The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, majestic, and full of splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him and what came to my heart and mind in 1 Kings 13:16-19,
"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."
A young prophet was sent to tell King Jeroboam of God's judgment because he was engaging in what I will refer to as "religious malpractice." Something that goes on all the time, everywhere in our day.
When he was sent, the Lord told the young prophet not to stay, eat, drink where he was being sent, or to return home the same way he came.
Leave it up to an older, wiser, practitioner of "religious malpractice" to lead the young prophet astray! With the reassuring words "I too am a prophet..." an older man (we are told he was "a certain old prophet living in Bethel") led the younger man astray by convincing him to return to the old man's home to eat and drink.
We find the old prophet lying to the young prophet, "'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."
After the young prophet went to the old man's home, the old prophet received a real prophetic message from the Lord for the young prophet, "You have defied the word of the Lord and have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you."
It cost the young prophet his life. A lion killed him as he left for home.
When we have received truth from the Lord, do not stray from it! Countless are the religious leaders who would lead us all astray! I'm not a prophet and I don't receive special prophetic messages from the Lord. But he has provided me a wealth of direction from his word. He had the Bible written for our benefit, that we might understand and know him, that we might understand what he is like, what he has done in the past, what he is doing today, what is to come in the future, what his agenda is.
We turn from that to follow others at our own peril! Woe to the man who abandons the word of the Lord to follow someone else- including those who claim to speak for the Lord!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
"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."
A young prophet was sent to tell King Jeroboam of God's judgment because he was engaging in what I will refer to as "religious malpractice." Something that goes on all the time, everywhere in our day.
When he was sent, the Lord told the young prophet not to stay, eat, drink where he was being sent, or to return home the same way he came.
Leave it up to an older, wiser, practitioner of "religious malpractice" to lead the young prophet astray! With the reassuring words "I too am a prophet..." an older man (we are told he was "a certain old prophet living in Bethel") led the younger man astray by convincing him to return to the old man's home to eat and drink.
We find the old prophet lying to the young prophet, "'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."
After the young prophet went to the old man's home, the old prophet received a real prophetic message from the Lord for the young prophet, "You have defied the word of the Lord and have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you."
It cost the young prophet his life. A lion killed him as he left for home.
When we have received truth from the Lord, do not stray from it! Countless are the religious leaders who would lead us all astray! I'm not a prophet and I don't receive special prophetic messages from the Lord. But he has provided me a wealth of direction from his word. He had the Bible written for our benefit, that we might understand and know him, that we might understand what he is like, what he has done in the past, what he is doing today, what is to come in the future, what his agenda is.
We turn from that to follow others at our own peril! Woe to the man who abandons the word of the Lord to follow someone else- including those who claim to speak for the Lord!
Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!
If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just respond and let me know.
Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com
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