'' 1 Kings 13 : 7 - 10 The king said to the man of God, '' Come home with me and have something to eat, and I will give you a gift.''
But the man of God answered the king, '' Even if you were to give me half your possessions, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water here. For I was commanded by the word of the Lord : ' You must not eat bread or drink or return by the way you came. ' '' So he took another road and did not return by the way he had come to Bethel. ''
This man of God comes from Judah to Bethel to give the word of the Lord against the altar at Bethel.
And when the king asks him to go and eat with him, he informs him about the instruction the word of the Lord has given him, that is, not to eat or drink and not to take the same way while returning.
The man of God, rejecting the king's offer, then takes a different road and sets back on his return journey.
However, there was a certain old prophet who follows up with him and meets him under an oak tree.
Let us read :
'' 1 Kings 13 : 11 - 22 Now there was a certain old prophet living in Bethel, whose sons came and told him all that the man of God had done there that day. They also told their father what he had said to the king.Their father asked them, '' Which way did he go? '' And his sons showed him which road the man of God from Judah had taken.So he said to his sons, '' Saddle the donkey for me. '' And when they had saddled the donkey for him, he mounted it and rode after the man of God. He found him sitting under an oak tree and asked, '' Are you the man of God who came from Judah ? ''
'' I am '', he replied.
So the prophet said to him, '' Come home with me and eat. ''
The man of God said, '' I cannot turn back and go with you, nor can I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. I have been told by the word of the Lord: ' You must not eat bread or drink water there or return by the way you came.' ''
The old prophet answered, '' I too am a prophet, as you are.And an angel said to me by the word of the Lord: ' Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.' '' ( But he was lying to him.) So the man of God returned with him and ate and drank in his house.
While they were sitting at the table, the word of the Lord came to the old prophet who had brought him back. He cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, '' This is what the Lord says : ' You have defied the word of the Lord and have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. You came back and ate bread and drank water in the place where he told you not to eat and drink.Therefore your body will not be buried in the tomb of your fathers.' ''
The old prophet, despite knowing the word the man of God was given, and which he told the king, gets his donkey saddled and goes after finding him.
When the man of God from Judah resisted his invitation stating the instruction given to him, the old prophet pours out lies, and proclaims that an angel of the Lord had asked him to bring him back and eat and drink with him.
When the name of the Lord was taken, the man of God blindly goes along with the old prophet.
When the king offered him to go and eat and drink with him, it was easy for the man of God, to deny and go on his way.
But when this old prophet comes and pours out lies, and proclaims that the Lord told him, it didn't take him a second to change his mind.
Dear people, the enemy here is only laying a trap for the man of God, in the disguise of light.
People, be very careful about the lies that the teachers and prophets pour out in the name of God.
Many a time, their human instincts govern their behaviour, just as in the case of this old prophet.
We, who listen, must be very discerning about what we hear.
If God has given us a certain direction and instruction in His Word, he will not contradict his own words through another man who speaks in His name, as His servant.
Dear people, be careful not to accept any other teaching extended to you by anyone, if it is not in line with what our Lord has given us in His Word:
'' 2 John 9 - 11 Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching , do not take him into your house or welcome him.Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work. ''
Let us meditate further and learn what governed the man of God's behaviour , when he went after the old prophet :
This man of God was actually sitting by a oak tree when the old prophet meets him.
If we meditate on this, we can understand that he surely was tired on the way and wanted to relax in the shade of the oak tree for a while. And then wanted to move on in his journey.
He must have surely been hungry and wished he had something to eat and drink, because he hadn't eaten at Bethel, keeping with the word of the Lord .
This was the hour when he had a physical desire.
And this was the same hour when the old prophet met him, '' in the name of the Lord '' , but what he poured out was lies, and offered him to come and eat with him.
And the man of God, goes along !
This clearly shows that while sitting under the oak tree, deep inside his heart, the man of God was thinking more about his physical desires, that is some food and refreshment, than about the instructions given to him by the word of the Lord.
And when he started thinking more about his physical desires, he became weak in his determination to keep the Lord's instructions.
Therefore, when the old prophet met him, he blindly goes along with him, because he was offered a provision for satisfying his physical desires, '' in the name of the Lord '' .
Dear people, is this what your prophets and teachers too, doing to you, coming in the name of the Lord and offering you provisions to fulfill your physical desires?
Then how determined are you to hold on to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ - the Living Word ?
