The Devil's Got Your Number
The Devil's Got Your Number
Summary: The True Prophet of God in I Kings 13, was led astray by an old prophet of God that had dwelt among the idolatry of Israel for too long. Let us be careful of the Word which we hear and prove it by the Truth of God's Word.
Date 08, February, 2015
Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 12:32-13:32
Series: Faithfulness
Introduction
The Apostle Paul had helped to establish a great Christian church of the Galatians. He had preached and taught the Word of the Lord and many souls had been won to the Lord. But even though a great work had begun in that church, they were facing some hard times due to confusion and false teachings that were entering the church through a lot of Judaizers who were attempting to cause the church to come under the bondage of the Law of Moses.
The devil isn't going to sit by and not do anything and allow you to just waltz into Heaven without any opposition. You can rest assured that he’s got your number, and that Satan is going to do everything in his power to stop you on your journey through life while you’re trying to serve the Lord.
Often, it’s a little thing that seems so innocent that draws us aside, but the end result of taking that little side trip off of the strait and narrow leads us much farther than we ever thought, and sometimes it even leads to the end of our ministry.
Many Christians have found themselves having to overcome just a moment of disobedience to try and get back to a place of victory in their walk with the Lord. Often, just one instance of stepping out of the way that the Holy Ghost is leading us, will result in a lifetime of trying to repair the damage.
Entire ministries have fallen into a self-destructive mode because of the failure of one minister who fell into the devil’s trap. The devil had his number, and knew what it would take to make him fall; and that’s what was placed in his path.
Paul knows this is a danger to every Christian and that’s why he says in Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.
We must ever be on guard lest something, or someone, should lead us astray. We must be careful to use all of the spiritual discernment, to seek to ever be sure that we are walking according to God’s will, and to try every spirit and every word that comes our way. Too much is at stake to be rash in making decisions or to listen to every little wind of doctrine. Even well-meaning people can be unwittingly used of the devil to lead you astray.
Paul asked the Galatians this question in Galatians 5:7, Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?
Scripture Reading
32 And Jeroboam ordained a feast in the eighth month, on the fifteenth day of the month, like unto the feast that is in Judah, and he offered upon the altar. So did he in Bethel, sacrificing unto the calves that he had made: and he placed in Bethel the priests of the high places which he had made.33 So he offered upon the altar which he had made in Bethel the fifteenth day of the eighth month, even in the month which he had devised of his own heart; and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.13 And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. (And he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.x8And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the Lord hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.6)And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Bethel, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him.5 The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.6 And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the Lord, and the king's hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.7 And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward.8 And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place:9 For so was it charged me by the word of the Lord, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.10 So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel.11 Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.12 And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah.13 And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon,14 And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am.15 Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread.16 And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place:17 For it was said to me by the word of the Lord, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.18 He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.19 So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.20 And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lord came unto the prophet that brought him back:21 And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, and hast not kept the commandment which the Lord thy God commanded thee,22 But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.23 And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back.24 And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase.25 And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.26 And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the Lord: therefore the Lord hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake unto him.27 And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled him.28 And he went and found his carcase cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcase: the lion had not eaten the carcase, nor torn the ass.29 And the prophet took up the carcase of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back: and the old prophet came to the city, to mourn and to bury him.30 And he laid his carcase in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother!31 And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones:32 For the saying which he cried by the word of the Lordagainst the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.
This is the word of God. Thanks be to the LORD. May the sweet Holy Spirit add His manifold blessings to our text this morning .... Amen! You may be seated in God's Presence.
Sermon
Jeroboam was the first King of the divided kingdom of Israel. He was a wicked king who erected two golden figures as worship. One at Dan and the other at Bethel. He also instituted a non-Levitical priesthood. It is at the dedicating of the altar at Bethel that the events in our scripture take place. Today I want us to look at the events focusing mainly upon the young prophet who came from Judah to confront Jeroboam.
I. The Lord Directed Him.
There is a story here that I think is important for us to hear this morning. It’s a story of a True Prophet, a man of God, who began well, but through tricks of the devil, he lost his way, lost his ministry, and even lost his life. Sadly, we don’t even know his name. Many people are seem to work hard all their life seeking to make a name for themselves, and have it to appear upon some marquee, yet the only thing that really matters is that the Lord know our name, and that we are faithfully in what he gives us to do.
