“And Jeroboam said to his wife, Arise, I pray thee, and disguise thyself, that thou be not known to be the wife of Jeroboam; and get thee to Shiloh: behold, there is Ahijah the prophet, which told me that I should be king over this people.”
My Notes
What Does 1 Kings 14:2 Mean?
Jeroboam sends his wife to the prophet Ahijah in disguise — she must pretend to be someone else because Jeroboam knows Ahijah will give bad news if he knows who's asking. The king who led Israel into idolatry now sends his wife to the very prophet who originally gave him the kingdom (11:29-39). The request is for healing (their son is sick). The disguise reveals the guilt.
The irony is layered: Jeroboam knows Ahijah speaks truth (the prophecy about the kingdom came true). He knows Ahijah won't tell him what he wants to hear (hence the disguise). And he still sends his wife — because when your child is dying, you go to the prophet you've been ignoring. The emergency overrides the estrangement.
Ahijah, now old and blind (verse 4), is told by God in advance who's coming: "the wife of Jeroboam cometh to ask a thing of thee for her son." The disguise fails before it begins. God informs the blind prophet of what the seeing king tried to hide. The deception is unnecessary because the one who matters already knows.
Reflection Questions
- 1.Where have you tried to approach God in disguise — hiding your true identity while asking for help?
- 2.What does Jeroboam sending his wife to the prophet he's been ignoring teach about desperation and selective faith?
- 3.How does the blind prophet seeing through the disguise illustrate the futility of trying to deceive God?
- 4.What guilt is preventing you from approaching God honestly rather than in costume?
Devotional
Jeroboam tells his wife to disguise herself before visiting the prophet. The king of Israel is so afraid of hearing the truth that he tries to trick the man of God into giving a favorable answer to a stranger instead of a judgment to the queen.
The irony should make you wince: Jeroboam received his kingdom through this same prophet (11:29-39). Ahijah was the first person to tell Jeroboam he'd be king. The prophecy came true. Jeroboam knows Ahijah is the real deal. And now — because his son is sick and his conscience is guilty — he can't face the prophet honestly. The disguise says: I believe you're a real prophet (otherwise why come?) but I can't handle what a real prophet will say to me (hence the disguise).
The disguise also reveals the king's theology: he thinks you can trick a prophet. He thinks the voice of God can be deceived by a costume change. The man who installed golden calves at Dan and Bethel — who created a counterfeit worship system with counterfeit priests at counterfeit holy sites — now tries to counterfeit his wife's identity before the one person whose discernment can't be fooled.
God tells Ahijah before she arrives: Jeroboam's wife is coming. The blind prophet knows who's at the door before the disguised queen knocks. The deception was always futile because the one who reveals to prophets isn't fooled by costumes. You can't disguise yourself from the God who sees hearts.
When have you tried to approach God in disguise — pretending to be someone you're not, asking for what you need while hiding who you are? The disguise never works. God tells the prophet who's really at the door.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And take with thee ten loaves, and cracknels, and a cruse of honey, and go to him,.... It being usual to carry a present…
Disguise thyself - Jeroboam fears that even Ahijah the Shilonite, who in some sort made him king, will scarcely give his…
How Jeroboam persisted in his contempt of God and religion we read in the close of the foregoing chapter. Here we are…
and disguise thyself She was to put on such a dress that no one would recognise her for the queen. Jeroboam no doubt…
Cross References
Related passages throughout Scripture