Knowing What You Believe

1 Kings 13

Wow! How did I miss this story before? I guess I've skimmed over it before, but I never really paid attention to it, and I don't think I've heard a sermon from it.
A man of God is sent to Jeroboam to let him know that God said Josiah was going to be born and the priests of Jeroboam would be burnt upon the altars Jeroboam built. The man of God says it will be proven with a sign: that altar will be torn apart and ashes will pour from it. Jeroboam is outraged; he lays his hand on the altar basically cursing this man of God. The hand he put on the altar dries up, so that he can not pull in again to him. (Not sure what that exactly entails, but it does sound painfully and freaky.) Then the altar does tear apart and ashes come out. Obviously Jeroboam now sees that this was no joke. He begs the man of God to plead for his hand to be restored. God restores it, and Jeroboam asks the man of God to come home with him and "refresh thyself" and he will give him a reward.
I love this man's answer...

13:8-9"And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half of thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place: 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."

He was confident in what God had told him and despite the bribe--he's wasn't going against that.
An old prophet that lives in Bethel hears about this whole incident and seeks the man of God out and extends the same invitation as Jeroboam did: to stay and eat in his house. Still confident in what God has said, the man of God refuses and tells him what the LORD said. The prophet replies:

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."

Obviously believing him, the man of God follows him to his house. He eats and drinks and there the prophet rebukes him for not obeying the LORD and says "thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers." The man of God leaves and during his travels he is attacked by a lion and killed; his carcase left on the side of the road. The old prophet hears of the news and brings the prophet back and buries his body in his own sepulchre and asks his sons to bury him beside the man of God when he dies, too. The prophet realizes what the man of God said to Jeroboam is indeed true. And the Bible says...

13:33-34 "After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again the lowest of the poeple priests of the hight places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became on of the priests of the high places. And this thing became sine unt the house of Jereboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth."

So many thoughts...
1. Have courage and be strong in what God tells you like this man of God was initially.
2. Though he had courage, sadly, the devil used confusion to side-track him. Satan knew he couldn't be bribed, but he knew he could confuse him with a seemingly trusted source. I'm not sure why the Bible makes sure to tell us he was an "old prophet". Maybe he used to preach and had backslidden; obviously he wasn't living completely right because he lied.
I think Satan still tries this trick on sincere Christians today. So often we take "God's word" from someone else instead of knowing it ourselves. Or we know God's word suredly, but when a seemingly sincere Christian offers a suggestion that is against what we know to be God's word and appeases us, we follow their words instead. I'm sure this man of God was hungry and thirsty and maybe even longed for some fellowship with another "man of God". Abba, help me to KNOW Your commandments and STICK to them even when others I respect may tell me otherwise. I think of what Paul warned the early Christians...

Gal 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 form heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."

I've got to KNOW what the BIBLE says, and not waiver from it despite what even good Christians may otherwise say.

3. God is not a respector of persons. He brings judgment on the just and unjust. The word of GOD was fulfilled just as surely for the good Christian who disobeys as it is for the ungodly man that disobeys.
4. Perhaps this whole incident from the man of God was for the "old prophet". Maybe he doubted God's true judgment and decided he would "try" God out. He certainly found that God's word is true and sure judgment would come. I look forward to meeting him in heaven one day to see how his life changed after that. So, sometimes God uses good Christians, to help doubting Christians to believe again.