Though he began with a great ministry that had so much promise, and had the power of God with him as much as Elijah, or Moses or any other of the Old Testament prophets, all it took was one wrong decision.
a. He directed him for a purpose.
Like this young unnamed prophet out of Judah all of us have a purpose. He has called all those that are saved, and has gifted us for a purpose. In verses 3-5 we can read the true Word of the Lord that this prophet carried with him. He was anointed, called, empowered and walking in the perfect will of God. He gave a true prophetic word that would be fulfilled some 350 years later, when a godly king named Josiah would rise to power in Israel and burn the idol worshipers on their own altars and stop the worship of the Golden Calf.
b. He directed him to a place
He came out of Judah. He was directed by the Lord to Bethel. He being from Judah would cause his very presence in Bethel to be a dangerous thing.
(Note. We won’t read about it right now, but if you want to read the background of what was happening in Israel during this time, you can read the story of King Jeroboam and his idolatry in chapter 12. He was a wicked king who established the worship of two golden calves in Israel and said, “These be your gods, Israel, that brought you out of Egypt”.
It seems that even though hundreds of years had past, those golden calves had made a terrible and permanent mark upon Israel. All of us have our own “Golden Calves”; things that can quickly be placed on a pedestal in our lives and suddenly have control over all that we do.
Our nation has its own “Golden Calf”. It’s called money. Most Indian’s watch the “Golden Calf” of Wall Street and the stock market than watch to see what God wants to do in our country. Their hope for the future is in their cash cow, and not in the God that gives them the power to get wealth.
Each of us, if we look within, can find something that can quickly become our “Golden Calf” whether its houses, lands, children, family, recreation, entertainment or whatever. Anything that we can place in our lives that takes the place of God, even for a moment, becomes our Golden Calf, the idol that we worship. And even a moment of worshiping, giving all of our attention, making that thing the center of our lives, can lead us to a place of spiritual trouble, and even cost us much more in our walk with the Lord than we ever imagined.
The idol worship that Jeroboam brought into Israel was destroying the nation and causing the wrath of God to come against them, but his hard heart wouldn't listen to the warnings that came. He had set his course and I Kings 13:34 tells us that his idolatry, and the manufacturing of his own system of worship in defiance of God’s law, became sin to the house of Jeroboam and caused God to cut him off and destroy the house of Jeroboam from the face of the earth.
Sin will not be tolerated, whether it’s from a hard-hearted, backslidden King, or a Christian who decides even for a moment to step out of the will of God. Sin’s price is heavy, too heavy to bear, for its price is always death. Jeroboam and his household is still paying the price of sin, and will forever bear that price in the flames of hell. Let us beware lest we fall into that same trap of idolatry.
Jeroboam had set up his own religion, appointed his own priest, and had even made himself into a high priest who would offer sacrifices to the Golden Calf at an altar that he had built. He set up a feast, offered incense and burnt sacrifices – all of it to coincide with, and take the place of the feast of Passover that God had established.
It is on the occasion of this feast and the offering of sacrifice upon the altar of the Golden Calf that we find our true Prophet, a real man of God, step into the scene.
1 Kings 13:1 And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.
1 Kings 13:2 And he cried against the altar in the word of the LORD, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the LORD; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall be burnt upon thee.)
This young prophet shows remarkable courage by going to the place designated by the Lord. Some people sing the old song I’ll Go Where You Want Me To Go" but they change the words to something like the following:
1. I’LL GO WHERE YOU WANT ME TO GO
I’ll go where you want me to go, dear Lord, Real service is what I desire,
I’ll say what you want me to say, dear Lord, But don’t ask me to sing in the choir.
I’ll say what you want me to say, dear Lord, I like to see things come to pass,
But don’t ask me to teach anywhere, dear Lord, I’d much rather stay in my class.
I’ll give what you want me to give, dear Lord, I yearn for the kingdom to thrive,
I’ll give you some pennies or nickels, dear Lord, But please don’t ask me to tithe.
I’ll read what you want me to read, dear Lord, as long as the Bible isn't required,
I’d much prefer some novel over it, even though I know it’s inspired.
I’ll go where you want me to go, dear Lord, I’ll serve you with all of my might. But don't ask me to go out and witness, for I’m much too busy today !
