I Kings 13:11-34
“Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.” (I Kings 13:11)
There was an old prophet in Bethel where Jeroboam had set up one of the high places. His sons knew he would be interested in what the other prophet had done that day, because he was always interested in the things of God. Why God didn’t use him instead is a question, but, as Jesus said in Mark 6:4, “…A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.” He probably would have been ignored just because he was local and not famous. Perhaps he had already warned them and been dismissed as just an old fogey or crackpot.
“And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah.
And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass.
So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon, And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah?
And he said, I am.
Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread. ” (I Kings 13:12-15)
The old prophet was desperate for fellowship with other men that served God. The entire country had gone along with Jeroboam’s “reforms” and turned away from God. He had his donkey saddled and rode out to catch the visiting prophet and invite him to dinner.
“And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place: For it was said to me by the word of the LORD, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest. “ (I Kings 13:16-17)
The young prophet responded that God had commanded him not to eat bread or water in the area or even to retrace his path. He knew exactly what God had directed him to do.
“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.
So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.” (I Kings 13:18-19)
Because he wanted fellowship so bad, the old prophet lied to the younger one, telling him that God had told him the younger one was to come home with him. Out of respect for the older man’s experience, the younger prophet went home and ate with him.
“And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back: And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee, But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the LORD did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.” (I Kings 13:20-22)
While they were setting at the table, God told the old prophet to warn the younger prophet tha he was going to be killed for not doing what God had said. He knew God had told him, but he put the other man’s advice above God’s command. In effect he placed the other prophet in God’s place. As a result he was going to be killed before he made it home.
When My dad first came to the Navajo Reservation, believing it was where God had directed him, a number of preachers told him he would never be able to build a big church among the Navajos, and should go to another place where there were more people so he could do a greater work. Numerous men have been encouraged to forget pastoring a local church and serve as missionaries or evangelists because they could “do so much more.” If they choose to follow such advice, rather than what God has directed them to do, they are guilty of the same sin the young prophet was. God is more concerned with our obedience than he is with our accomplishments.
“And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back.
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. And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.” (I Kings 13:23-25)
Just a short way out of town, a lion killed the young prophet. It was miraculous, in that the donkey didn’t run away, and the lion didn’t bother to eat either the donkey or the man. Passersby took notice of the lion and donkey just standing around and reported it. They probably didn’t dare try to drive the lion away from his kill.
“And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him.
And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled him. And he went and found his carcase cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcase: the lion had not eaten the carcase, nor torn the ass.
And the prophet took up the carcase of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back: and the old prophet came to the city, to mourn and to bury him. And he laid his carcase in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother!” (I Kings 13:26-30)
The old prophet knew immediately what had happened and went to recover the body, finding everything just as it had been described. He brought the body back and buried in in his own sepulchre, mourning that his disobedience had resulted in his death and aware of his own part in it.
“And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones: For the saying which he cried by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.” (I Kings 13:31-32)
The old prophet instructed his sons to bury him alongside the young prophet because he truly was a man of God, and his prophecy would one day be fulfilled, despite his sin.
“After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places. And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth.” (I Kings 13:33-34)
The prophecy had little effect on Jeroboam. He didn’t repent or change his policies, just going even farther, in making himself one of the priests as well, and actively promoting his version of Judaism. The sin would lead to the utter destruction of his entire family.
“Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father.” (I Kings 13:11)
There was an old prophet in Bethel where Jeroboam had set up one of the high places. His sons knew he would be interested in what the other prophet had done that day, because he was always interested in the things of God. Why God didn’t use him instead is a question, but, as Jesus said in Mark 6:4, “…A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.” He probably would have been ignored just because he was local and not famous. Perhaps he had already warned them and been dismissed as just an old fogey or crackpot.
“And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah.
And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass.
So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon, And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah?
And he said, I am.
Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread. ” (I Kings 13:12-15)
The old prophet was desperate for fellowship with other men that served God. The entire country had gone along with Jeroboam’s “reforms” and turned away from God. He had his donkey saddled and rode out to catch the visiting prophet and invite him to dinner.
“And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place: For it was said to me by the word of the LORD, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest. “ (I Kings 13:16-17)
The young prophet responded that God had commanded him not to eat bread or water in the area or even to retrace his path. He knew exactly what God had directed him to do.
“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.
So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.” (I Kings 13:18-19)
Because he wanted fellowship so bad, the old prophet lied to the younger one, telling him that God had told him the younger one was to come home with him. Out of respect for the older man’s experience, the younger prophet went home and ate with him.
“And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the LORD came unto the prophet that brought him back: And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded thee, But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the LORD did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.” (I Kings 13:20-22)
While they were setting at the table, God told the old prophet to warn the younger prophet tha he was going to be killed for not doing what God had said. He knew God had told him, but he put the other man’s advice above God’s command. In effect he placed the other prophet in God’s place. As a result he was going to be killed before he made it home.
When My dad first came to the Navajo Reservation, believing it was where God had directed him, a number of preachers told him he would never be able to build a big church among the Navajos, and should go to another place where there were more people so he could do a greater work. Numerous men have been encouraged to forget pastoring a local church and serve as missionaries or evangelists because they could “do so much more.” If they choose to follow such advice, rather than what God has directed them to do, they are guilty of the same sin the young prophet was. God is more concerned with our obedience than he is with our accomplishments.
“And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back.
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. And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.” (I Kings 13:23-25)
Just a short way out of town, a lion killed the young prophet. It was miraculous, in that the donkey didn’t run away, and the lion didn’t bother to eat either the donkey or the man. Passersby took notice of the lion and donkey just standing around and reported it. They probably didn’t dare try to drive the lion away from his kill.
“And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the LORD: therefore the LORD hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake unto him.
And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled him. And he went and found his carcase cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcase: the lion had not eaten the carcase, nor torn the ass.
And the prophet took up the carcase of the man of God, and laid it upon the ass, and brought it back: and the old prophet came to the city, to mourn and to bury him. And he laid his carcase in his own grave; and they mourned over him, saying, Alas, my brother!” (I Kings 13:26-30)
The old prophet knew immediately what had happened and went to recover the body, finding everything just as it had been described. He brought the body back and buried in in his own sepulchre, mourning that his disobedience had resulted in his death and aware of his own part in it.
“And it came to pass, after he had buried him, that he spake to his sons, saying, When I am dead, then bury me in the sepulchre wherein the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones: For the saying which he cried by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the houses of the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, shall surely come to pass.” (I Kings 13:31-32)
The old prophet instructed his sons to bury him alongside the young prophet because he truly was a man of God, and his prophecy would one day be fulfilled, despite his sin.
“After this thing Jeroboam returned not from his evil way, but made again of the lowest of the people priests of the high places: whosoever would, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places. And this thing became sin unto the house of Jeroboam, even to cut it off, and to destroy it from off the face of the earth.” (I Kings 13:33-34)
The prophecy had little effect on Jeroboam. He didn’t repent or change his policies, just going even farther, in making himself one of the priests as well, and actively promoting his version of Judaism. The sin would lead to the utter destruction of his entire family.
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