What is the meaning of 1 Kings 14:5? But the LORD had said to Ahijah • God initiates the encounter, underscoring that prophetic insight begins with divine revelation, not human guesswork (Amos 3:7, “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing His plan to His servants the prophets,”). • Ahijah had previously received clear words about Jeroboam (1 Kings 11:29-31), showing a continuing relationship of trust and obedience. • This opening clause reaffirms that scripture records God’s direct speech with perfect accuracy (2 Peter 1:21). “Behold, the wife of Jeroboam is coming to ask you about her son, for he is ill.” • God’s omniscience appears in the detailed foreknowledge of the woman’s approach and the child’s condition (Psalm 147:5). • Jeroboam’s wife seeks prophetic counsel much as Saul once sought Samuel (1 Samuel 9:6-8), revealing that even rebellious leaders recognize true authority in a crisis. • The illness of their son sets the stage for both judgment and mercy (2 Kings 4:32-37 shows God’s power in similar family distress). “You are to say such and such to her” • The exact content is predetermined; prophets speak only what God authorizes (Jeremiah 1:7, “You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you,”). • This instruction guards Ahijah from tailoring his message to please the royal household (Galatians 1:10, principle of pleasing God rather than people). • The forthcoming words will combine promise and warning (1 Kings 14:6-16), illustrating that truth sometimes comforts and sometimes confronts. “because when she arrives, she will be disguised.” • Humans may try to conceal identity, but nothing escapes the Lord’s sight (Hebrews 4:13, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight,”). • Disguises were a common ploy of kings in crisis (1 Kings 22:30; 1 Samuel 28:8), yet each attempt is exposed by divine insight. • The detail proves that scripture records historical reality; Jeroboam’s wife literally posed as another woman, and God literally unmasked her intent. summary 1 Kings 14:5 reveals an all-knowing God who speaks truth through willing prophets, anticipates human schemes, and addresses personal crises with authoritative words. Every clause affirms His sovereignty, the reliability of prophecy, and the impossibility of hiding from the Lord who sees and directs all things. |
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