Whereas the prophecy of the young prophet from Judah dealt with Jeroboam's religious cult, this one predicted the fate of his descendants.
Jeroboam probably sent his wife to see Ahijah because that prophet had previously given a favorable prophecy to him (11:29-39). He probably hoped his gift (v. 3) would win the prophet's favor as Jeroboam had won the favor of the old prophet of Bethel.
Ahijah's ability to recognize the queen should have convinced her that what he said was from the Lord. Yahweh was still the God of Israel (v. 7) even though Jeroboam refused to acknowledge Him as such. David's viewing himself as Yahweh's servant, keeping His commandments, and following Him with all his heart (v. 8) contrast with Jeroboam's views and practices.
Jeroboam was extremely evil (v. 9) because he set up a new cult. In judgment God would cut off Jeroboam's descendants so he would not have a continuing dynasty. This is what the Lord had done to Eli and Saul for their similar disregard of God. His descendants would not even enjoy burial. Wild animals would eat them, a terrible disgrace in the minds of ancient Semites (v. 11; cf. 16:4; 21:24; Deut. 28:26).147The sign this would happen would be the death of Jeroboam's sick child (v. 12). His death at this time was really a divine blessing in view of what he would have experienced had he lived (v. 13). The king God raised up (v. 14) was Baasha (15:27-29). God compared Jeroboam's Israel to a shaky reed planted in unstable water (v. 15) like the papyrus reeds Jeroboam had seen in Egypt when he lived there. God gave up Israel to captivity eventually but only temporarily (v. 16).
Evidently Jeroboam had moved his capital from Shechem to Tirzah, seven miles to the northeast, and was living there (v. 17).148
