Practical exhortations from 1 Kings 14
1 Kings 14 is a deeply sobering chapter. Both the northern kingdom under Jeroboam and the southern kingdom under Rehoboam are declining spiritually. Jeroboam tries to obtain information from God while disguising his identity; Ahijah announces judgment upon his house; Jeroboam’s child dies; Judah also falls into idolatry; and the treasures accumulated under Solomon are carried away by Shishak of Egypt.
From a Christadelphian perspective, the chapter gives searching lessons about hypocrisy, the impossibility of hiding from God, personal responsibility, the consequences of false worship, the value God places upon even small evidence of goodness, and the gradual loss that follows spiritual compromise.
1. Trouble often reveals where we really place our confidence
The chapter begins:
“At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick.” — 1 Kings 14:1
Jeroboam had established his own religious system.
He had made golden calves.
He had appointed his own priests.
He had invented his own feast.
Yet when his son became seriously ill, he did not turn to one of his false priests or calves.
He wanted information from a genuine prophet of the LORD.
That exposes something.
In ordinary life, people may claim confidence in many things. But serious illness, loss, danger or death can suddenly reveal what they really believe.
For us the question is:
When trouble comes, where do we instinctively turn?
God should not be merely our final option after every human resource has failed.
2. We cannot reject God’s word and then expect to use Him only when we need Him
Jeroboam had repeatedly rejected God’s commands.
Yet now he wanted divine information concerning his son.
There is a warning here against treating God instrumentally.
We cannot reasonably say:
“I will live according to my own wishes, but when I am in trouble I want God to solve the problem.”
God desires a relationship of continuing faithfulness, not occasional consultation.
Jesus said:
“If ye love me, keep my commandments.” — John 14:15
3. Jeroboam wanted an answer without repentance
Jeroboam told his wife to go to Ahijah, but there is no indication that he said:
“Ask the prophet how I can return to God.”
His concern was:
“he shall tell thee what shall become of the child.” — 1 Kings 14:3
He wanted information more than correction.
We can sometimes approach Scripture in the same way.
We may want answers to:
- prophecy,
- future events,
- difficult questions,
while avoiding the much more personal question:
What does God require me to change?
Bible study should transform us, not merely inform us.
Jeroboam’s disguise
Jeroboam said to his wife:
“Arise, I pray thee, and disguise thyself, that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam.” — 1 Kings 14:2
The irony is extraordinary.
He wanted to deceive a prophet in order to receive a message from God.
4. We can deceive people, but not God
Jeroboam apparently thought disguise would prevent Ahijah from knowing who his wife was.
But God had already told the prophet she was coming.
Verse 5 says:
“the LORD said unto Ahijah, Behold, the wife of Jeroboam cometh…”
This gives us a very practical lesson.
We may hide:
- motives,
- conversations,
- behaviour,
- financial dealings,
- internet activity,
- resentment,
- secret sins,
from other people.
Nothing is hidden from God.
“all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” — Hebrews 4:13
5. Hypocrisy adds another problem rather than solving the first
Jeroboam already had a spiritual problem.
Instead of addressing it honestly, he added deception.
That is how sin often develops.
One wrong action requires:
- another lie,
- another concealment,
- another explanation.
The simpler and safer path is confession and repentance.
6. Do not spend your energy managing appearances
Jeroboam was concerned that his wife should not appear to be Jeroboam’s wife.
We can become similarly concerned with how things look.
We may work hard to preserve the appearance of:
- spirituality,
- success,
- harmony,
- competence,
while neglecting the actual problem.
God is interested in reality.
David said:
“Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts.” — Psalm 51:6
7. God sees through every disguise
When Jeroboam’s wife arrived, Ahijah said:
“Come in, thou wife of Jeroboam; why feignest thou thyself to be another?” — 1 Kings 14:6
That question could be applied very personally:
Why pretend to be someone else before God?
Prayer should be honest.
Repentance should be honest.
Self-examination should be honest.
There is no benefit in pretending before the One who already knows us completely.
