A MAN OF GOD!

During my quiet time last week, I read about how the kingdom of Israel split into two kingdoms (1Kings chapter 12). The tribes of Judah and Benjamin remained loyal to the house of David by following Solomon’s son king Rehoboam, but the ten other tribes of Israel rebelled and followed their new king Jeroboam. Jeroboam was afraid that when the people made their annual pilgrimage to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices at the temple of the Lord that they would become loyal to Rehoboam and kill him. So Jeroboam made two golden calves and he told the people of the ten tribes "It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." 1 Kings 12:28b. Then Jeroboam instituted his own festival for the people so that they could make offerings to the two golden calves.

One day a man of God came from the southern kingdom and he spoke out against king Jeroboam and the people for making offerings to the golden calves. Jeroboam was very upset at this. When he stretched his arm across the alter to tell the guards to arrest the man of God, his hand shriveled up. He beseeched the man of God to intercede and pray to his Lord God for him and when he did, Jeroboam’s hand healed immediately. The king was so glad that his hand was back to normal that he pleaded with the man of God to come home with him and eat with him. The man of God answered "Even if you were to give me half your possessions, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water here. 9 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.'" 10 So he took another road and did not return by the way he had come to Bethel.” 1 Kings 13:8-10.

That should have been the end of the story. The man of God came to Bethel to do what the Lord had told him to do (to speak against the sacrifices to the golden calves) and he was headed out of town on a different road than the one he came into town on, just the way the Lord had commanded him to do. However, this man of God made the mistake of listening to a person that told him that he also was a prophet of God and that an angel had told him that the Lord said it was OK for him to come back to town and eat with him. “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.) 19 So the man of God returned with him and ate and drank in his house.”1 Kings 13:18-19.

During the meal, the word of the Lord actually did come to the old prophet and he cried out to the man of God and said "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. 22 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 fathers.'" 1 Kings 13:21-22. That very day, when the man of God did finally leave the town, a lion met him on the road and killed him.

Now that’s a harsh punishment, wouldn’t you say? After all we are only human. Has God told you to do something? Is God leading you in a particular direction and you just know that it is God’s will for your life? I’m sure this man of God was hungry and thirsty after everything that went on at the alter of the golden calves. Besides this old prophet said that an angel of the Lord told him! He needed to eat and drink and surely the Lord knew that!

If God has commanded you to do something and you know in your heart, beyond a shadow of a doubt that it is God directing you, then this lesson is for you. Remember, Satan loves to masquerade as an angel of light. Just like Jeroboam was afraid the people of Israel would wise up and give their allegiance to king Rehoboam (the legitimate king of Israel), Satan is also afraid that you will wise up and begin to see through his little schemes. If God directs you to do something...you can run, but you can’t hide. Ask God for discernment, ask God to show you His will for you and don’t let anything or anybody stop you from fulfilling what you know God has planned for you!

Cindy

Bible Verse taken from the New International Version
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