Obey God No Matter What Others Say.

The prophet from Judah had denounced jeroboam’s false religion and refused to associate with the king.   There was anothr prophet living at Bethel who knew the Lord, but had not taken a stand against the false religion.   He wanted to be associated with the prophet from Judah, so he went to invite him to his home, as I Kings 13:11-15 describes.  “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.  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.”

The young prophet knew exactly what the Lord had commanded him, as I Kings 13:16- 17 tells us.  “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.”

Dtermined to affiliate himself with the young prophet and appear to be a man of god like he was, the older prophet lied to him, claiming to have had a special revelation from God, in I Kings 13:19.  “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.”

Unfortunately it is not uncommon for people who are not serving God fully to want to be associated with those who are, stressing their years in the ministry to try to convince those who are serving God to accept them and go along with their desires, even when we know God has forbidden it.  A little later, the old prophet warned the younger one that he was boing to be punished for his disobedience, in I Kings 13:20-22.  “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.”

We are responsible to obey god regardless who tells us we need to do something different.  When the young prophet resumed his journey, the older prophets warning was fulfilled, according to I Kings 13:23-24.  “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. “ 

When people saw the lion and the donkey standing together by the dead man’s body, it was obvious this was a miracle from God, and people took notice.  Before long the old prophet heard about it, in I Kings 13:25-26.  “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.  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.”

Satan often uses religious people to mislead those who are trying to sere God, because they are easy to believe, but we need to remember the warning in II Corinthians 11:13-15.  “For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ.   And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light.  Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.”

The old prophet had not intended to get the younger one killed, but he understood what had happened, and took care of his burial, in II Kings 13:27-32.  “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!  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.”