What kind of limits are we putting on the Lord as far as where we’ll go or where we’ll serve ! If we’re really not willing to go anywhere, I’m not sure if he’ll use us anywhere!
c. He directed him to prophesy.
God didn't send this young man down to Bethel to "win friends and influence people" The task before him was to be a difficult one, and his message would not be a popular one ! This prophet not only gave true prophecy, preaching against the sin of idolatry, but he also had signs and miracles following his ministry. The message of the word of God is becoming more and more unpopular in our society. We should not go out of our way to make people angry or to create hostility, but often times the message will not gain us favor with the people ! This young prophet was sent by God to confront King Jeroboam with his sin. He is sent to deliver a timely message to a King who is leading the people of Israel to sin against the Lord.
d. He directed him to proceed.
The young prophet was further advised by the Lord that he was not to tarry in Bethel. He was not to eat any bread nor drink any water, but he was to proceed from that place as soon as the message was delivered. Why was he not to tarry ? The Lord knew the temptations that this young man would be confronted with, and wants him out of town as quickly as possible lest he be corrupted. We have a message that the world desperately needs to hear, and that we are commanded to share. Yet, we must be careful that we not be corrupted by the world in our sharing up it !
II. The Leader Disliked Him. V. 4
The leader King Jeroboam disliked him because of the message he delivered ! It flew in his face, and confronted him with the error of his ways. The King didn't like the truth !
a. He Tried To Detain Him.
At the Word of the Lord, he spoke judgment upon the altar being used. The altar will be broken, and the ashes of the sacrifices would be poured out.
1. The King’s Attempt.
When the King heard the words that were spoken concerning the altar that he had erected, he stretched out his hand against the prophet, and ordered him to be seized!
2. The King’s Arm.
His attempt to detain the Lord’s anointed were met by the power of God. The arm that he stretched out was withered to the point that he could not draw it back to his own body ! God’s presence was so powerful with this prophet that when King Jeroboam tried to reach out and stop him from destroying the altar, the king’s arm withered and paralyzed.
3. The King’s Altar.
At the same instance that his arm withered, the altar was wrecked just as the prophet of God had spoken and the ashes were wasted upon the ground. The King was seeing the prophecy of God just moments before spoken fulfilled before his eyes ! In other words, God’s judgment upon the altar fell. It was broken and all the ashes ran off just as the prophet had said. What an awesome display of the word of God, and his power !
4. The King’s Appeal. V. 6
Sad was the King’s condition to begin with, but even sadder still is the evidence that his relationship is so far removed from God that he has to appeal to the prophet to pray for him ! For a moment King Jeroboam had to admit that he needed God, but it wasn't in an attitude of repentance, it was only on account of his arm. He couldn't pray; and I’m sure he felt that if he did, that God wouldn't hear him, so he asked the prophet to pray that God would restore his arm. How wonderful is the grace of God ! How mightily God uses his servant ! The prophet prays to the Lord for Jeroboam and the strength in his hand is restored !
b. He Tried To Distract Him.
It is hard to believe that the King’s motives are pure. There is no evidence of repentance on his part ! No remorse over the sin he has led the people of Israel to engage in.
1. He offered him rest.
Now comes the trick of the devil to try and stop the man of God. King Jeroboam offered him a reward. Just go back to the palace and eat with him.
2. He offered him refreshment.
The young prophet demonstrates amazing restraint ! Though weary from his journey, thirsty and hungry, he refuses the King’s offer ! He will not enter his house, eat of his bread, nor drink of his water, even if the King were to give him half of all that he had !
3. He offered him riches.
Since the King had been unable to stop the prophet by force, he seeks now to win him by friendliness, and fortune. If Satan can’t beat us, he’ll try and buy us ! He would not fall into temptation from this obvious trick of an idol worshiping king. The man of God knew better than to do this, so he refused the reward.
(Note: Remember this was part of the command of God to this young man! The Prophet had a Word from the Lord and that word was that he was to not drink water, or eat any bread, nor go back home the same way he came. He was to immediately travel on, not staying in this place of idolatry, but go home by a different way than he had come. V. 10 tells us that he departed and returned a different way from he came. And so that’s what he was determined to do.)
