Isa 30:20 And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction, yet shall not thy teachers be removed into a corner any more, but thine eyes shall see thy teachers: 21 And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.
Deception, we don't intend on it to happen to us, but it can. Unaware of the results that wait on the other side of its influence, many find themselves lured in by a promise, a word, a person, a want, a dream, a desire etc. We can place just about anything in a long line of decisions that need to be made on a day to day basis. As we seek and pray for His will to become the center of our life we begin to see that we must walk on His Word and trust He knows what is best. Yet, as unintentional as it may be, disobedience can step in through deception. We whole heartedly want to obey God, but something slips in causing us to shift from His word. How did it happen?
Deception, we don't intend on it to happen to us, but it can. Unaware of the results that wait on the other side of its influence, many find themselves lured in by a promise, a word, a person, a want, a dream, a desire etc. We can place just about anything in a long line of decisions that need to be made on a day to day basis. As we seek and pray for His will to become the center of our life we begin to see that we must walk on His Word and trust He knows what is best. Yet, as unintentional as it may be, disobedience can step in through deception. We whole heartedly want to obey God, but something slips in causing us to shift from His word. How did it happen?
Please read 1 Kings 13
In short we read the account of a man of God who was used by the Lord to prophesy, confirm the word with a sign, intercede for the king and instructed in what to do afterward. His prophesy spoke against king Jeroboam and the altar causing the king to try to lay his hand upon the prophet. When the king did, his hand dried up. The prophet prays and the kings hand is restored. The king offers a reward to the prophet. Yet the prophet had received a direct word in what he was to do.
1Ki 13:8 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:1Ki 13:9 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.
We see the same kind of response from the prophet Elisha to Gehazi after Naamans healing. Elisha rejected the blessing of Naaman 1 Kings 5:15 but Gehazi chased it down 1 Kings 5:20.Elisha rebukes Gehazi
2Ki 5:26 And he said unto him, Went not mine heart with thee, when the man turned again from his chariot to meet thee? Is it a time to receive money, and to receive garments, and oliveyards, and vineyards, and sheep, and oxen, and menservants, and maidservants?
The prophet must make sure that the one who receives a healing or sees a sign performed attributes it to God and not the messenger.
After the great signs and wonders were done by this prophet there was no need for noteriety or conversation. It was the LORD who had spoken through His servant and confirmed it with signs and wonders. The Lord was protecting the prophet when He said
1Ki 13:9 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.
So the man of God made it through test number one.
By this time the word was out what events had taken place all throughout the region. The report finally reaches an old prophet who lived in Bethel and it stirred His interest.1 Kings13:11-13 His sons had brought the word to their father and had seen which way the prophet went. So the old prophet goes to get the young prophet.
When the old prophet finds the young prophet under an oak tree.1 Kings 13:14
Now the word oak here is 'elah, ay-law' which means an oak or other strong tree.
The prophet was abiding under a strong tree which very well may have been protecting him from the natural elements of the day. As he sat shielded from the sun in the natural, is the same way He sat under the shadow of the Almighty in the spirit realm. As he obeyed the Word of the Lord nothing could harm him.
Then second test comes in 1 Kings 13:15 and the old prophet invites him to his home.
In 1 Kings 13:16-17 The young prophet tells verbatim what he said to the king in vs. 9
Then the disobedience happens 1Ki 13:19 So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.
Why did the prophet pass test number one, only to fail test number two?
THE KEY
1Ki 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.
- Identification: "I am a prophet also as thou art" Someone to relate with. The pull the young prophet must have felt. He just went through a great spiritual battle. Elijah felt all alone as if he were the last.1Ki 19:14 And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: because the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. Even though he had gotten instruction he found someone who could relate.
- spirtuality: "and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, Oh my, here is someone else who is having encounters with heaven.
- Word: "saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water." Wow, I am hungry and thirsty. He is older than me so he must be seasoned. He had an angelic visitation and got a word for me. Yet the scripture concludes with "But he lied unto him."
- How did the old prophet lie? Was the old prophet deceived himself? Was the angel a demon coming as a messenger of light, causing him to pursue the young prophet in deception? The enemy would have been very upset that the prophet was used of the Lord and would want to retaliate like Jezebel did Elijah.Maybe the enemy was thinking to use this old prophet because of his position to compel the young prophet to disobey God. Hence, the old prophet was deceived causing the younger to be deceived. Maybe he was a failed prophet. He had not seen the hand of the Lord move like that in His own life in some time and was wanting to hear the story firsthand as it would remind him of how the Lord used to use him. Yet to do this he manufactured a story to make it sound spiritual. Beings he was a prophet it is possible his sons may have been prophets as well. When they came and told him the story of what the man of God had done, he may have played up their role to make it more than it was.
The word angel is mal'ak, mal-awk'
meaning to despatch as a deputy; a messenger; specifically, of God, i.e. an angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher):--ambassador, angel, king, messenger.
This same word is translated messenger in Ge 32:6, Nu 20:14,Jos 6:17,Jg 6:35 and several other places in the Old Covenant.
Is it possible he played on his sons words who then may have suggested to their father to bring home the young prophet. It is clear that the Lord would not have contradicted himself and sent an angel from his presence to release a contrary word. So deception was present.
Whether the old prophet himself was deceived, or his motives were wrong in trying to get the young prophet to his home can be debated. The key here is that the young prophet was moved to step off of his conviction and follow a lie. It cost him his life.
1Ki 13:24 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.
It would appear that the old prophet still had the ability to hear God due to the fact he prophesies accurately in 1 Kings 13:20-21 the death of the young prophet.
So let us remember
It is two fold. Someone may be the younger prophet starting their journey in the Lord. Someone may be the older prophet sitting on the sidelines.
- To the younger prophets obey the word of the Lord. Be on guard
- those who appear more spiritual
- Those who have words opposite of what the Lord told you
- To the older prophets repent of error and stop being a stumbling block to those who are being used. They may be young and weak in their walk but they need your experience to encourage them onto perfection. Repent over your failures and ask the Lord to return you to a place of usefulness. It would appear that the old prophet may have been brought back on course due to the death of this young prophet. In vs 30 the old prophet says " Alas, my brother" This was used according to the notes I found, for those who had untimely deaths or premature deaths. Just maybe the older prophet was convicted.
MAY WE FIND THE WAY WE ARE TO GO, AND NOT RETURN BY THE WAY WE CAME
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