Ahijah was physically blind but spiritually perceptive
Verse 4 says:
“Ahijah could not see; for his eyes were set by reason of his age.”
Yet although he could not physically see the woman, God enabled him to recognise the reality of the situation.
8. Physical sight and spiritual sight are different things
Jeroboam’s wife could see physically.
Ahijah could not.
Yet Ahijah understood what was really happening.
Scripture repeatedly distinguishes between physical and spiritual perception.
Jesus spoke of people who:
“seeing see not; and hearing they hear not.” — Matthew 13:13
We should therefore ask not merely:
What do I see happening?
but:
How does God’s word teach me to understand what is happening?
9. Age and physical weakness do not make someone useless to God
Ahijah was old and blind.
But God still used him.
This is encouraging.
A servant of God may lose:
- physical strength,
- mobility,
- eyesight,
- occupational responsibility,
and still have valuable service to give through:
- prayer,
- wisdom,
- encouragement,
- teaching,
- experience.
Our usefulness to God is not measured simply by physical capability.
Jeroboam had forgotten what God had given him
God said through Ahijah:
“I exalted thee from among the people, and made thee prince over my people Israel.” — 1 Kings 14:7
Jeroboam’s kingdom had originally been given to him by God.
Yet he behaved as though everything depended upon his own schemes.
10. Remember where your blessings came from
Jeroboam’s great mistake was forgetting that God had given him what he possessed.
The same danger exists for us.
We may begin to think:
My intelligence produced this.
My hard work produced this.
My ability secured this.
Yet Paul asks:
“what hast thou that thou didst not receive?” — 1 Corinthians 4:7
Ability itself is a gift.
Opportunity is a gift.
Life is a gift.
Gratitude helps protect us from pride.
11. Fear can make us destroy the very blessing God gave us
Jeroboam had originally feared losing the kingdom.
That fear led him to establish false worship.
Yet God had been the One who gave him the kingdom in the first place.
If Jeroboam had trusted God, he did not need to manipulate religion to preserve his position.
We often damage ourselves when we try to secure by compromise what should be entrusted to God.
David is used as the standard
God contrasts Jeroboam with David:
“thou hast not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments, and who followed me with all his heart.” — 1 Kings 14:8
David was not sinless.
His failures were serious.
But his fundamental direction was toward God, and when confronted with sin he could genuinely repent.
12. God looks at the direction of the heart
The contrast is between Jeroboam’s deliberate continuing apostasy and David’s wholehearted orientation toward God.
This should encourage us.
God is not expecting flawless human beings.
But He does require:
- sincerity,
- repentance,
- loyalty,
- a willingness to be corrected.
The question is not:
Have I ever failed?
We all have.
The question is:
When I fail, do I turn back toward God?
13. Wholeheartedness matters more than outward appearance
God says David:
“followed me with all his heart.”
Jeroboam had religious ceremonies.
David had a heart directed toward God.
This again shows that God values reality above appearance.
Jeroboam made gods of his own
God said:
“thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images.” — 1 Kings 14:9
And then:
“thou hast cast me behind thy back.”
That last expression is particularly powerful.
14. Sin effectively puts God behind us
Jeroboam did not merely make a theological mistake.
God describes it relationally:
“thou hast cast me behind thy back.”
That challenges us.
Whenever something becomes more important than obeying God, we are in danger of placing Him behind us.
We may not make golden calves, but we can prioritise:
- career,
- possessions,
- popularity,
- relationships,
- comfort,
- ourselves.
The first commandment remains:
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” — Exodus 20:3
15. False religion often originates in self-interest
Jeroboam’s religion had been created because he feared losing political control.
His religious decisions served his own interests.
That remains a danger in religion.
We must ask:
Am I interpreting Scripture because I genuinely want God’s truth, or because I want Scripture to justify what I have already decided?
Sin brings consequences
God announced severe judgment upon Jeroboam’s house.
This is one of the difficult parts of the chapter, but its principle is clear.
Persistent rebellion had consequences.
