There is a story found in 1 Kings 13 that I read last night, but I do
not recall hearing too many sermons ever preached on this passage. The
man at the heart of this story is not named, but referred to as "a man
of God from Judah." He had received a revelation from God regarding
Jeroboam and traveled to Bethel to prophesy regarding the future of the
altar that had been built there. The king did not like the word given by
the man and ordered him to be arrested. At this command the king's hand
withered. The prophecy spoken regarding the altar was fulfilled
immediately.
For obvious reasons the king had a change of heart towards the man and pleaded for him to pray to the Lord to restore his hand. The man prays on his behalf and the king's hand is restored. Out of gratitude, the king offers for the man to come to his house, relax, and be rewarded. The man declines stating the Lord has commanded him, "You must not eat bread or drink water or go back from the way you came." (vs. 9). The man then leaves by a different route from which he came. This is where the story becomes interesting to me.
Another old prophet is told of what occurred at Bethel and he sets out to find the man from Judah. He finds him and offers for him to come to his house to eat bread. The man repeats to the prophet the same command he told the king, that he was forbidden to eat bread or drink or to go back the way he came. The old prophet explains he is also a prophet and he received a word from the Lord to bring the man back with him. Prior to this statement, no where is it written that the prophet received this word. The end of verse 18 states "the old prophet deceived him."
The man went back with the old prophet. Perhaps it was out of respect for his elder and for the position of authority he had as an elder prophet. Read what happens as they are sitting at the old prophet's table:
"and he cried out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, Thus says the Lord: Because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord, and have not kept the commandment which the Lord your God commanded you, but you came back, ate bread, and drank water in the place of which the Lord said to you, Eat no bread and drink no water, your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your fathers. So it was, after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, the prophet whom he had brought back. When he was gone, a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey stood by it. The lion also stood by the corpse." 1 Kings 13:21-24
So, wait a minute....the very prophet who deceived him and caused him to disobey God is the same prophet who tells him of the punishment for his disobedience? Have you ever had this happen in your own life? Obviously it did not happen in a way as extreme as this because you are still alive to read what I'm writing! What I mean by this is have you heard God command you in what you are called to do, yet because of the voice of the authority in your life, you turned from your specific command? The man from Judah heard God, saw the supernatural signs that happened to the king, and was firm in his command when offered to eat with the king. However, when another man of God came along claiming to know God's plan better, the man listened. This led to his death.
Almost five years ago I head God speak to me clearly to leave my job. There were many, and some in spiritual authority over me, who did not agree or understand why I would quit my job. I had little logical explanation other than "God told me." As I reflect over the time since I listened to what God told ME (He will not give everyone this same directive), I know beyond a shadow of a doubt I heard Him correctly. There are so many things that have happened in that time to confirm what He told me. There are still other things He has shown me that have yet to happen, but I see things heading in the proper direction for those things to be fulfilled. Had I listened to the authority in my life that contradicted God's voice, His plan for me would have been lying dead on the side of the road much like the man in this story. Satan is described as a lion roaming about seeking whom he can devour. How many more signs and wonders were in the man from Judah's future? Because of his disobedience, he fell prey to the one who wanted to stop God's power in his life.
If you have heard the voice of God in your life, hold fast! I do not say this to disrespect the spiritual authority in your life, but to say we must always be obedient to God first. There can be authority with their own agenda and when our call does not align with theirs, it can cause our call to die. Each of you have a specific purpose. Seek God first in all things and He will reveal the call for YOU!
For obvious reasons the king had a change of heart towards the man and pleaded for him to pray to the Lord to restore his hand. The man prays on his behalf and the king's hand is restored. Out of gratitude, the king offers for the man to come to his house, relax, and be rewarded. The man declines stating the Lord has commanded him, "You must not eat bread or drink water or go back from the way you came." (vs. 9). The man then leaves by a different route from which he came. This is where the story becomes interesting to me.
Another old prophet is told of what occurred at Bethel and he sets out to find the man from Judah. He finds him and offers for him to come to his house to eat bread. The man repeats to the prophet the same command he told the king, that he was forbidden to eat bread or drink or to go back the way he came. The old prophet explains he is also a prophet and he received a word from the Lord to bring the man back with him. Prior to this statement, no where is it written that the prophet received this word. The end of verse 18 states "the old prophet deceived him."
The man went back with the old prophet. Perhaps it was out of respect for his elder and for the position of authority he had as an elder prophet. Read what happens as they are sitting at the old prophet's table:
"and he cried out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, Thus says the Lord: Because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord, and have not kept the commandment which the Lord your God commanded you, but you came back, ate bread, and drank water in the place of which the Lord said to you, Eat no bread and drink no water, your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your fathers. So it was, after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, the prophet whom he had brought back. When he was gone, a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey stood by it. The lion also stood by the corpse." 1 Kings 13:21-24
So, wait a minute....the very prophet who deceived him and caused him to disobey God is the same prophet who tells him of the punishment for his disobedience? Have you ever had this happen in your own life? Obviously it did not happen in a way as extreme as this because you are still alive to read what I'm writing! What I mean by this is have you heard God command you in what you are called to do, yet because of the voice of the authority in your life, you turned from your specific command? The man from Judah heard God, saw the supernatural signs that happened to the king, and was firm in his command when offered to eat with the king. However, when another man of God came along claiming to know God's plan better, the man listened. This led to his death.
Almost five years ago I head God speak to me clearly to leave my job. There were many, and some in spiritual authority over me, who did not agree or understand why I would quit my job. I had little logical explanation other than "God told me." As I reflect over the time since I listened to what God told ME (He will not give everyone this same directive), I know beyond a shadow of a doubt I heard Him correctly. There are so many things that have happened in that time to confirm what He told me. There are still other things He has shown me that have yet to happen, but I see things heading in the proper direction for those things to be fulfilled. Had I listened to the authority in my life that contradicted God's voice, His plan for me would have been lying dead on the side of the road much like the man in this story. Satan is described as a lion roaming about seeking whom he can devour. How many more signs and wonders were in the man from Judah's future? Because of his disobedience, he fell prey to the one who wanted to stop God's power in his life.
If you have heard the voice of God in your life, hold fast! I do not say this to disrespect the spiritual authority in your life, but to say we must always be obedient to God first. There can be authority with their own agenda and when our call does not align with theirs, it can cause our call to die. Each of you have a specific purpose. Seek God first in all things and He will reveal the call for YOU!
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