(Ill. I wonder how many today would refuse a reward for doing the work of the Lord if the world offered it? How many today seek the approval of men and love to hear the world call their name when they are accomplishing things for the Kingdom of God? Do we not know that to have the praises of men, we must forsake the friendship of God?
We can’t have it both ways! It’s never our worship of God, or our love for Jesus, or the salvation of souls that bring the praises of men; it’s only the humanitarian efforts and the works that satisfy the needs of the flesh that will gain us praise. Even though those things are needful and good, we must never allow that to be the reason for accepting the praises and rewards of men. Our number one goal is the salvation of lost souls, not the feeding of the flesh.)
III. The Liar Deceived Him. V. 11-19
Now comes the second chance for the devil to bring this Prophet down. Satan has prepared a trap, one that would be hard to recognize until it was too late. He’s always trying and never gives up. We must ever be on guard! The man of God began his journey home by another way than that which he had come. He was in God’s will, doing God’s work, and had a very promising future as a true Prophet of God. But as he walked along, the excitement of the moment and the power of the move of God began to fade into the past. He became very tired, hungry and thirsty, so he found a place to rest.
a. The Source Of The Deception. V 11
Now there’s nothing wrong with rest. But we must be careful not to rest too long, because in that place of rest we often let our guard down, and that’s the moment when Satan will bring his plan of attack against us into action.
1 Kings 13:11 Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.
Satan found an old prophet who dwelled in Bethel where Jeroboam’s idol worship was strong. This old prophet may have been a man of God at some point, but he had dwelled among the sin of idolatry too long and had settled into a life around idolatry, even tolerating it and never speaking out against it. He had found his comfort zone and decided to stay.
(Note.There is a great lesson to be learned from this event. Temptation, and deception often comes to us from unusual sources. Here is a man who had once heard from the Lord, and had once himself delivered the message of God, but now he is a messenger in the hand of another.)
b. The Sin Of The Deceiver. V. 11
How had this old prophet gotten to this point ? I believe that the sin of the old prophet is quite evident though no detail is really given. He was a prophet who lived in Bethel. He lived in the realm of rebellion. He knew personally of the King’s ways. He saw the golden image he had made to worship, and had seen the altar erected, and though he is not there as the King dedicates the altar to observe it... neither is he there to oppose it. This old prophet’s sin is neglience. His sin is the sin of doing nothing ! It is the sin of tolerance ! It is the sin of neutrality ! God had to get a man from Judah to do the job that he could not count on the old prophet in Bethel to do !
He meant well, or at least he had intended no harm. He still knew that idolatry was wrong. He still knew about God and probably in some ways still worshipped God, but he had lost the anointing of the prophet to a great extent. From time to time he would feel God, and those occasions when he felt the Lord were all he needed. He was satisfied being in a lukewarm spiritual condition.
c. The Scheme Of The Deceiver. Vs. 12-18
The old Prophet was not present at the dedication of the altar, but his sons were ! Having heard of the message of the young prophet, and the works that occured, the old prophet searches for the young prophet who had departed !
1. He followed him. V.13
I Kings 13:12-14 tell us that the old prophet sent his sons to find the True Prophet and bring him back for a visit. The sons of the old prophet had seen the way which the young prophet left.
2. He found him. V.14
They found him still resting under an old oak tree.
(Note. The term they used here is that the True Prophet was “sitting” under the oak tree. This term means more than that he was just sitting on a root in the shade and resting. The Prophet had actually set up a temporary home and lived under that oak tree for a while. He should have kept going, but decided to stop and stay a while. There are other instances of people in the Bible setting up camp under a tree. Abraham did it along with others. It seemed that the climate and the weather was good and when you found a nice shady spot to rest, it often became a place to stay until it was time to move on. Nail a few stakes, set up a tent, start a fire, find a little water and you have a ready-made temporary home.
The True Prophet’s first mistake was that he failed to get out of the land of idolatry. God had told him to move on, to go home another way, but the prophet decided to rest a while and stayed a little too long.)
