By Olubunmi Adebayo
*Yesterday, we discussed the inability of the young prophet to engage his gift of discernment at the most critical and crucial stage of the assignment God sent him to deliver at Bethel.*
*Please remember that the young prophet did exactly what God said when He gave him 2 commands :*
*A) “You shall eat no bread and drink no water”.*
*B) “Do not return by the way you came” – 1 Kings 13:8-9. Basically, what God told him was : “deliver the message, don’t fellowship with them, and go straight back home.”*
*The tragic side of the story was that the young prophet allowed the old prophet to deceive him while returning home.*
*The old prophet lied to him :*
*”I too am a prophet”-*
*”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”.(1Kg 13:18).*
*The young prophet believed him. His lack of discernment made him to forget :*
*”Prove all things; hold fast that which is good”.(1Thess 5:21)*
*And he went back, ate, and drank with the old prophet.*
*But right after the meal, God’s word came to the same old prophet :*
*“Because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord… your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers” (1 Kgs 13:21-22).*
*As the young prophet left, a lion met him on the road and killed him. His body was left on the road with the donkey and lion standing by – 1 Kings 13:24.*
*Please pay attention to the following lessons :*
*1) Partial obedience with God is tantamount to outright disobedience :*
*The young prophet felt he had obeyed God to a level. After all, he had delivered the message, left the city of Bethel, and was already returning back home. But he forgot that God said :*
*”don’t eat.” But he ate, and the mission was aborted at that very moment.*
*2) He forgot that anybody can be used by the devil to work against one – your parents ( Esau and the role of the mother in working against his glory in preference for Jacob), your own brother (ask Joseph in the hand of his own brothers), your own wife (ask Samson in the hand of Delilah)etc. In this case, he allowed a “supposed” fellow prophet tag to nail him.*
*The old prophet said “in the name of the Lord.” And the young prophet believed him. And instead of cross checking the contradiction with God, he never did.*
*3) Note that God’s words will always stand, even through flawed people. Know that this prophecy came to pass about 300 plus years later, during which King Josiah did exactly what the young prophet prophesied( 2 Kings 23:15-16.)*
*The prophecy became true, even though the prophet died delivering the same message.*
*4) Learn to obey God’s specific instructions. God’s instructions were for the young prophet, and are not binding on the old prophet. You must know what you are under obligation to do, and not to do.*
*5) Be ready to test every “word from God”, especially when it is contradicting an existing directive from God.*
*Note that you are not to despise prophecies, but test everything”:1 Thess 5:20-21.*
*Whenever a word contradicts the word of God, even if it comes from a respected, older believer, then know that it is not from God.*
*6) Know that God is ever serious when it comes to holiness even while on assignment to go and do His bidding.*
*This story tells everyone that God is all out to show Israel that God’s word cannot be bent for our personal convenience or hospitality.*
*The young prophet had the courage to confront a king and do the miraculous. But he died because he listened to a convenient lie, instead of standing by God’s clear directive to him. He forgot the word :*
*“Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only.” (Jam 1:22).*
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©️ Olubunmi S Adebayo.
