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PEOPLE OF THE BIBLE

Introduction:

Tonight we want to backtrack a little bit and look at a prophet that we skipped by the name of Ahijah the Shilonite.

The name Ahijah means “a brother in Jehovah” and there are six people named Ahijah found in the Scriptures.

The first one mentioned is Ahijah the prophet who was from Shiloh who is the one we will be looking at tonight.

There is also another Ahijah that will be mentioned in some of the Scriptures that we will see mentioned tonight. He was the father of Baasha, king of Israel who conspired against Nadab son of Jeroboam and reigned in his stead.

Then there is Ahijah the son of Jerahmeel, a Judahite mentioned in 1 Chronicles 2:25.

There is Ahijah the Pelonite who was one of David’s thirty mighty men found mentioned in

1 Chronicles 11:36.

There is Ahijah the Levite who had charge of the Tabernacle treasures found mentioned in

1 Chronicles 26:20.

And lastly, there is Ahijah the Levite, who with Nehemiah, sealed the covenant in

Nehemiah 10:26.

But tonight our focus is on Ahijah the Shilonite who was a prophet of God.

We will see tonight that God used Ahijah as a champion of the rights of the people in the face of the oppression of Solomon and Rehoboam. We will also see that he prophesied of the revolt that rent the kingdom of David into two kingdoms.

I.         BACKGROUND OF AHIJAH.

We don’t know anything about this prophet except that he was from Shiloh and that he was faithful to deliver the messages that God gave to him.

II.       THE MINISTRY OF AHIJAH.

            A.        The Message Delivered To Jeroboam. (1 Kings 11:26-40)

We see here that the prophet Ahijah predicted the division of the kingdom of Israel.

                        He tells Jeroboam that ten of Israel’s twelve tribes would follow him.

                        The other two tribes, Judah and Benjamin, would remain loyal to David’s house.

                        (i.e. Solomon’s son Rehoboam.)

Judah, the largest tribe, and Benjamin, the smallest, were often mentioned as one tribe because they shared the same border.

Both Jeroboam and Ahijah were from the tribe of Ephraim, which was the most prominent of the ten tribes.

Rather than seeing the fulfillment of God’s promise as motivation to obey God, Jeroboam decided to do whatever he could to secure his position.

Both Jeroboam and Rehoboam did what was good for themselves, not what was good for their people.

Rehoboam was harsh and did not listen to what the people said; Jeroboam established new places of worship to keep his people from traveling to Jerusalem, Rehoboam’s capital.

Both actions backfired. Rehoboam’s move divided the nation, and Jeroboam’s move turned the people from God.

                        Jeroboam led his kingdom away from God who had allowed him to reign.

                        God was ready to establish his kingdom if he would only be true to God. (Vs 38)

                        However, rather than trust God he tried to establish the kingdom himself.

                        (12:25-33)

God sent an unnamed prophet to prophesy against the altar that Jeroboam had erected in Bethel. (Chapter 13)

            B.        The Message Delivered To Jeroboam Through Jeroboam’s Wife.

                        (1 Kings 13:33-34; 14:1-20)

                        Jeroboam became established in his wickedness. (1 Kings 13:33-34)

                        (i.e. He refused to repent.) Because of this God sent judgment against his house.

                        We see that Jeroboam’s son Abijah became ill. (1 Kings 14:1)

                        Jeroboam sent his wife to Ahijah to see what would become of the child. (Vs 2-4)

Jeroboam had his wife disguise herself so that Ahijah wouldn’t recognize her.

Ahijah would not have been able to see her anyway because he was practically blind in his old age.

Nevertheless, God told Ahijah that Jeroboam’s wife was coming and that she was trying to disguise herself. (Vs 5)

                        No doubt Ahijah startled Jeroboam’s wife as she came in the door. (Vs 6)

Ahijah then delivered the message of God’s judgment that was going to come on

                        the house of Jeroboam and on the Northern Kingdom of Israel. (Vs 6b-16)

                        You can imagine that Jeroboam’s wife is in a state of shock and awe at this point.

                        As she returned, the word of the Lord was fulfilled. (Vs 17)

                        We see that Jeroboam then died and his son Nadab reigned in his stead.(Vs 18-20)

In 15:25-30 we see where God fulfilled the words of Ahijah the prophet regarding the house of Jeroboam.

In 2 Kings 17:6-23 we see that God fulfilled the words of Ahijah the prophet regarding the nation of Israel.

Conclusion

So God used Ahijah the prophet specifically to declare both the rise and fall of Jeroboam’s house and he was faithful to deliver God’s message as it was given to him and God fulfilled His word.

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NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!