'' John 6: 26, 27 Jesus answered, '' I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you.On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval. ''
We are all given clear instructions from our Lord, in His Word. Is then your prophet teaching you doctrines to come out into satisfying all your physical desires, stating this is what the Lord wants ?
Dear people do not let the desires of your lives turn your hearts to go after the lies and falsehood the devil is pouring out these days in the disguise of an angel of light.
The man of God from Judah too was taken out of what the Lord has told him originally, in the moments when he had some physical desire, and the deceiver came as an angel of light.
The man of God from Judah stood up for God when the king has offered him to eat, but he failed when it came through another man of God.
He could not make out that it was lies, though he was pretty well instructed in advance.
He was hunted when he was weak.
He was hunted when he was weak.
'' Psalm 10 : 2 , 3 In his arrogance the wicked man hunts down the weak, who are caught in the schemes he devises. He boasts of the cravings of his heart; he blesses the greedy and reviles the Lord. ''
Dear precious children of God, be alert. Stand firm on the instruction our Lord Jesus Christ has given us in his word.
'' Matthew 26 : 41 Watch and pray so that you do not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak. ''
Let us read what happend to the man of God from Judah, finally :
'' 1 Kings 13 : 20 - 25 While they were sitting at the table, the word of the Lord came to the old prophet who had brought him back. He cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, '' This is what the Lord says : ' You have defied the word of the Lord and have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. You came back and ate bread and drank water in the place where he told you not to eat or drink. Therefore your body will not be buried in the tomb of your father.' ''
When the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the prophet who had brought him back saddled his donkey for him.
As he went on his way, a lion met him, on the road and killed him, and his body was thrown down on the road, with both the donkey and the lion standing beside the body, and they went and reported it in the city where the old prophet lived. ''
So... who was the victim here ?
So... who was the victim here ?
It was not the one who spoke lies that was killed by the lion, but the one who listened to the lies, and did not keep the instruction of the Lord and went after satisfying his physical desires.
Dear ones, the devil knows how to deceive God's people.
It knows how to trick you with your needs, taking the Lord's name.
Should we run after its tricks, precious people, we are only going to be destroyed by the dark powers on our way, for our disobedience towards the Lord's instruction.
'' Psalm 74 : 18,19 Remember how the enemy has mocked you, O Lord, how foolish people have reviled your name.Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts; do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever. ''
As I am writing these words, introspect your spiritual lives...
Is someone coming to you taking the name of God and catching you in your weaker aspects of life, telling you to get your physical desires fulfilled, proclaiming that this is what the Lord wants of you that you should come out and eat and drink in abundance, for this is what the kingdom of God is about ?
While the Word of God says:
'' Romans 14 :17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness ,peace and joy in the Holy Spirit , because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. ''
Dear precious God's people, if you believe and follow them, then please don't think you are coming out from your weaker situations and getting your physical desires fulfilled, but you are only coming out of the protection covering of God, and coming out into disobedience, eventually falling into the jaws of the ferocious enemy, who is masquerading as an angel of light.
If you hear such proclamations, dear ones, then remember this man of God from Judah ...
He too was given a similar invitation from the old prophet to come and eat and drink with him, and the invitation was proclaimed as one from God, but after he had eaten he was only killed by the wild beast on the way, for defying the Lord's instruction.
'' Ephesians 5 : 5 -7 For of this you can be sure: No immoral, impure or greedy person -- such a man is an idolater -- has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God's wrath comes on those who are disobedient. Therefore do not be partners with them. ''
Let us hear the voice of the Lord in the below Scripture, and know what our Father delights in - whether He delights in the riches, eating and drinking and the abundance of His people, or something else:
'' Jeremiah 9 : 23, 24 This is what the Lord says : '' Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom or the strong man boast of his strength or the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this : that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight, '' declares the Lord. ''
'' 1 Corinthians 5 : 9 -11 I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people -- not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world. But now I am writing you that you must not associate with anyone who calls himself a brother but is sexually immoral or greedy, an idolater or a slanderer, a drunkard or a swindler. With such a man do not even eat.''
'' Jude 17 - 23
But dear friends , remember what the apostles of your Lord Jesus Christ foretold.
But dear friends , remember what the apostles of your Lord Jesus Christ foretold.
They said to you, '' In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.'' These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. But you dear friends build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit.
Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life.
Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear--hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh.
To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy - to the only God our Saviour be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore ! Amen. ''
God Bless You.
