1 Kings Chapter 13
The Man of God from Judah
A. A prophecy from a man of God
1. (1 Kings 13:1-2) The coming destruction of the altar in Bethel
KJV TEXT
“And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord unto Bethel, and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. And he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord, Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name, and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men’s bones shall be burnt upon thee.”
a. A man of God went from Judah to Bethel
Jeroboam’s kingdom had fallen so deeply into apostasy that God had no qualified prophet within its borders. The Lord raised up a messenger from Judah to confront the false worship system Jeroboam had established. This is a sober indictment of the northern kingdom’s spiritual condition. The priests had been corrupted. The Levites had departed south. The land was filled with idolatrous worship and unauthorized shrines. God had to send a prophet from the outside.
i. This anonymous man was greatly used by God
Scripture does not record his name, yet he delivered one of the most precise long range prophecies in the Old Testament. His anonymity demonstrates that usefulness to God comes not from fame but from obedience. God often uses men the world ignores. What mattered was not the name of the prophet but the authority of the Word he carried.
b. Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David
The prophet announced an extraordinary prediction. He did not merely declare that judgment would come. He named the king who would carry it out. Josiah, a descendant of David, would destroy that very altar and burn the bones of the idolatrous priests upon it. This prophecy was literally fulfilled more than three centuries later.
2 Kings 23:15 records the fulfillment:
“Moreover the altar that was at Bethel, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he brake down, and burnt the high place, and stamped it small to powder, and burnt the grove.”
i. This prophecy attacked Jeroboam’s greatest fear
It revealed that judgment would come through a king of Judah. This targeted Jeroboam’s anxiety that loyalty might shift back to the house of David. His fear of losing the kingdom drove his idolatry. This prophecy directly confronted that fear. God was reminding Jeroboam that the throne belongs to Him alone. No political scheme can prevent divine judgment.
ii. Jeroboam did not know that the prophecy would not be fulfilled for centuries
He did not know it would take 350 years. He likely believed the judgment could fall in his lifetime. The Word of God haunted him. Every time he stood at the altar, he knew it was doomed. Every time he observed his idolatrous priests, he knew God had marked them for destruction. The prophecy served as an ongoing testimony of judgment upon his reign.
2. (1 Kings 13:3-5) Signs to confirm the prophet’s words
KJV TEXT
“And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This shall be the sign which the Lord hath spoken, Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out. And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him, and his hand which he put forth against him dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him. The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.”
a. He gave a sign the same day
Because the prophecy concerning Josiah would not be fulfilled for centuries, God provided an immediate validating sign. Long term prophecies require short term confirmations so that present hearers know the message indeed comes from the Lord. The sign demonstrated that the prophet did not speak from imagination but from divine authority.
b. Surely the altar shall split apart and the ashes on it shall be poured out
This sign was a direct rebuke to the idolatrous worship system Jeroboam created. The splitting of the altar revealed that God rejected the entire structure of Jeroboam’s invented religion. The ashes being poured out symbolized the defilement and worthlessness of the sacrifices offered there. God publicly exposed the altar as illegitimate.
c. Arrest him
Jeroboam responded with hostility rather than repentance. Instead of humbling himself before the Word of the Lord, he attempted to silence the messenger. His reaction illustrates the typical response of hardened sinners. Messages of judgment always contain an implicit invitation to repentance. Jeroboam refused that invitation. His command to arrest the prophet showed his contempt for divine authority.
i. Knapp’s observation
Knapp notes that if Jeroboam rejected the priests of the Lord, God would nonetheless send His prophet into the land. Divine truth cannot be silenced. If men reject the appointed channels of worship, God Himself will confront them through unexpected messengers.
d. His hand, which he stretched out toward him, withered
God judged Jeroboam instantly. The hand he stretched out in accusation became paralyzed and shriveled. The judgment was targeted at the exact point of rebellion. The king attempted to seize the prophet. God seized the king’s hand. This divine judgment protected the prophet, rebuked the king, and authenticated the message.
Simultaneously, the altar split apart and the ashes spilled out, fulfilling the sign given earlier. God confirmed His Word publicly and dramatically.
i. Poole’s observation
Poole explains that God acted for three reasons. First, to punish Jeroboam for attempting violence against God’s messenger. Second, to protect the prophet from further harm. Third, to demonstrate to all Israel how severely God regards injuries against His ministers when they faithfully carry out His commands. The shriveled hand and the shattered altar stood as visible testimony that Jeroboam’s religion was condemned by heaven.
