Never Violate God’s Instructions To you
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 rode after the man of God.
. . . "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 or drink. Therefore your body will not be buried in the tomb of your ancestors.' "
. . . As he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him . . . and they went and reported it in the city where the old prophet lived. I Kings 13: 11-25
. . . "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 or drink. Therefore your body will not be buried in the tomb of your ancestors.' "
. . . As he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him . . . and they went and reported it in the city where the old prophet lived. I Kings 13: 11-25
The man of God from Judah refused to go with King Jeroboam when he asked him to come home for a meal and receive a gift from him for healing his withered hand. His response was precise: "Even if you were to give me half of your possessions . . . For I was commanded by the word of the LORD: 'You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came.' " So, what in the world would make him change his mind when another prophet appears to him and asks him to violate the same word of God which he had refused to disobey earlier?
The lessons are very practical and critical to our spiritual wellbeing and walk with God:
First: If you are confident that you have received instructions from God, never violate those directives no matter the title, position or authority of anyone who entices you to do so. God will change His directives to you through another person only if He, God Himself, has intimated that to you. The Scripture is clear that in the mouth of two three witnesses a matter should be established. Many times, people might conjure up things to derail you from your God-given vision and directives. They are dream-busters who will destroy your very destiny when given the chance.
Second: All that glitters spiritually is not gold. Even when a person claims to be a prophet or man of God, test the spirit because the Bible makes it abundantly clear that there are many deceiving prophets and spirits in the world. Such deceiving individuals prey on the gullibility of people and destroy their very destinies.
Third: Spiritual deception under the guise of "God says" are very difficult to detect. Always ask yourself, "Is what I am hearing in accord with the word of God?" "Does my spirit bear witness with what I am hearing?" If it does not, run away before you put your life in grave danger and even death. We live in a deceptively dangerous world with many false prophets lying and preying on people. Never violate God's word or instructions to you no matter what the enticement may be.
The lessons are very practical and critical to our spiritual wellbeing and walk with God:
First: If you are confident that you have received instructions from God, never violate those directives no matter the title, position or authority of anyone who entices you to do so. God will change His directives to you through another person only if He, God Himself, has intimated that to you. The Scripture is clear that in the mouth of two three witnesses a matter should be established. Many times, people might conjure up things to derail you from your God-given vision and directives. They are dream-busters who will destroy your very destiny when given the chance.
Second: All that glitters spiritually is not gold. Even when a person claims to be a prophet or man of God, test the spirit because the Bible makes it abundantly clear that there are many deceiving prophets and spirits in the world. Such deceiving individuals prey on the gullibility of people and destroy their very destinies.
Third: Spiritual deception under the guise of "God says" are very difficult to detect. Always ask yourself, "Is what I am hearing in accord with the word of God?" "Does my spirit bear witness with what I am hearing?" If it does not, run away before you put your life in grave danger and even death. We live in a deceptively dangerous world with many false prophets lying and preying on people. Never violate God's word or instructions to you no matter what the enticement may be.
Prayer: Lord, we live in a dangerously deceptive world. A world in which spiritual predators are mauling innocent lives. Please help me to be astute in judging what is of you and what is not. Amen.