam’s wife: had she or Jeroboam repented, and put away the idols Jeroboam had made, God may have provided healing for their son. God had already promised Jeroboam that if he stayed true to the God of Israel, that Jeroboam and his dynasty would be just like David’s (see 1 Kings 11:29-39).
But that didn’t happen for Jeroboam. It didn’t take much and it didn’t take long for him to sin—grievously—and lead Israel into sin as well. And now, God is giving Jeroboam’s wife one final message that she clearly didn’t want to hear.
V She didn’t want to hear about Israel’s fate
14 Moreover the LORD shall raise him up a king over Israel, who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam that day: but what? even now. 15 For the LORD shall smite Israel, as a reed is shaken in the water, and he shall root up Israel out of this good land, which he gave to their fathers, and shall scatter them beyond the river, because they have made their groves, provoking the LORD to anger. 16 And he shall give Israel up because of the sins of Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin.
Few, if any, rulers or family members are excited to hear that their reign or territory is going to be diminished or destroyed. Here Ahijah had already told Jeroboam’s wife that everyone in Jeroboam’s family was going to die (verses 10-11) and now Ahijah tells her that Israel would be scattered “beyond the (Euphrates) river” because of their sins. This happened exactly as prophesied at a later time (about 300 years, more or less) when the Assyrians put an end to the Northern Kingdom (2 Kings 17).
Perhaps even more troubling is that the LORD promised Jeroboam’s wife that He was going to raise up another king over Israel—and that, quickly. How long Jeroboam had reigned, and remained in power, is not certain at this point. After Jeroboam died, however, another of his sons, Nadab, reigned only two years before he and all the household of Jeroboam was executed by Baasha (1 Kings 15:25-31)—exactly as prophesied.
Having heard, and received, the message, now it was time for Jeroboam’s wife to head back home. This was one journey that, no doubt, she didn’t want to complete—she knew what was going to happen to her son once she got there.
VI She arrived, her son lost the battle with his disease, and a prophecy was fulfilled
17 And Jeroboam's wife arose, and departed, and came to Tirzah: [and] when she came to the threshold of the door, the child died; 18 And they buried him; and all Israel mourned for him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by the hand of his servant Ahijah the prophet.
One can only imagine what Jeroboam’s wife was thinking as she retraced her steps from Shiloh back to Tirzah, where she and Jeroboam were living at the time. Already she had heard that once she got back, her son Abijah was going to die. She wasn’t going to be there for a most touching and final moment of his life.
Had she done any soul-searching at all? Had she prayed, either to the God of Israel or to the idols Jeroboam had made? Or was she more or less resigned to the fact that “he’s going to die and there’s nothing I can do about it”? She couldn’t have forgotten the words of the prophet and every word, about her husband, son, extended family, and even the nation itself were all under God’s curse and God’s judgment.
Again, let it be remembered that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (later in Ezekiel 33:11) and would have forgiven their sins if any or all of them repented. All would eventually die (Hebrews 9:27) but their eternal destiny would no doubt be very different had they returned to the LORD, God of Israel. There is no record, sadly, that any of them did anything to “get right with God” in any of the Scriptures.
So she did return, safely, to Tirzah when Abijah died once she reached the door’s threshold (not clear if this meant the door to the city or her house). The prophecy of Ahijah the prophet came true: Abijah died, he was buried, and all Israel mourned for him.
And that was that. Seemingly, Jeroboam did nothing to change his attitude towards the LORD, God of Israel and there is no record he ever repented or sought the LORD in any way after this. One other item: even though everybody in Israel (all the tribes) knew about Jeroboam, they may or may not have known about his wife. Even though she was the queen of a good-sized kingdom, her name is not given anywhere in the Bible.
No, she probably didn’t want to hear any of the messages from the prophet. Had she repented or changed her ways, the story might have been different. You and I have the opportunity to read and study the entire Word of God. Our lives can be different once we decide to follow Him, and obey His leadership over our lives. Don’t fail to act on what the LORD tells you to do.
Scripture quotations taken from the King James Version of the Bible (KJV)