16. God’s patience should never be mistaken for indifference
Jeroboam had been warned repeatedly.
The man of God had confronted him.
His hand had been withered and restored.
He had witnessed the altar split.
Still he refused to repent.
Eventually judgment was pronounced.
Peter says:
“The Lord is… longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” — 2 Peter 3:9
God’s patience gives opportunity for repentance.
It should not be used as an excuse to continue sinning.
17. Repeated refusal can eventually close opportunities
Jeroboam repeatedly rejected correction.
Each time, repentance was possible.
But he hardened himself.
That is why Hebrews says:
“To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.” — Hebrews 3:15
The best time to respond to God’s word is when it first corrects us.
Abijah: “some good thing”
Perhaps the most touching verse in the chapter concerns Jeroboam’s sick child.
God says:
“in him there is found some good thing toward the LORD God of Israel in the house of Jeroboam.” — 1 Kings 14:13
This is remarkable.
The household was deeply corrupt.
Yet God noticed:
“some good thing”
in this child.
18. God notices goodness that may be hidden from everyone else
In an evil household, God saw something good in Abijah.
People may overlook small acts of faithfulness.
God does not.
Perhaps no one else appreciated the child’s disposition toward God.
God did.
This should encourage anyone trying to remain faithful in difficult surroundings.
19. You do not have to follow the spiritual direction of your family
Abijah belonged to Jeroboam’s house.
Yet something different was found in him.
Family background influences us, but does not determine our response to God.
We are individually responsible.
Ezekiel later emphasises:
“the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” — Ezekiel 18:4
Each person stands responsible before God.
20. Even a little genuine goodness matters to God
The expression is modest:
“some good thing.”
It was apparently not a dramatic public achievement.
Yet God noticed it.
This is encouraging for those who feel their service is insignificant.
A small act of genuine faith can matter greatly.
Jesus noticed the widow’s two mites.
God measures differently from men.
21. Good character can exist in very difficult surroundings
We should never assume that because someone comes from:
- a troubled family,
- a spiritually weak ecclesia,
- a difficult culture,
- an unbelieving household,
they cannot become faithful.
God’s word can take root even under difficult circumstances.
God raises another king
Ahijah says:
“the LORD shall raise him up a king over Israel, who shall cut off the house of Jeroboam.” — 1 Kings 14:14
Jeroboam had tried desperately to secure his dynasty.
Yet God could remove it.
22. Human schemes cannot secure what God has judged
Jeroboam built religious centres to protect his throne.
None of it could preserve his dynasty.
This teaches us that security built through disobedience is ultimately insecure.
“Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it.” — Psalm 127:1
23. Power is temporary
Jeroboam had once seemed secure as king of ten tribes.
Yet another king would arise.
Human positions are temporary.
Titles disappear.
Careers end.
Political power changes.
Our permanent hope must therefore lie in God’s Kingdom.
Israel would be scattered
Ahijah foretold:
“he shall root up Israel out of this good land… and shall scatter them beyond the river.” — 1 Kings 14:15
The reason given was their false worship.
24. Spiritual choices can affect future generations
Jeroboam’s decisions did not remain personal.
They became national policy.
Later kings repeatedly followed:
“the sin of Jeroboam.”
This is a powerful warning to parents, teachers and leaders.
What we normalise may be inherited by those who follow us.
25. Leaders can create patterns that outlive them
Jeroboam eventually died, but his false religious system continued.
Likewise, good or bad patterns can survive us.
We should therefore ask:
What am I establishing that others may copy?
That is particularly important for parents and ecclesial leaders.
26. Sin can become institutionalised
Jeroboam transformed personal fear into a national religious system.
That illustrates how error develops.
One person’s compromise becomes a practice.
The practice becomes tradition.
The tradition becomes normal.
Eventually people forget that it was ever contrary to God’s command.
That is why Scripture must continually remain the standard.
Jeroboam’s wife returns home
Ahijah told her:
“when thy feet enter into the city, the child shall die.” — 1 Kings 14:12
Verse 17 records the fulfilment.
The prophecy was exact.
