Useful Bible Studies > 1 Kings Commentary > chapter 14
God declared the terrible troubles that Jeroboam’s family would suffer because of his evil deeds. Perhaps until now Jeroboam had not realised how serious his wrong behaviour was. God often warns people about his judgment against their evil deeds so that they can turn back to him (for example Isaiah 1:10-20). In Judah, King Rehoboam became humble when he heard God’s judgment against him (2 Chronicles 12:5-8). God wanted Jeroboam to behave in the same way.
In God’s judgment against Jeroboam, God used the same strong words that David had spoken against Nabal (1 Samuel 25:34). God declared that not even one male from Jeroboam’s house would remain alive. His entire family would die; not even his slaves would live. God compared that family to dung, the waste from an animal, that people burned completely in their fires.
People would not even respect the members of Jeroboam’s family enough to bury them properly. In ancient Israel, it was essential to bury a dead body quickly. There were large numbers of wild dogs that would wander the cities to search for meat (Psalm 59:14-15). Elsewhere, wild birds – for example, vultures – would tear apart dead bodies for food.
So, Jeroboam’s family would not only lose their power to rule Israel. They would all die – and people would deal shamefully with their dead bodies.
Next part: Why Abijah, Jeroboam's son, died young (1 Kings 14:12-13)
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