Xanthe Hancox

At that time Abijah son of Jeroboam became ill, and Jeroboam said to his wife, ‘Go, disguise yourself, so that you won’t be recognised as the wife of Jeroboam. Then go to Shiloh. Ahijah the prophet is there – the one who told me I would be king over this people. Take ten loaves of bread with you, some cakes and a jar of honey, and go to him. He will tell you what will happen to the boy.’ 1 Kings 14:1-3

Jeroboam, the first king of Israel quickly leads the new kingdom of Israel into apostasy. When his son Abijah becomes seriously ill, he remembers the prophet of God who had given him the 10 pieces of cloth. He could have gone to the prophet himself to ask for the boy’s healing; after all, the prophet had healed his arm, but he doesn’t. He disguises his wife and sends her to find out whether his son will live.

And get a message from the prophet he does. The prophet, though blind with age, is not deceived and sees straight through his wife’s disguise. He foretells the death of Jeroboam's son Abijah, the destruction of Jeroboam's royal line, and the future destruction and captivity of the northern of Israel, all because of Jeroboam's unfaithfulness to the Lord.

When our relationship with God gets to the point that we are afraid for God's people to even recognise us, we are in deep trouble. Jeroboam sensed a profound alienation from God, so strong that he was afraid for God's prophet to even see him. And even though Jeroboam acknowledged on some level that God’s prophet would have power where his idols had failed, he doesn’t tell his wife to pray for their son, or to ask the prophet to pray. He simply wanted to use the prophet as a fortune-teller. Jeroboam could have had a lasting dynasty, but he wasted the promise of God with his unbelief, idolatry, and outright rejection of God.

You’ve probably never gone to church in disguise on behalf of your husband, but our sin and disobedience alienates us from God just as it did Jeroboam. Only by trusting in Jesus Christ alone can we be forgiven for our sin, overcome our alienation from God, be saved from God's judgment, and receive his glorious promises.

Prayer: Forgive me, Lord, for the sin that has kept me from you. Thank you for Jesus’ saving grace. Through the work of your Holy Spirit in me, may I drawer nearer to you each day. Amen