The wife of Jeroboam: The bearer of bad news

The nation of Israel was divided into two after the death of Solomon. Rehoboam's refusal to listen to the wise men but take instructions from his fellows led to the division (1 Kings 12). Prior to that God had warned Solomon that as a result of his apostasy, the kingdom will be divided (1 Kings 11:11). The two kingdoms that came out of the nation of Israel were the Southern Kingdom consisting of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, and the Northern Kingdom consisting of the other ten tribes. Rehoboam ruled the Southern Kingdom which was referred to as Judah in the Bible. Jeroboam, the rebel leader, ruled over the Northern Kingdom which was referred to as Israel in the Bible. Jeroboam was a wicked king. He did so much evil that his name became the household name for apostasy throughout the history of Israel. What was Jeroboam's apostasy? He made  two golden calves and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” He set up one in Bethel, and the other in Dan. The people came to worship the one at Bethel and went as far as Dan to worship the other. He built shrines on high places and appointed priests from all sorts of people, even though they were not Levites (see 1 Kings 12:28‭-‬31).

and Jeroboam said to his wife, “Go, disguise yourself, so you won’t be recognized as the wife of Jeroboam. Then go to Shiloh. Ahijah the prophet is there—the one who told me I would be king over this people. (1 Kings 14:2)

With such a track record, Jeroboam was definitely not in good standing with God. God through his prophet declared the doom of Jeroboam. In the course of time, Jeroboam's son Abijah became ill. Then Jeroboam said to his wife, “Go, disguise yourself, so you won’t be recognized as the wife of Jeroboam. Then go to Shiloh. Ahijah the prophet is there—the one who told me I would be king over this people." (1 Kings 14:2). Jeroboam's wife was commissioned to inquire from the prophet. This woman knew the state of her husband's heart and evil things he had done. She was sent to inquire from the same God her husband had rejected by making idols for the people. Of all the people she could have been sent to, she was sent to a prophet who truly hears from God. As a mother, Jeroboam's wife might have had concerns for her son. He was dying and needed to be helped. The woman embarked on this journey hoping to get answers. She didn't know what was in store for her. Even before she arrived at the house of Prophet Ahijah, the Lord prompted the prophet of her visit and told him what to say to her.

Prophet Ahijah was blind but as soon as Jeroboam's wife got to the door of the prophet, the prophet called her and asked, "why this pretense?" Before the woman could state her mission, the prophet told her that the kingdom will be taken away from her husband. Further, Ahijah told her that “As for you, go back home. When you set foot in your city, the boy will die. All Israel will mourn for him and bury him. He is the only one belonging to Jeroboam who will be buried, because he is the only one in the house of Jeroboam in whom the Lord, the God of Israel, has found anything good." (1 Kings 14:12‭-‬13). Jeroboam's wife was sent as the bearer of bad news: the death of her son and an end to their family's reign over Israel. She left the house of the prophet carrying bad news. She might have been horrified and scared. She knew the power in the words of Ahijah. She got up and went to Tirzah. 1 Kings 14:17-18 states that "as soon as she stepped over the threshold of the house, the boy died. They buried him, and all Israel mourned for him, as the Lord had said through his servant the prophet Ahijah."

The wife of Jeroboam witnessed the massive apostasy of her husband. She lived in the Palace and saw the name of God brought low and evil reigning in the hearts of the people. She experienced and possibly worshipped her husband's idols. She was a source of authority and a leader but together with her husband, they led a whole nation to sin. Even if she might not have publicly declared it, she abandoned God just as all the others who worshipped Jeroboam's idols. There are many things we seem to do with good intentions but they are evil in the sight of God. If we fail to point out evil, the consequences of the sinful acts of others would befall on all people including the silent watchers.