Ahijah the Shilonite, was a prophet in Israel. Like all true prophets of the Lord, Ahijah told it like it was—good news or bad. We first hear about Ahijah when he prophesied to Jeroboam the good news that he would one day become king over the northern tribes of Israel.
He even told Jeroboam that the Lord would establish a lasting dynasty for him if he obeyed the Lord (1 Kings 11:29–39). Eventually Jeroboam did become king, but he failed to obey the Lord and even promoted idolatry throughout Israel (1 Kings 12:28–33).
Then came the bad news. When Jeroboam’s son Abijah fell sick, Jeroboam sent his wife to ask Ahijah what would happen to the child.
Jeroboam must have already known that his wicked behavior would not have put him in Ahijah’s good graces—and he apparently thought the way to a prophet’s heart was through his stomach, because he told his wife to disguise herself and bring some sweets for Ahijah. The ruse failed, however, because Ahijah’s spiritual sight was far greater than his physical blindness. He immediately knew the woman was Jeroboam’s wife, and didn’t mince words about their impending fate: Their son would die, and eventually all their male descendants would be killed and left shamefully unburied (1 Kings 14:1–18).
Ahijah’s prophecy came true when a man named Baasha usurped the throne and killed all of Jeroboam’s male descendants (1 Kings 15:27–30). Ahijah was from Shiloh, a town where the tabernacle was located until the Philistines captured the ark of the covenant in battle and apparently overran the town (1 Samuel 4).
