1 Kings 14:7
Go, tell Jeroboam that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I raised you up from among the people and appointed you ruler over My people Israel.
Go, tell Jeroboam
This phrase is a direct command from God, delivered through the prophet Ahijah. The Hebrew word for "go" (לֵךְ, lekh) is an imperative, indicating urgency and divine authority. Jeroboam, the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel, is the recipient of this message. Historically, Jeroboam was a servant of Solomon who rebelled and became king over ten tribes. This context highlights the gravity of the message, as it is directed to a leader who has strayed from God's ways.

that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says
The phrase underscores the divine origin of the message. "The LORD" (יְהוָה, Yahweh) is the covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal and unchanging nature. "The God of Israel" reinforces His special relationship with the nation of Israel. This introduction serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty and His right to command and judge His people. It also sets the stage for the prophetic message that follows, which carries the weight of divine authority.

I raised you up from among the people
Here, God reminds Jeroboam of his humble beginnings and the divine intervention that elevated him to his position. The Hebrew root for "raised" (קוּם, qum) implies establishment and empowerment. This phrase serves as a reminder of God's providence and grace, as Jeroboam's rise to power was not by his own merit but by God's choosing. It is a call to humility and recognition of God's hand in one's life.

and appointed you ruler over My people Israel
The word "appointed" (נָשִׂיא, nasi) indicates a divine selection and commissioning. Jeroboam's role as "ruler" (נָגִיד, nagid) over Israel was a position of great responsibility, as he was to lead God's chosen people. The phrase "My people Israel" emphasizes God's ownership and covenant relationship with the nation. This reminder serves as a rebuke to Jeroboam, who has led the people into idolatry, and a call to return to faithful leadership under God's guidance.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jeroboam
The first king of the northern kingdom of Israel after the division of the united monarchy. He was initially chosen by God to lead the ten tribes of Israel but later led them into idolatry.

2. Ahijah the Prophet
A prophet from Shiloh who delivered God's messages to Jeroboam, including the prophecy of his rise to power and later his downfall due to disobedience.

3. Israel
The northern kingdom consisting of ten tribes that split from Judah and Benjamin after Solomon's reign. Jeroboam was its first king.

4. Shiloh
A significant religious center in Israel where Ahijah the prophet resided. It was an early center of worship before the temple was built in Jerusalem.

5. The LORD, the God of Israel
The covenant God of Israel who speaks through His prophets, reminding Jeroboam of His sovereignty and the divine appointment to leadership.
Teaching Points
Divine Appointment and Responsibility
God raises leaders for His purposes, but with leadership comes the responsibility to lead according to His will. Jeroboam's failure serves as a warning against deviating from God's commands.

Consequences of Disobedience
Jeroboam's account illustrates the severe consequences of leading others into sin. Leaders are accountable not only for their actions but also for the spiritual direction they set for others.

The Importance of Faithfulness
Despite being chosen by God, Jeroboam's unfaithfulness led to his downfall. This highlights the importance of remaining faithful to God's covenant and commands.

God's Sovereignty and Justice
God's message through Ahijah underscores His sovereignty in appointing leaders and His justice in dealing with disobedience. God's plans are not thwarted by human failure.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Jeroboam's rise to power reflect God's sovereignty, and what responsibilities come with such divine appointments?

2. In what ways did Jeroboam's actions deviate from the instructions given in Deuteronomy 17:14-20, and what can we learn from this about the importance of adhering to God's Word?

3. How can we apply the lessons from Jeroboam's leadership to our own roles of influence, whether in family, work, or community?

4. What are the potential consequences of leading others away from God, as seen in Jeroboam's establishment of idol worship?

5. How does the account of Jeroboam encourage us to remain faithful to God, even when faced with challenges or opportunities for personal gain?
Connections to Other Scriptures
1 Kings 11:29-31
This passage describes how Ahijah the prophet initially prophesied Jeroboam's rise to power, tearing a new cloak into twelve pieces and giving ten to Jeroboam, symbolizing the ten tribes he would rule.

1 Kings 12:26-33
Details Jeroboam's establishment of idol worship in Bethel and Dan, which led Israel into sin and was a direct violation of God's commandments.

