Stay Firm in the Gospel
There’s a strange story in 1 Kings 13 about a prophet who comes to challenge and condemn Jeroboam’s idolatrous rebellion. He is told what to say, what not to do and how to leave. He was to prophecy the destruction of Jeroboam’s altars, not eat any food and not return the way he came. After he prays for Jeroboam’s hand and it’s restored, the king invites him to eat there. The man of God passes this test easily:
1 Kings 13:8-10 (ESV) And the man of God said to the king, "If you give me half your house, I will not go in with you. And I will not eat bread or drink water in this place, 9 for so was it commanded me by the word of the LORD, saying, 'You shall neither eat bread nor drink water nor return by the way that you came.'" 10 So he went another way and did not return by the way that he came to Bethel.
After the man of God’s disobedience, the word of the Lord comes to him through the deceiving prophet:
1 Kings 13:21-22 (ESV) And he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, "Thus says the LORD, 'Because you have disobeyed the word of the LORD and have not kept the command that the LORD your God commanded you, 22 but have come back and have eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which he said to you, "Eat no bread and drink no water," your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.'"
The story ends with the man of God getting killed by a lion, his dead body lying on the side of the road with a donkey and lion on each side, the prophet burying him and then telling his sons to bury him in the same tomb as the man of God.
1 Kings 13:31–32 (ESV) And after he had buried him, he said to his sons, “When I die, bury me in the grave in which the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. 32 For the saying that he called out by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel and against all the houses of the high places that are in the cities of Samaria shall surely come to pass.”
What do we make of a passage like this? There is much to be confused about. Why would the prophet do this to the man of God? Why did the man of God listen to him? Why did God speak to the man of God through the lying prophet after he disobeyed him?
First, we do well to pay attention to the phrase, “the word of the Lord”. Because that is the true winner in this text. The man of God should have trusted the word of the Lord over everything else - even the supposed angelic revelation of the prophet. Remember in Galatians, Paul warns the church not to be deceived by those who would present another gospel, even if delivered by an angel.
Galatians 1:8 (ESV) “even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed”
Now here’s what you should understand for certain - the world is filled with false messages and lying prophets. Often these false messages will come from someone who “works” in the Church world - a Pastor or Televangelist, a trusted elder or some kind of leader. We see a lot of practices in the modern church unsupported by God’s Word. Churches are flooded with female pastors, homosexual marriage, obsessions with financial prosperity and many others despite the clear teaching of scripture that contradicts them. The fact is these lies are presented to the church under the guise of “the Lord told me.” Very often that phrase becomes a manipulative tool in the hands of Christians to lead others away from “the word of the Lord.”
John warns us in 1 John 4:1 (ESV) Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Now what is fascinating about this story is how it symbolizes the history to come of both Israel (the Northern Kingdom) and Judah (the Southern Kingdom). Israel will be the more rebellious of the states, ultimately lying to and deceiving Judah into following their errors. God’s judgment will come and both nations will be exiled from their lands. Our sinful ways always have consequences.
Where we find Christ in this passage is incredible. You see, He is from the tribe of Judah but He begins His ministry in the North and comes down to the land of Judah, proclaims the Word of God and dies for the sins of the nation and the world. You remember, he comes into Jerusalem on a donkey and in Revelation He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah who has conquered. He tastes death for all of us, He bears the judgment of God for our sins even though He obeyed the Word of the Lord perfectly because He is the living Word of God.
And if we seek to identify with Him in His death (burial through baptism) we will be raised to life by the power of the Spirit. The strange end of this story points us to the hope and glory of God’s ultimate story, saving sinners from their errors by bringing them to the grave where His Son once laid so that we can walk out of it with the same power that brought Him back to life.
1 Kings 13:8-10 (ESV) And the man of God said to the king, "If you give me half your house, I will not go in with you. And I will not eat bread or drink water in this place, 9 for so was it commanded me by the word of the LORD, saying, 'You shall neither eat bread nor drink water nor return by the way that you came.'" 10 So he went another way and did not return by the way that he came to Bethel.
Unfortunately, the man of God is soon duped by the lies and misgivings of a prophet...
1 Kings 13:18-19 (ESV) And he said to him, "I also am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, 'Bring him back with you into your house that he may eat bread and drink water.'" But he lied to him. 19 So he went back with him and ate bread in his house and drank water.
After the man of God’s disobedience, the word of the Lord comes to him through the deceiving prophet:
1 Kings 13:21-22 (ESV) And he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, "Thus says the LORD, 'Because you have disobeyed the word of the LORD and have not kept the command that the LORD your God commanded you, 22 but have come back and have eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which he said to you, "Eat no bread and drink no water," your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.'"
The story ends with the man of God getting killed by a lion, his dead body lying on the side of the road with a donkey and lion on each side, the prophet burying him and then telling his sons to bury him in the same tomb as the man of God.
1 Kings 13:31–32 (ESV) And after he had buried him, he said to his sons, “When I die, bury me in the grave in which the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. 32 For the saying that he called out by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel and against all the houses of the high places that are in the cities of Samaria shall surely come to pass.”
What do we make of a passage like this? There is much to be confused about. Why would the prophet do this to the man of God? Why did the man of God listen to him? Why did God speak to the man of God through the lying prophet after he disobeyed him?
First, we do well to pay attention to the phrase, “the word of the Lord”. Because that is the true winner in this text. The man of God should have trusted the word of the Lord over everything else - even the supposed angelic revelation of the prophet. Remember in Galatians, Paul warns the church not to be deceived by those who would present another gospel, even if delivered by an angel.
Galatians 1:8 (ESV) “even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed”
Now here’s what you should understand for certain - the world is filled with false messages and lying prophets. Often these false messages will come from someone who “works” in the Church world - a Pastor or Televangelist, a trusted elder or some kind of leader. We see a lot of practices in the modern church unsupported by God’s Word. Churches are flooded with female pastors, homosexual marriage, obsessions with financial prosperity and many others despite the clear teaching of scripture that contradicts them. The fact is these lies are presented to the church under the guise of “the Lord told me.” Very often that phrase becomes a manipulative tool in the hands of Christians to lead others away from “the word of the Lord.”
John warns us in 1 John 4:1 (ESV) Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Now what is fascinating about this story is how it symbolizes the history to come of both Israel (the Northern Kingdom) and Judah (the Southern Kingdom). Israel will be the more rebellious of the states, ultimately lying to and deceiving Judah into following their errors. God’s judgment will come and both nations will be exiled from their lands. Our sinful ways always have consequences.
Where we find Christ in this passage is incredible. You see, He is from the tribe of Judah but He begins His ministry in the North and comes down to the land of Judah, proclaims the Word of God and dies for the sins of the nation and the world. You remember, he comes into Jerusalem on a donkey and in Revelation He is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah who has conquered. He tastes death for all of us, He bears the judgment of God for our sins even though He obeyed the Word of the Lord perfectly because He is the living Word of God.
And if we seek to identify with Him in His death (burial through baptism) we will be raised to life by the power of the Spirit. The strange end of this story points us to the hope and glory of God’s ultimate story, saving sinners from their errors by bringing them to the grave where His Son once laid so that we can walk out of it with the same power that brought Him back to life.
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