Read the Passage: 1 Kings 13:1-14:20

Prophet’s Message (13:1–10)

Given the golden calf, the idolatrous altar, and the illegitimate priests that Jeroboam had installed at Bethel, the response of God in 1 Kings 13–14 ought not to be surprising. 1 Kings 13 records that an unnamed man of God, who was perhaps the prophet Shemiah (cf. 1 Kings 12:22), was sent from Judah to Bethel to pronounce judgement against the altar and, by implication, against Jeroboam himself, as well as against the nation. In his proclamation, the prophet was very specific in announcing that a future king named Josiah would remove the idolatrous altar and the illegitimate priests. Note that the prophet spoke around 930 BC and Josiah removed the altar about 640 BC, a fulfillment timeline of almost 300 years (cf. 2 Kings 23:15–20). As a sign of authenticity (cf. Deut. 13:1–3; 18:21–22), the prophet predicted the splitting of the altar that occurred at 2 Kings 13:5.

1 Kings 13:4–6 records Jeroboam’s rejection of the prophet’s message, which is in accord with the king’s selfish and paranoid behavior reported in the previous chapter. Next, as further confirmation of the truth of the man of God’s message, Jeroboam’s arm withered when he pointed it in accusation at the unnamed prophet. Furthermore, the idolatrous altar split in half, spilling ashes on the ground. Note that the spilling of the ashes from the altar violated Lev. 4:12; 6:10–11, further confirming the heretical nature of Jeroboam’s newly invented worship. It is interesting that when Jeroboam asked the man of God to pray for his arm to be restored, the prophet did, and God healed the king. Given Jeroboam’s great sin, this healing is a remarkable display of God’s mercy and it further validated the prophet’s message. The man of God then shunned the king’s offer of hospitality and he departed.

Prophet’s Death (13:11–34)

1 Kings 13:11–34 contains one of the most unusual narratives in this book. The unnamed man of God who had confronted Jeroboam stated that God’s instructions to him were to neither eat nor drink in Isreal, but to return home to Judah (cf. 1 Kings 13:8–10, 16–17). Curiously, this passage reports that the man of God was deceived by an unnamed “old prophet [who] dwelt in Bethel” (1 Kings 13:11). 2 Chron. 11:13–17 taught that many of the religious leaders had relocated to Judah when Jeroboam arose to power in Israel. Yet, the old prophet in this passage apparently remained loyal to Jeroboam. The motive for this old prophet’s deception of the man of God is unclear; yet, some have speculated that perhaps the prophet’s sons were employed as priests at Jeroboam’s idolatrous altar. If so, the old prophet’s deception could have been a form of retribution, an act of family protection, or an attempt to curry favor with Jeroboam.

Given that the man of God clearly knew God’s charge to him, perhaps his willingness to be deceived reveals a character flaw or a hidden sin. In any event, the unnamed man of God accompanied the old prophet to his home, believing the old prophet’s claim of new, extra-biblical revelation that contradicted God’s earlier directions. Observe that this event highlights the superiority of the objective Scriptures over subjective means of revelation (cf. Heb. 1:1–2). Next, the disobedience of the man of God resulted in him being killed by a lion once he resumed his travels toward Judah. Curiously, while the lion did kill the man of God, he did not eat the corpse. This allowed for the old prophet to retrieve the body, and to bury it in his own tomb in Bethel. While this event is unusual, it did serve to emphasize the authenticity of the earlier message of the man of God (cf. 1 Kings 13:32).

Jeroboam’s Fall (14:1–20)

As further evidence that bad decisions stem from one’s corrupt character, 1 Kings 13:33–34 reports that Jeroboam did not change his ways after his encounter with the man of God. It is not surprising, then, that 1 Kings 14:1–20 records Jeroboam’s decline and death. 1 Kings 14:1–18 narrates an occasion on which Jeroboam’s son was sick and he sent his wife to Shiloh to consult with the prophet Ahijah, who was the prophet who had originally anointed Jeroboam as king (cf. 1 Kings 11:29–31). Jeroboam instructed his wife to travel in a disguise, likely to prevent the common people from learning that he was consulting with a prophet of God. Observe Ahijah’s message was that both the king and his son would soon die. The king would die because of his sin, and his son would die “because in him there is found something good toward the Lord God” (1 Kings 14:13).

Application Question:

1. What similarities and differences can you identify between the decline of Solomon and the fall of Jeroboam?
2. How can we distinguish true from false prophets (cf. Deut. 13:1–3; 18:21–22; Isa. 8:20; Matt. 7:15–20)?
3. When a believer’s ministry is very effective, how can he or she maintain humility and obedience?
4. Why do you believe the old prophet in Bethel deceived the unnamed man of God? Why was the man of God led astray?
5. How can the death of Jeroboam’s young son help us to better process the death of others who die as children?