3. (1 Kings 13:6) Jeroboam’s plea
KJV TEXT
“And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.”
a. Please entreat the favor of the Lord your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored
Jeroboam’s response was immediate. Under the pressure of divine judgment, his heart turned instinctively to the Lord and not to the idols he had created. The golden calves had no power to save him. The altar he stood upon could not defend him. The system of false worship collapsed the moment God revealed His displeasure. Jeroboam recognized that his only hope for healing and deliverance came from the Lord, the very God he had rejected.
His plea reveals a truth seen repeatedly in Scripture. When sinners face unavoidable divine judgment, their false gods disappear. The idols of convenience and the religion of human invention cannot help when the hand of God moves in discipline.
i. Jeroboam did not truly repent
The text shows that Jeroboam sought relief, not righteousness. He wanted restoration, not repentance. Many desire God’s help in a crisis yet refuse His lordship afterward. Jeroboam’s heart remained unchanged. Later chapters reveal that he returned to idolatry and entrenched the false religion of the north. His plea was momentary fear, not enduring repentance. Wanting something from God is not the same as turning to God in humility and obedience.
b. So the man of God entreated the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored to him
The man of God demonstrated remarkable compassion. Only moments before, Jeroboam had attempted to arrest him. Now the prophet turned and interceded for the very man who persecuted him. This act of mercy shows the character of true servants of God. He was not vindictive. He cared more about the honor of the Lord than the injury done to himself. He sought God’s mercy for Jeroboam even though Jeroboam had shown him hostility.
God answered immediately. The king’s hand was restored. The healing accomplished several divine purposes.
i. Poole’s observations on God’s mercy
Poole notes three divine intentions behind the healing.
To confirm the source of the judgment. God restored the hand to show Jeroboam that the judgment and the healing were both from the Lord.
To honor the prophet and protect him. The healing prevented Jeroboam from further violence and established the authority of God’s messenger.
To lead Jeroboam toward repentance or leave him without excuse. God’s goodness should have softened Jeroboam’s heart. If it did not, his condemnation would be even more certain. Mercy rejected becomes judgment intensified.
4. (1 Kings 13:7-10) The man of God declines Jeroboam’s invitation
KJV TEXT
“And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward. And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place. For so was it charged me by the word of the Lord, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest. So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel.”
a. I will give you a reward
Jeroboam’s invitation was natural given the circumstances. The man of God had healed him. Jeroboam wanted to honor him with refreshment and a reward. Yet the invitation reveals Jeroboam’s superficial response. He offered hospitality but not repentance. He offered a reward but did not turn from the sin rebuked by the prophet. Jeroboam attempted to treat the man of God as a political ally or a personal benefactor rather than a divine messenger calling him to repentance. His heart was unchanged.
b. If you were to give me half your house, I would not go in with you, nor would I eat bread nor drink water in this place
The prophet refused decisively. His refusal was not personal. It was obedience. God had explicitly commanded him not to eat, drink, or return by the same path. The restriction served a symbolic purpose. Accepting hospitality in Bethel would give the appearance of fellowship with Jeroboam’s idolatrous system. God wanted His prophet to remain completely separate from the counterfeit religion of the north. Separation testified that Jeroboam’s worship was corrupt and that God would have no fellowship with it.
By refusing even half of Jeroboam’s house, the prophet displayed that no earthly gift can outweigh obedience. His loyalty was to the Word of the Lord, not to the flattery or rewards of a king. He demonstrated that the servant of God must maintain purity in message and conduct.
B. The man of God’s disobedience and death
1. (1 Kings 13:11-17) An old prophet in Bethel invites the man of God to dinner
KJV TEXT
“Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel, and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel, the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father. And their father said unto them, What way went he. For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah. And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass, and he rode thereon. And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak, and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah. And he said, I am. Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread. And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place. For it was said to me by the word of the Lord, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.”
a. Now an old prophet dwelt in Bethel
The presence of this old prophet in Bethel demonstrates that not every faithful believer had departed the northern kingdom. While many priests and Levites had migrated south to Judah, some still remained behind. This man appears to have been a true prophet who had once walked faithfully with the Lord. However, living in the midst of Jeroboam’s apostasy had evidently weakened his spiritual clarity.
i. Clarke’s observation
Clarke suggests that this prophet had once been steadfast but had drifted from his earlier faithfulness. He had not joined Jeroboam’s idolatry, yet he had grown compromised, spiritually dulled, or passive. This kind of slow erosion is common when believers live long in a spiritually decaying environment. They retain knowledge but not conviction.
b. Come home with me and eat bread
The old prophet extended the same offer Jeroboam had made earlier. Hospitality was natural and well intentioned. Yet the man of God from Judah was under strict divine orders. God had forbidden him to accept food, drink, or return by the same path. To share a meal with someone in that region signified fellowship and acceptance. God wanted His prophet to demonstrate absolute separation from Bethel’s apostasy. The man of God responded faithfully at this point. He repeated the command he had received from the Lord. Obedience was still his guiding principle.