Having been unable to convince him to come, the old prophet now lies to the young man of God. "I am a prophet also as thou art..." Perhaps this was true at one time, but this aged man is only a shadow of what he once was... for if he had been a prophet as the young man was.... one that God could count on to deliver the message, then there would have been no cause to send one out of Judah to Bethel. "An angel spoke unto me by the word of the Lord...." This is an out and out lie ! It should have been obvious to the young prophet. He had been strong in his early temptation by the King. Yet, now in a moment of weakness, being tired, thirsty, and hungry... and surely he can listen to a older prophet, he returns with him and eats bread and drinks water in his house !
3. He fooled him. V. 15-18
The old prophet invites him to return with him to his home and receive nourishment. The young man repeated the command that he had received from the Lord as before. He cannot return with him because God had commanded him earlier not to drink water, eat bread or seek shelter in the place of Bethany. He hadn't forgotten the Word of the Lord. When the sons of the old prophet approached him, the True Prophet reminded them of what God had told him to do. Verses 14-17 reveal that this man of God still knew what he should do; he just wasn't doing it. Then the devil springs his trap, and he uses an old, lukewarm, half-hearted prophet of God to do his work for him.
1 Kings 13:18 He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.
Here was one prophet speaking to another. What’s wrong with that? Surely, this old prophet was a man of God just as the other prophet was! And, he had a Word for the True Prophet!
(Note: Beware when someone comes to you and says, “I have a Word for you”. You better make sure that the Word given is from the Lord and not from the heart of another Christian who has their own ulterior motive for giving you a Word. Too many people have allowed “A Word’ spoken by someone else to lead them out of the will of God. And just as this old prophet, the Word given is still a lie, even though it may have been given with good intentions.)
(Note. The old prophet probably was curious, wanting to know more about what God was doing. He wanted to hear about what happened at Bethel with Jeroboam and the altar. He wanted to talk to someone who was in tune with God and walking with God. Perhaps the old prophet missed being used by God and was hungry for a move of God in his own life. There’s no indication that he desired harm to the True Prophet. He just desired company for a while. But regardless of the reasons which may have been good, the method was absolutely wrong. He used lies and manipulation to draw the True Prophet off the path of God’s perfect will.
What about the True Prophet? Shouldn't he have been able to see what was happening? Why did he follow the old prophet when he already had a Word from the Lord and knew what he should be doing? He had heard the Word from God himself, but the old prophet had heard a word from an angel! Which was better?
He may have thought to himself, “Well, this is a prophet of God too. Maybe God has changed his mind. Maybe God is leading me in a different direction for a purpose. What could be so wrong about hearing what my fellow man of God has to say?”
The Apostle Paul, many years later, would write these words to the church in Galatians 1:6-8, "I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."
When you have clear direction, and you know the path that you are to walk in, and you know you've heard from the Lord, why do we need to listen to a Word from an angel, from another Christian, or from anyone else? And if we do listen, we must make absolutely sure that the Word we hear only confirms what we already know. Don’t allow even well-meaning Christians lead you away from God’s chosen path for your life.)
IV. The Lion Destroyed Him.
a. The Fatal Mistake.
The True Prophet fell into the trap and went home with the old prophet. They had a great visit and enjoyed being together for a time. But then God came on the scene and everything changed.
1 Kings 13:19 So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.
1 Kings 13:20 And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back:
1 Kings 13:21 And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, For as much as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee,
1 Kings 13:22 But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the LORD did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.
How strange is that? How can God use an old, lukewarm, lying and deceiving prophet to speak a true Word to the True Prophet? All I can say is that God will use a willing vessel and that not everyone who speaks a true Word from the Lord is really a prophet.
Because someone acts like a Christian, talks like a Christian and even speaks the truth of God’s Word, it doesn't mean that they are really a Christian. People know how to act to appear righteous and still have a black heart filled with sin.
With our human emotions, we might look at this and claim "this is not fair". The young man came from Judah, showed remarkable courage in delivering his message to the King, and had refused the King’s offer. Yet, partial obedience is not enough, and in this case it proved fatal to the young man of God. God has a purpose for his call, and his commands, and it is best to completely follow them !
b. The Final Message.
I believe that the old prophet is just as surprised as the young prophet as he hears the word of God come from his mouth. I believe that the message that flows from the mouth of the old prophet is a wake-up call to him, and a message of judgment on the young prophet ! He had deceived the young man of God, and now God prophesies through him the young man’s doom. I see in the events that happened afterwards no gloating on the part of the old prophet.