27. God’s word is certain even when it is painful
Jeroboam had previously ignored divine warnings.
But God’s word still came to pass.
We should never judge God’s word by whether we like what it says.
Truth remains truth whether comforting or difficult.
28. Prophecy demonstrates God’s control over His purpose
The fulfilment reinforces a major Biblical theme:
“the word of our God shall stand for ever.” — Isaiah 40:8
This should strengthen our confidence in the promises concerning Christ’s return and the Kingdom.
Jeroboam dies
Verse 20 says:
“Jeroboam reigned two and twenty years, and he slept with his fathers.”
He had worked desperately to secure his position.
Yet eventually he died.
29. Human ambition ends at the grave
Jeroboam’s political calculations, religious schemes and fears all ended.
Scripture teaches that death is an unconscious state until resurrection.
“the dead know not any thing.” — Ecclesiastes 9:5
This should put human ambition into perspective.
Our life is temporary.
What matters is our standing before God.
Rehoboam and Judah
The chapter then turns south.
Perhaps we might expect Judah, with Jerusalem and the temple, to be spiritually better.
Sadly:
“Judah did evil in the sight of the LORD.” — 1 Kings 14:22
30. Possessing the right place of worship does not guarantee faithfulness
Judah had:
- Jerusalem,
- the temple,
- the priests,
- the Davidic king.
Yet Judah still became corrupt.
This is very important.
Correct ecclesial heritage does not automatically produce personal faithfulness.
We may belong to a community with sound doctrine and still live wrongly.
Truth must become personal.
31. Do not compare yourself with someone worse and assume you are therefore acceptable
Judah might have looked at Jeroboam’s golden calves and thought:
“At least we are not like them.”
But Judah also did evil.
This is a common danger.
We measure ourselves against people who appear worse.
The proper standard is not another sinner.
The standard is Christ.
32. Religious privilege increases responsibility
Judah had the temple Solomon built.
That made their apostasy more, not less, serious.
Knowledge and opportunity carry accountability.
“For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required.” — Luke 12:48
Judah copies the surrounding nations
Verse 24 says:
“they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel.”
Israel had been separated from those practices.
Now they imitated them.
33. The people of God must resist simply becoming like everyone around them
Every generation experiences pressure to conform to its culture.
Paul says:
“be not conformed to this world.” — Romans 12:2
That does not mean rejecting everything in society.
It means refusing to allow society rather than Scripture to define:
- morality,
- priorities,
- worship,
- identity,
- values.
34. What once shocked us can gradually become normal
Israel had once been warned against the nations’ practices.
Now they copied them.
Repeated exposure can reduce our sensitivity.
This is why we need continual contact with Scripture to recalibrate our thinking.
Shishak comes from Egypt
Verse 25 says:
“in the fifth year of king Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem.”
Then:
“he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD, and the treasures of the king’s house.” — verse 26
The wealth accumulated under Solomon began disappearing remarkably quickly.
35. Material glory can disappear far faster than it was accumulated
Solomon spent decades building wealth.
Within only a few years of Rehoboam’s reign, Shishak took much of it away.
This is a powerful lesson about possessions.
Jesus said:
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal.” — Matthew 6:19
Earthly treasure is insecure.
36. Spiritual decline eventually produces visible loss
For a time Judah still had:
- the temple,
- the palace,
- the gold.
But their relationship with God had deteriorated.
Eventually outward loss followed inward decline.
The spiritual usually matters before the material symptoms become obvious.
Gold shields replaced by brass
One of the most memorable details is that Shishak took:
“all the shields of gold which Solomon had made.” — 1 Kings 14:26
Rehoboam replaced them:
“instead of them king Rehoboam made brasen shields.” — verse 27
This gives us a powerful practical picture.
37. It is possible to replace what was lost with something that merely looks similar
The gold was gone.
Rehoboam made brass replacements.
From a distance, polished brass might still have looked impressive.
But it was not gold.
There is an exhortation here.
Spiritual decline sometimes leaves us trying to preserve the appearance of what once existed.