2. (1 Kings 13:18-19) The prophet from Bethel lies to the man of God from Judah
KJV TEXT
“He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art, and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him. So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.”
a. He was lying to him
The old prophet fabricated a divine message. His lie was deliberate and destructive. He claimed angelic revelation and invoked the authority of the Lord to contradict the very command God had given to the man of God from Judah. This demonstrates the severe danger of any message that contradicts clear revelation. God had spoken directly and unmistakably. No later claim, no matter how spiritual sounding, could override what God had already commanded.
i. Clarke’s insight
Clarke notes that the old prophet may have acted from misguided compassion. He saw the man of God weary, hungry, and faint from travel and fasting. He may have justified his deception in the name of mercy. Yet even seemingly compassionate motives cannot justify disobedience to God’s revealed will.
ii. Poole’s warning
Poole emphasizes that the prophet’s sin was grave. He not only lied but made God appear to contradict Himself. He misused the Lord’s name in order to deceive. His actions carried no necessity, no personal gain, and no righteous motive. The deception was a grievous offense against truth and against the God he claimed to represent.
b. An angel spoke to me
Whether he fabricated the entire claim or whether a deceiving spirit played some role is not fully explained. Scripture warns that Satan can disguise himself as an angel of light. 2 Corinthians 11:14-15 says, “And no marvel, for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness.”
The point is clear. Any message that contradicts God’s Word must be rejected, no matter who delivers it or how spiritual it appears.
c. So he went back with him and ate bread in his house and drank water
The man of God yielded to the deception. The reasons are understandable but not excusable.
The old prophet was older and therefore carried spiritual weight.
He identified with the man of God, saying, “I too am a prophet as you are.”
He claimed an impressive experience, “An angel spoke to me.”
He invoked divine authority, “By the word of the Lord.”
He did not appear to be an idolater.
He offered only simple refreshment, not reward or flattery.
These factors made the temptation subtle and deceptive. Yet the man of God had a clear command from God Himself. He should have rejected any contradictory message unless God confirmed it directly through unmistakable revelation. His disobedience, though born from confusion rather than rebellion, still violated God’s word. His failure ended his ministry.
i. The duty to resist seductive enticement
No matter how natural the offer seemed, no matter how sincere the old prophet appeared, the man of God was obligated to stand on the revelation God had given him. Failure to obey cost him his calling and ultimately his life.
ii. Meyer’s comment
Meyer reminds believers that whenever God has spoken clearly, we must act on His word alone. We are not to be diverted by other voices, not even from those who claim spiritual authority.
iii. Morgan’s warning
Morgan stresses that God never contradicts Himself. If a message contradicts God’s Word, it is false no matter its source. Even an angelic messenger must be rejected if it speaks contrary to divine revelation. The man of God should have held immovably to the Word he had received.
3. (1 Kings 13:20-22) The prophet from Bethel prophesies the doom of the man of God
KJV TEXT
“And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lord came unto the prophet that brought him back. And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, and hast not kept the commandment which the Lord thy God commanded thee, but camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread and drink no water, thy carcass shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.”
a. The word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back
This is the striking irony of the passage. The prophet from Bethel, who had lied in the name of the Lord, now received a genuine revelation from God. God used this compromised prophet to deliver judgment upon the man of God from Judah. This confirms two truths. First, God can speak through any vessel He chooses, even one who has failed. Second, the authority of the message does not depend on the moral character of the messenger but on its fidelity to the Word of the Lord.
The fact that God spoke through this old prophet while the man of God was seated at his table highlights the painful consequences of disobedience. The same table where the man of God sinned became the place where the sentence of judgment was announced.
b. Because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord
God held the man of God strictly accountable for the command He gave him. He had been given a clear, direct, unambiguous instruction. No matter how convincing the lie of the old prophet seemed, the man of God possessed the Word of the Lord, and therefore he was responsible to obey it without exception. His failure was not an accident but disobedience.
