When God Sees Through the Disguise

When God sees through the disguise. First Kings 14 reveals how God sees through the disguises, exposing hearts that seek His help without repentance and calling His people to honesty, humility, and obedience before Him.

“At that time Abijah the son of Jeroboam fell sick. And Jeroboam said to his wife, ‘Arise, and disguise yourself … go to Shiloh. Behold, Ahijah the prophet is there … He will tell you what shall happen to the child’” (1 Kings 14:1–3).

After leading the 10 northern tribes of Israel in rebellion and establishing a separate kingdom, Jeroboam descended into a life of sin. When his son became ill, he decided to seek God. Instead of repenting, he tried to fool Him.

At his request, Jeroboam’s wife disguised herself and approached the prophet Ahijah. But having been warned by God, the prophet told her that he knew all about her husband’s plan. She was to tell Jeroboam that because of his sin, his family would experience calamity and his son would die.

Jeroboam thought that he could fool God. He never considered that he would reap what he had sown; the Lord knew the condition of his heart, and He was concerned about truth.

If Jeroboam really wanted God’s help, he needed to repent, humble himself, seek forgiveness, and obey His Word. But Jeroboam was unwilling to change, so he suffered the consequences of his life of sin.

Throughout history, people have made the same mistakes, ignoring God and living any way they want. They think of God as just another person—someone they can fool and manipulate. They haven’t considered the eternal consequences of their actions.

Don’t make the mistake of trying to fool God. He knows your every thought and deed. Remember, “man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

Reflection Question:  Where might I be hiding instead of humbling myself before God?