Jeroboam

• Found: 1 Kings 11-15, 2 Chronicles 10-13

The Torn Cloak (1Kings 11 v 26-40)

Jeroboam was a mighty man, and Solomon made him ruler over the house of Joseph. One day the prophet Ahijah came to Jeroboam, and tore up his new cloak, into twelve pieces. He gave ten to Jeroboam, and told him that because of Solomon's sin, God was taking the kingdom out of his hands. Ten tribes would be given to Jeroboam, and Rehoboam would just be left with Judah and Benjamin. God promised Jeroboam a blessing if he followed the Lord. Solomon heard about this, and tried to kill Jeroboam, so he fled to Egypt.

Made a King (1Kings 12)

When Solomon died, the people sent for Jeroboam. He took their case to Rehoboam, asking for more lenient taxes, but Reheboam taxed them more heavily. The people rebelled, ten tribes broke away from Rehoboam's rule, and set up Jeroboam as their king. Jeroboam worried that if the people still went to worship at Jerusalem every year, they would return to their former ruler, so he made two golden calves, and set them up in Bethel and Dan, making a new religion for his people to follow.

A Bad Prophecy (1Kings 13 v 1-6)

A prophet appeared at the altar in Bethel, while Jeroboam was burning incense. He prophecied that a king called Josiah would come and restore worship of the true God, burning the false priests on this very altar. As a sign that his prophecy was true, the altar would crack. Jeroboam held out his hand and ordered the prophet arrested, but his hand froze in that position, the altar cracked and its ashes spilled out. Jeroboam begged the prophet to pray that God restore his hand. He did, and God restored the king's hand to what it had been. Jeroboam didn't turn from his sin, though, or his false religion.

His Family are Doomed (1Kings 14 v 1-20)

Jeroboam's son Abijah became sick. He wanted to know from Ahijah the prophet what would become of him, but didn't want Ahijah to know it was the king's child. So he made his wife go to Ahijah, disguised and with presents. Ahijah was almost blind, but the Lord told him who was coming. He gave the Lord's message to Jeroboam's wife: God had made Jeroboam king, but Jeroboam had not followed God, but made other gods. All of Jeroboam's family would be killed, and the minute his wife returned to their city, the child would die. Eventually, the whole nation of Israel would be taken away and scattered.

Sure enough, when Jeroboam's wife returned home, the child died. Jeroboam reigned for a total of 22 years, and when he died, his son Nadab took the throne. But it wasn't long before the prophecy came true and Jeroboam's family were wiped out by the next king, Baasha.

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