We may maintain:
- the routine,
- the terminology,
- the outward structure,
while the real spiritual quality has diminished.
We should never be satisfied with brass where there was once gold.
38. Do not substitute appearance for substance
Rehoboam could still have guards carrying shining shields.
The ceremony remained.
But something valuable had been lost.
Likewise, an ecclesia or individual can preserve outward activity while losing:
- enthusiasm,
- Bible knowledge,
- prayerfulness,
- love,
- holiness.
We need substance, not merely appearance.
39. Spiritual losses should be restored, not disguised
When something has declined, the temptation is to conceal it.
A healthier response is to acknowledge:
Something valuable has been lost. How do we recover it?
That requires honesty and repentance.
40. The replacements became ceremonial
The brass shields were carried when the king entered the house of the LORD and then returned to the guard chamber.
The original objects of splendour had become something almost ceremonial.
This can happen spiritually.
Something once living can become ritual.
We should ask:
Am I genuinely engaging with God, or merely preserving a routine?
Continual conflict
Verse 30 says:
“there was war between Rehoboam and Jeroboam all their days.”
The divided kingdom remained divided.
41. Pride and compromise can create conflicts that last for years
Rehoboam’s harshness and Jeroboam’s fear contributed to division.
The consequences became long-lasting.
A careless decision today may create a conflict that continues much longer than expected.
That should make us value reconciliation early.
42. Political division often begins with spiritual failure
The division of the kingdom was not merely political.
Behind it lay:
- Solomon’s apostasy,
- Rehoboam’s pride,
- Jeroboam’s unbelief.
Scripture repeatedly shows that moral and spiritual failures affect wider human systems.
Rehoboam dies
The chapter ends with Rehoboam’s death.
Like Jeroboam, his reign eventually finished.
Two kings.
Two kingdoms.
Two different religious systems.
Yet both men died.
43. Human rulers pass away, but God’s purpose continues
Jeroboam died.
Rehoboam died.
The promises of God remained.
Psalm 146 says:
“Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.” — Psalm 146:3
Our hope is not in human government.
It is in the Kingdom God will establish through Christ.
The contrast with the greater Son of David
1 Kings 14 shows the failure of both northern and southern kingship.
Jeroboam corrupted worship.
Rehoboam presided over Judah’s spiritual decline.
Both kingdoms suffered.
But God’s promise to David had not failed.
Jesus is the greater Son of David.
Gabriel said:
“the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David.” — Luke 1:32
Unlike Jeroboam, Christ will never establish false worship.
Unlike Rehoboam, he will never allow the nation to drift into idolatry through his example.
He will:
“reign in righteousness.” — Isaiah 32:1
For Christadelphians, this points to the literal return of Jesus Christ to the earth and the establishment of God’s Kingdom, with Jerusalem restored as the centre of righteous government.
The central exhortation of 1 Kings 14
The chapter contains several striking contrasts:
Jeroboam disguises his wife—but God sees her.
Ahijah cannot see physically—but through God he sees the truth.
A corrupt household contains one child in whom God sees “some good thing.”
Judah possesses the temple—but still becomes spiritually corrupt.
Solomon’s gold disappears—and Rehoboam replaces it with brass.
These give us searching questions for daily life:
Am I trying to hide anything from God?
Do I want God’s guidance, or merely answers that suit me?
When Scripture corrects me, do I change?
Am I allowing the standards around me to redefine what I regard as normal?
Is there genuine spiritual substance in my life, or merely an outward appearance?
Have I replaced some earlier spiritual “gold” with polished “brass”?
And there is also a beautiful encouragement:
“in him there is found some good thing toward the LORD God of Israel.” — 1 Kings 14:13
God notices genuine goodness even in very difficult surroundings.
So the practical lesson of 1 Kings 14 is:
Do not try to manage appearances before God. Let Him see an honest heart, respond quickly to His correction, guard what is spiritually valuable, and never be satisfied with a shining substitute for the genuine faith you once possessed.
Practical Readings — 1 KINGS 14