The test was difficult because the temptation came from a seemingly trustworthy and spiritual source. Yet the man of God should have recognized that no later message can overrule what God Himself had clearly spoken. God’s judgment was severe because the man of God’s role required uncompromising obedience.
c. Your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your fathers
The judgment pronounced was not the annihilation of his soul but the dishonor of his death. Burial with one’s fathers was considered a sacred dignity in Israel. To be deprived of that honor was a significant disgrace. It was a visible sign that disobedience carries consequences even for the servants of God.
i. Wiseman’s note
Wiseman emphasizes that lying unburied was a curse in the ancient world. The loss of burial in the family tomb was recognized as a severe disgrace. The judgment struck at the deepest cultural sense of honor.
ii. Judgment begins with the household of God
God judged the man of God more strictly than Jeroboam or the old prophet. This illustrates a principle seen in 1 Peter 4:17, which says, “For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God.”
Those who bear the Word of God are held to a higher standard. The man of God’s failure, though subtle, was treated as serious because his obedience was essential for the credibility of his mission.
iii. Clarke’s observation
Clarke interprets the man of God’s fate as the “sin unto death” mentioned in 1 John 5:16-17. It was not a loss of salvation but a disciplinary judgment in which God removed His servant from earthly ministry. His soul was spared, but his life ended prematurely. God’s severe judgment protected the integrity of His Word and demonstrated the seriousness of neglecting His clear commands.
4. (1 Kings 13:23-25a) The word of the prophet from Bethel is fulfilled
KJV TEXT
“And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back. And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him, and his carcass was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcass. And, behold, men passed by and saw the carcass cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcass.”
a. A lion met him on the road and killed him
The judgment declared by the old prophet was carried out. Though the prophet had not specified the method of death, God chose a lion. Lions were present in ancient Israel, and their attacks were feared. Yet this lion did not behave normally. It did not drag the body away. It did not attack the donkey. It simply killed the man of God and remained standing beside the corpse. This was not a random incident. It was divine judgment.
i. Wiseman’s historical note
Wiseman remarks that lions were found in Palestine until at least the thirteenth century A D. Their presence in earlier centuries is well attested. Therefore the account is historically realistic.
b. And there, men passed by and saw the corpse thrown on the road, and the lion standing by the corpse
The scene was unmistakably miraculous. A lion does not kill without attacking the animal nearby. Nor does it remain beside the body without feeding. The donkey was unharmed, and the lion made no move toward the passersby. This was a supernatural act of judgment, a divine sign confirming the Word of the Lord.
The obedience of the lion stands in direct contrast to the disobedience of the man of God. God’s creation responded faithfully to His command, while the prophet failed his test. The lion became a silent witness of God’s righteousness.
5. (1 Kings 13:25b-32) The man of God is given a decent burial and the prophet from Bethel testifies to his prophecy
KJV TEXT
“And they went and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt. And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the Lord, therefore the Lord hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake unto him. And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled him. And he went and found his carcass cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcass, the lion had not eaten the carcass, nor torn the ass. And the prophet took up the carcass of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back, and the old prophet came to the city, to mourn and to bury him. And he laid his carcass in his own grave, and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother. And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried, lay my bones beside his bones. For the saying which he cried by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.”
a. So the old prophet came to the city to mourn, and to bury him
The old prophet showed genuine grief over the man of God from Judah. Although he had deceived him and had been the instrument that led him into sin, the old prophet now felt the weight of sorrow. He recognized that the judgment which fell upon the man of God was severe but righteous. His mourning shows that he understood the tragedy of the man’s fall and the sobering consequences of disobedience among the servants of God.
This old prophet was not a model of righteousness. His earlier deception demonstrated spiritual compromise. Yet his mourning reveals an awareness of divine holiness that Jeroboam lacked entirely. He felt the solemn reality of God’s discipline upon His servants.
i. The old prophet recognized that his own sin was greater
Standing over the corpse of the man of God, the old prophet could not escape the truth. His deception had triggered the man’s disobedience. He had lied in the name of the Lord. He had made God appear to contradict Himself. Clarke notes that the old prophet must have realized his guilt exceeded that of the dead man. The man of God disobeyed once under deception. The old prophet lied knowingly and deliberately. The strange workings of divine judgment often humble the heart. Only eternity will reveal the full depth of God’s purposes.
b. He laid the corpse in his own tomb
This fulfilled the earlier prophecy that the man of God would not be buried in the tomb of his fathers. Instead, he rested in a foreign tomb. Yet this burial also carried dignity. The old prophet honored him by placing him in his own burial place. Though disciplined, the man of God did not die despised. He was mourned, honored, and remembered. His ministry was not erased but solemnly memorialized.