Deuteronomy 17:14-20
Provides God's instructions for kingship in Israel, emphasizing obedience to God's law, which Jeroboam failed to uphold.
A Good Boy and a Bad FamilyA. McAuslane, D. D.1 Kings 14:1-18
Affliction and JudgmentJ. Urquhart 1 Kings 14:1-20
Hard TidingsJ.A. Macdonald 1 Kings 14:7-11
People
Abijah, Abijam, Ahijah, David, Israelites, Jeroboam, Naamah, Nadab, Rehoboam, Shishak, Sodomites, Solomon, Tirzah
Places
Bethel, Egypt, Euphrates River, Jerusalem, Shiloh, Tirzah
Topics
Appoint, Exalted, Forasmuch, Jeroboam, Jerobo'am, Leader, Lifting, Midst, Prince, Raised, Ruler, Says, Though, Thus
Dictionary of Bible Themes
1 Kings 14:7

     8276   humility

1 Kings 14:6-16

     1431   prophecy, OT methods

1 Kings 14:7-9

     6163   faults

1 Kings 14:7-13

     1429   prophecy, OT fulfilment

Library
Synopsis. --The Gradual Narrowing of the Miraculous Element in the Bible by Recent Discovery and Discussion. --The Alarm Thereby Excited in the Church. --The Fallacy Which
It is barely forty years since that beloved and fearless Christian scholar, Dean Stanley, spoke thus of the miracles recorded of the prophet Elisha: "His works stand alone in the Bible in their likeness to the acts of mediaeval saints. There alone in the Sacred History the gulf between Biblical and Ecclesiastical miracles almost disappears."[5] It required some courage to say as much as this then, while the storm of persecution was raging against Bishop Colenso for his critical work on the Pentateuch.
James Morris Whiton—Miracles and Supernatural Religion

Jeroboam
BY REV. ALFRED ROWLAND, D.D., LL.B. "Jeroboam, who did sin, and who made Israel to sin."--1 KINGS xiv. 16. Jeroboam's character is worthy of serious study, not only because it influenced the destiny of God's ancient people, but because it suggests lessons of the utmost value to His people still. He may be fairly regarded as a type of those who are successful men of the world. He was not an example of piety, for he had none--nor of lofty principle, for he was an opportunist who made expediency
George Milligan—Men of the Bible; Some Lesser-Known

Whether Contention is a Mortal Sin?
Objection 1: It would seem that contention is not a mortal sin. For there is no mortal sin in spiritual men: and yet contention is to be found in them, according to Lk. 22:24: "And there was also a strife amongst" the disciples of Jesus, "which of them should . . . be the greatest." Therefore contention is not a mortal sin. Objection 2: Further, no well disposed man should be pleased that his neighbor commit a mortal sin. But the Apostle says (Phil. 1:17): "Some out of contention preach Christ,"
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

Whether Divination by Drawing Lots is Unlawful?
Objection 1: It would seem that divination by drawing lots is not unlawful, because a gloss of Augustine on Ps. 30:16, "My lots are in Thy hands," says: "It is not wrong to cast lots, for it is a means of ascertaining the divine will when a man is in doubt." Objection 2: There is, seemingly, nothing unlawful in the observances which the Scriptures relate as being practiced by holy men. Now both in the Old and in the New Testament we find holy men practicing the casting of lots. For it is related
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

The Whole Heart
LET me give the principal passages in which the words "the whole heart," "all the heart," are used. A careful study of them will show how wholehearted love and service is what God has always asked, because He can, in the very nature of things, ask nothing less. The prayerful and believing acceptance of the words will waken the assurance that such wholehearted love and service is exactly the blessing the New Covenant was meant to make possible. That assurance will prepare us for turning to the Omnipotence
Andrew Murray—The Two Covenants

Sovereignty and Human Responsibility
"So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God" (Rom. 14:12). In our last chapter we considered at some length the much debated and difficult question of the human will. We have shown that the will of the natural man is neither Sovereign nor free but, instead, a servant and slave. We have argued that a right conception of the sinner's will-its servitude-is essential to a just estimate of his depravity and ruin. The utter corruption and degradation of human nature is something which
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God

The Prophet Joel.
PRELIMINARY REMARKS. The position which has been assigned to Joel in the collection of the Minor Prophets, furnishes an external argument for the determination of the time at which Joel wrote. There cannot be any doubt that the Collectors were guided by a consideration of the chronology. The circumstance, that they placed the prophecies of Joel just between the two prophets who, according to the inscriptions and contents of their prophecies, belonged to the time of Jeroboam and Uzziah, is
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Kings
The book[1] of Kings is strikingly unlike any modern historical narrative. Its comparative brevity, its curious perspective, and-with some brilliant exceptions--its relative monotony, are obvious to the most cursory perusal, and to understand these things is, in large measure, to understand the book. It covers a period of no less than four centuries. Beginning with the death of David and the accession of Solomon (1 Kings i., ii.) it traverses his reign with considerable fulness (1 Kings iii.-xi.),
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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