From Pastor: When Things Get Out of Control!
“For so it was commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, You shall not eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the same way you came.” I Kings 13:9 (NKJV)
You may not be familiar with the story surrounding this verse of scripture. It happened when a prophet from Judah came to Bethel by the word of the Lord and spoke a word against the altar and King Jeroboam pointed his hand at the prophet saying “arrest him” and his hand withered. The King pleaded with the prophet to pray for restoration of his hand. He prayed and it was restored. The King was so impressed that he offered the prophet a reward but his response was the verse above.
The prophet was determined to obey the Lord by refusing the King’s offer of a reward. An old prophet heard about what happened and went to find the prophet. When he found him he invited him to his house. The prophet (who is never named) told him the same thing he told the King above. The old prophet used his “seniority” on the younger prophet saying, “I hear from God too and He told me you were to go with me,” but he lied to him. The prophet listened and, ignoring his word from the Lord, went with him. Afterward, the Lord spoke to the un-named prophet through the old prophet that he would die before he got back home. He was killed by a lion on the way home and buried in a foreign land.
What a messed up story. Such power of God demonstrated. Such prophetic accuracy was given. But, such deceit and lying by a “man of God” and such disobedience by another “man of God.” Personal desire by one man of God lead to wickedness and the death of another man of God. These events encouraged King Jeroboam to overlook his experience with the prophet and continue his evil ways. This is what happens when things get out of control. “Let all things be do decently and in order.” I Cor. 14:40(NKJV)