Today I read 1 Kings 13, in which the man of God from Judah disobeyed because of an old prophet’s lie and ended up dead. Today I considered that even when on a mission from God you may be held to a higher standard than those around you. You have to be careful to follow what God told you to do regardless of the false information from others.
Death of A Man of God
God sent the man of God to prophesy with specific instructions on his behavior but he disobeyed and died (1 Kings 13:1-32). The man of God from Judah went to Bethel, prophesied about a son of David’s line, and proclaimed against the altar where Jeroboam was burning incense. The sign would be the altar breaking. Jeroboam reached out his hand to tell them to grab the man of God. Jeroboam’s hand withered and the altar in Bethel broke. Jeroboam asked the man of God to pray for him and after the prayer Jeroboam’s hand was restored. Jeroboam asked the man of God to come to his house to eat and drink. The man of God said God told him to not return the same way he came in Bethel and to not eat or drink anything there. The man of God then left. An old prophet in Bethel went after him and tried to get him to come back to Bethel. When the man of God refused, the old prophet lied and said an angel told him to bring the prophet back to eat and drink. The man of God trusted the old prophet and went back to Bethel to eat and drink. When leaving this time God allowed a lion to kill the man of God. The lion and the donkey the man of God was riding just stood beside his body until the old prophet collected it and buried him. The old prophet believed the man of God’s words and told his sons to bury him next to the man of God. We have to trust and follow God and not believe the lies others tell us, even those that claim to be old prophets.
Questions and Thoughts for Today
The man of God died for his disobedience. Others have been disobedient and not died right away. God expected more from the man of God than he did from others. The closer you walk with God the more He expects of you.
Do you know someone who told you they can’t get away with doing the same things others get away with doing?