Perhaps the old prophet had reached a point in the visit with the true man of God that he began to sense the move of God in his life once again. I’m sure he felt bad about having lied to get the prophet to come to his house and had probably repented or maybe even confessed to the prophet. However it happened, God chose to use the old prophet to bring a true Word for the man of God this time, but it wasn't what either of them would have wanted to hear.
Because of his disobedience to follow the express will of God and not turn aside to eat or drink or get off of the path that God had directed him to walk in, the True Prophet would never reach home but would meet death along the way back.
The True Prophet tried to get back to where he should be, but he would never get home again. His ministry was over, and in fact, his walk with God in this world had come to an end. That seems pretty harsh to you and I, but remember, God isn't playing games. Though He is long-suffering, there will come a point when He will tolerate sin and disobedience no longer.
There is a scripture that says, “To whom much is given, much is required”. And another that says, “To know to do good, and do it not, is sin.” How much does God ask of us – complete obedience and faithful following! How much sin does God wink at – NONE! All sin must be judged! When does God’s patience run out? Only God knows! It’s a chance we can’t afford to take!
1 Kings 13:23 And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back.
1 Kings 13:24 And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcass was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcass.
God’s Word came to pass and the True Prophet was killed by a lion, but the lion didn't devour his body. Instead, the lion had killed the prophet but we see God’s divine hand in action for after killing the prophet, the lion stood still and guarded the body.
c. The Funeral Mourning.
(Note. God still loved this disobedient prophet, and even though he faced judgment and death for his sin of disobedience, God still watched over his body and protected it for burial. It had to be the presence of the Lord that kept the lion from devouring what he had killed, and for the donkey to stand there with the lion, unafraid of the lion until the help arrived.
Nevertheless, the ministry of the True Prophet was over. We never knew his name. We saw his great exploits and knew that God was with him, but whatever he may have become in God was forever lost because of one act of disobedience.
God had used him mightily. He had known the awesome presence of God and he had been used in bringing signs and wonders out of Heaven. He was a True man of God and a great prophet, but he was no more! How much had he forfeited through one act of disobedience? How much more could he have seen, or done in a lifetime of ministry, if only he had obeyed the Word of God that he knew to be true?
God still loved the True Prophet, even though he had allowed the lion to kill him. I believe, after looking at how God cared for even the dead body of the prophet, that God still allowed him to be saved in the end. But oh how much was lost!)
If you read on through verse 30 you’ll see that when the old prophet came to get the body and bring the prophet back to bury him, the lion was still there, and the donkey stood right there, both of them never leaving the body of the dead prophet until the old prophet came to get it. He had once brought him home alive, but now because of his deception, and the young prophet’s doing, he brings him back to Bethel dead !
The old prophet bury’s the young prophet in the grave meant to be his own, and he mourns ! He further requests that when he too dies that his bones are to be placed alongside the bones of the young prophet of God.
Notice the words of V.32 The old prophet is a believer once again. Having heard the message of God from his own mouth, and seeing the fulfillment of God’s prophecy, he now states that the young man’s prophecies would come to pass !
2 Kings 23:18 tells us that the request of the old man was accomplished. His body was buried beside those of the young prophet ! It is the sad end of two prophets of God who were only partially obedient to the will of God.
Invitation And Final Challenge
What about us this morning? Are we walking in the will of God, sticking to the call of God upon our lives and walking faithfully before Him? Have we been drawn aside by a trick of the devil? Has something gotten our attention, drawn us away from God’s perfect path and will, and made us to follow after something that seems more important? Has it affected our ministry, perhaps leaving it undone? Has it led us to the place where we don’t even realize how far we are from God’s will? Have we gone so far that we are in danger of losing the very work that we love to do for God?
The devil’s got your number, and he knows what it will take to draw you away from the path that God has directed you to walk in. He will make it seem to innocent, so necessary, so right; but the end of that path leads to losing your ministry; losing your way with God, and perhaps, as it did for this Prophet of God, the absolute end of your journey with God in this world.
Those are some sobering thoughts; something that we must ever be aware of. Let us make sure that we are walking with God this day. Make sure that we are walking in his perfect will and not being led astray by anything that takes the place of serving God and being where we need to be. Only you and God know where you are right now? Are you walking in perfect obedience according to God’s divine plan for your life?
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