1 Kings 13
In this chapter, a man of God from Judah is sent by the Lord to prophesy against the altar at Bethel, which King Jeroboam had set up for idol worship. The chapter highlights the confrontation between the man of God and the king, the power of God's word, and the consequences of disobedience to God's commands.
1 Kings 13:1-5 (NKJV)
1 And behold, a man of God went from Judah to Bethel by the word of the Lord, and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense.
2 Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said, “O altar, altar! Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones shall be burned on you.’ ”
3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign which the Lord has spoken: Surely the altar shall split apart, and the ashes on it shall be poured out.”
4 So it came to pass when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, who cried out against the altar in Bethel, that he stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, “Arrest him!” Then his hand, which he stretched out toward him, withered, so that he could not pull it back to himself.
5 The altar also was split apart, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.
Jeroboam, the king of Israel, was leading the people in idol worship, burning incense at an unauthorized altar. The man of God came from Judah with a message of judgment from the Lord. He prophesied about Josiah, who would come from the house of David and destroy the false priests. The immediate sign was the altar splitting and the ashes pouring out. When Jeroboam tried to have the man of God arrested, God struck the king's hand, and it withered, a clear display of divine authority.
1 Kings 13:6 (NKJV)
6 Then the king answered and said to the man of God, “Please entreat the favor of the Lord your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.” So the man of God entreated the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored to him and became as before.
Jeroboam, recognizing the power of God, humbly asked the man of God to pray for his healing. Despite the king's prior actions, the man of God showed mercy and prayed, and God restored Jeroboam’s hand. This act of healing demonstrated God's grace even to those who rebelled against Him.
1 Kings 13:7-10 (NKJV)
7 Then the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.”
8 But the man of God said to the king, “If you were to give me half your house, I would not go in with you; nor would I eat bread nor drink water in this place.
9 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.’ ”
10 So he went another way and did not return by the way he came to Bethel.
The king offered the man of God a reward, likely to win favor or show appreciation. However, the man of God refused because the Lord had explicitly commanded him not to eat or drink in that place, nor to return by the same way. His obedience to God’s instructions showed his dedication to fulfilling the mission, regardless of temptation or personal gain.
1 Kings 13:11-14 (NKJV)
11 Now an old prophet dwelt in Bethel, and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel; they also told their father the words which he had spoken to the king.
12 And their father said to them, “Which way did he go?” For his sons had seen which way the man of God went who came from Judah.
13 Then he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him; and he rode on it,
14 and went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak. Then he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” And he said, “I am.”
The news of the man of God's deeds quickly spread, reaching an old prophet in Bethel. The prophet, curious about the man of God's mission and perhaps feeling left out, sought him out. He found the man of God resting under an oak tree and confirmed his identity.
1 Kings 13:15-19 (NKJV)
15 Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.”
16 And he said, “I cannot return with you nor go in with you; neither can I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place.
17 For I have been told by the word of the Lord, ‘You shall not eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by going the way you came.’ ”
18 He said to him, “I too am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’ ” (He was lying to him.)
19 So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water.
The old prophet invited the man of God to his home. Though the man of God initially refused, remaining obedient to God’s command, the old prophet deceived him by claiming to have a message from an angel. The man of God believed the lie and disobeyed the Lord’s direct command by eating and drinking with the old prophet.
1 Kings 13:20-22 (NKJV)
20 Now it happened, as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back;
21 and he cried out to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord, and have not kept the commandment which the Lord your God commanded you,
22 but you came back, ate bread, and drank water in the place of which the Lord said to you, “Eat no bread and drink no water,” your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.’ ”
As they ate, the word of the Lord came to the old prophet, delivering a message of judgment against the man of God. Because he had disobeyed the direct command of the Lord, the man of God was told he would not be buried with his ancestors, symbolizing a tragic end due to his failure to remain steadfast in his obedience.
1 Kings 13:23-25 (NKJV)
23 So it was, after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, the prophet whom he had brought back.
24 When he was gone, a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey stood by it. The lion also stood by the corpse.
25 And there, men passed by and saw the corpse thrown on the road, and the lion standing by the corpse. Then they went and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt.
A prophet from Judah disobeys God’s explicit command not to eat or drink in Bethel after delivering His message and instead listens to an older prophet who lies to him. This disobedience leads to his death at the hands of a lion, emphasizing the crucial lesson that believers must prioritize God’s direct authority and commands over the words of other prophets, even those who may appear legitimate. This story underscores the reality that not all prophets speak the truth, as the older prophet deceives the young prophet, illustrating the need for discernment and steadfast adherence to God’s word. Ultimately, it serves as a stark warning about the consequences of compromising one’s faith and the importance of recognizing that true obedience to God’s commands is paramount, regardless of external influences.
1 Kings 13:26-28 (NKJV)
26 Now when the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard it, he said, “It is the man of God who was disobedient to the word of the Lord. Therefore the Lord has delivered him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke to him.”
27 And he spoke to his sons, saying, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled it.
28 Then he went and found his corpse thrown on the road, and the donkey and the lion standing by the corpse. The lion had not eaten the corpse nor torn the donkey.
The old prophet, recognizing the fulfillment of God's judgment, admitted that the man of God had been disobedient. He went to recover the body, acknowledging that the unusual circumstances of the lion and donkey further demonstrated this was an act of divine intervention.
1 Kings 13:29-31 (NKJV)
29 And the prophet took up the corpse of the man of God, laid it on the donkey, and brought it back. So the old prophet came to the city to mourn and to bury him.
30 Then he laid the corpse in his own tomb; and they mourned over him, saying, “Alas, my brother!”
31 So it was, after he had buried him, that he spoke to his sons, saying, “When I am dead, then bury me in the tomb where the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones.”
Despite deceiving the man of God, the old prophet felt genuine sorrow for his death. He took the body back to the city, buried him in his own tomb, and mourned him as a "brother," showing respect for his role as a servant of God. The old prophet's request to be buried next to the man of God reflected a desire to be associated with the man’s faithfulness, despite the tragic outcome. This burial arrangement may also symbolize the prophet's recognition of the truth and authority of the message the man of God had delivered.
1 Kings 13:32 (NKJV)
32 “For the saying which he cried out by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel, and against all the shrines on the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, will surely come to pass.”
The old prophet acknowledged that the prophecy given by the man of God concerning the altar in Bethel and the high places in Samaria would be fulfilled. This statement highlights the certainty of God’s word, even when the one delivering the message fails in their personal obedience. God’s plans are not thwarted by human failure.
1 Kings 13:33-34 (NKJV)
33 After this event Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but again he made priests from every class of people for the high places; whoever wished, he consecrated him, and he became one of the priests of the high places.
34 And this thing was the sin of the house of Jeroboam, so as to exterminate and destroy it from the face of the earth.
Despite witnessing the miraculous events involving the man of God, Jeroboam continued in his sinful practices, appointing unqualified individuals as priests to serve at the unauthorized high places. This hardened rebellion against God’s commands led to the eventual downfall and destruction of Jeroboam’s dynasty. His persistent disobedience sealed his fate, illustrating the severe consequences of disregarding God’s word.