This burial illustrates that God’s judgment upon His servants is corrective rather than vindictive. The man of God lost earthly rest with his fathers, but he did not lose the respect of those who knew the truth or the mercy of the Lord.
c. When I am dead, then bury me in the tomb where the man of God is buried, lay my bones beside his bones
The old prophet’s request is remarkable. He desired to be buried beside the man he had deceived. This speaks deeply to his recognition of the man of God’s true spiritual stature. Though the old prophet had acted sinfully, he respected the younger man’s courage and the divine authority of his message.
He understood that the prophecy declared against Bethel would certainly come to pass. By requesting burial next to the man of God, the old prophet aligned himself with the truth of that prophecy. He publicly acknowledged that the Lord’s Word would be fulfilled, and he wanted his bones associated with the man who courageously pronounced judgment on Jeroboam’s altar.
This choice also expressed spiritual humility. The old prophet desired to identify himself with the faithful servant rather than with the idolatrous king and corrupt religion of the north.
6. (1 Kings 13:33-34) No repentance from Jeroboam
KJV TEXT
“After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places. Whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places. And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth.”
a. After this event Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way
Jeroboam witnessed divine signs that should have shattered his rebellion. He saw the altar split according to prophecy. He saw his own hand wither in judgment. He saw it restored in mercy. He learned of the man of God’s death at the command of the Lord. Yet none of these displays of power and grace broke his stubborn heart.
Scripture records that he “returned not from his evil way.” He refused repentance. This is the tragedy of Jeroboam. His sin was not ignorance, but defiance. God gave him unmistakable warnings, but he hardened himself.
i. Trapp’s observation
Trapp notes, “All these wonderful accidents, as God’s hammers, did but beat upon cold iron.”
Jeroboam’s heart was spiritually unmoved. Judgment did not melt him. Mercy did not soften him. Truth did not awaken him. His heart remained hard and cold before the Lord.
b. He became one of the priests of the high places
Jeroboam went even further into rebellion. Not only did he ignore the divine warning, he personally entered into priestly functions. God established a strict separation between the kingly office and the priestly office. Jeroboam ignored this and exalted himself into a role God never granted him.
He broke God’s law by making priests out of “whosoever would.” Anyone who desired the position could take it. The priesthood in Israel was no longer a sacred calling. It became a political convenience. Jeroboam destroyed the God ordained boundaries for worship and set up a counterfeit system built on human desire.
i. Jeroboam’s wasted opportunity
God had given Jeroboam a remarkable promise through Ahijah in 1 Kings 11:38:
“Then it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in My ways, and do that is right in My sight, to keep My statutes and My commandments, as David My servant did, that I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee.”
Jeroboam forfeited that promise through disobedience. He was offered blessing, stability, divine presence, and a dynasty. Instead, he chose idolatry and political manipulation. He never fulfilled the potential God had offered him.
ii. Spiritual application
As Paul writes in 2 Timothy 2:21:
“If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good work.”
God does not use vessels because of merit, but disobedience limits usefulness. Jeroboam serves as a warning that disregard for God’s Word destroys one’s potential for blessing and usefulness.
iii. Jeroboam became the pattern for evil kings
Jeroboam’s sin established the blueprint for wickedness in the northern kingdom. Many kings after him were judged by the standard of Jeroboam’s rebellion. Scripture repeatedly says that kings walked “in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin wherewith he made Israel to sin.”
The following kings are explicitly condemned for walking in Jeroboam’s ways:
Baasha
Omri
Ahaziah
Jehoram
Jehu
Jehoahaz
Jehoash
Jeroboam the second
Zechariah
Menahim
Pekahiah
Pekah
Jeroboam’s influence poisoned generations.
iv. Ahab surpassed Jeroboam in wickedness
There is one exception. Ahab is described as worse than Jeroboam. 1 Kings 16:30-31 records that Ahab not only continued Jeroboam’s sins but added the worship of Baal and Jezebel’s influence, multiplying idolatry.
v. Jeroboam’s sin destroyed Israel
Jeroboam’s legacy of sin was remembered even at the fall of the northern kingdom in 2 Kings 17:21-23:
“Then Jeroboam drave Israel from following the Lord, and made them sin a great sin. For the children of Israel walked in all the sins of Jeroboam which he did, they departed not from them, until the Lord removed Israel out of His sight.”
His influence persisted until the nation was removed by Assyria. Everything traces back to his rebellion.
vi. Summary of Jeroboam’s failure
Jeroboam stands as a tragic example of wasted opportunity.
He failed despite remarkable divine blessing.
He failed for the sake of political advantage.
He failed and led his nation into idolatry.
He failed though warned repeatedly.
He failed though God showed him mercy.
He failed though he witnessed a model of integrity from the man of God.
Jeroboam became a curse to every generation that followed. His name is forever linked with rebellion and the downfall of Israel.
