What is the meaning of 1 Kings 14:1? At that time • Scripture sets the moment amid Jeroboam’s reign, after he had entrenched idolatry at Bethel and Dan (1 Kings 12:26-30). • God had already warned Jeroboam through the unnamed prophet who cried out against the altar (1 Kings 13:1-6) and, after that, through the sign of the withered hand (1 Kings 13:4). Yet Jeroboam “did not turn from his evil way” (1 Kings 13:33-34). • The phrase signals that Abijah’s sickness is not random; it is tied to the spiritual climate of the kingdom at that very time. Compare the pattern in Judges 2:14-15, where national disobedience invites divine discipline. Abijah • Though little is recorded of him personally, 1 Kings 14:13 reveals “in him there is found something good toward the LORD, the God of Israel.” • His individual character stands in contrast to the nation’s drift, much like righteous Jonathan in Saul’s troubled household (1 Samuel 14:6-14). • God’s concern for Abijah underscores that He sees and responds to individual hearts even while dealing with broad covenant issues (Psalm 33:13-15). son of Jeroboam • Jeroboam had received the kingdom by divine decree (1 Kings 11:31-38) yet squandered that gift through willful rebellion, leading Israel to sin “from then even to this day” (2 Kings 17:21-23). • Being his son placed Abijah within the consequences of his father’s choices, illustrating Exodus 20:5-6—sin’s impact flows to succeeding generations, yet God still shows mercy. • The lineage note reminds us that family position neither guarantees blessing nor curses absolutely; God judges persons, but heritage carries real influence (Ezekiel 18:20; 2 Timothy 1:5). became ill • “At that time Abijah son of Jeroboam became ill” (1 Kings 14:1). God sometimes employs sickness as corrective discipline (Deuteronomy 28:58-61; Psalm 32:3-4; 1 Corinthians 11:30), aiming at repentance. • Illness also occasions revelation; the sickness prompts Jeroboam to seek a word from the prophet Ahijah (1 Kings 14:2-3), paralleling Hezekiah’s turning to Isaiah when death threatened (2 Kings 20:1-3). • The episode foreshadows the greater principle seen in John 9:3—God can use infirmity to make His works known. Here, Abijah’s condition becomes the stage for a prophetic message to the entire dynasty. summary 1 Kings 14:1 is more than a medical report. It fixes the timing (“At that time”), spotlights a young prince with a tender heart (“Abijah”), links him to a wayward heritage (“son of Jeroboam”), and introduces a divinely purposed crisis (“became ill”). Together these details set up the chapter’s unfolding judgment and mercy, reminding readers that God rules history, sees individuals, weighs family legacies, and even employs sickness to call people back to Himself. |
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