Based on 1 Kings 13:11-34 (New King James Version)
“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. 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. Then he said to his sons, ‘Saddle the donkey for me.’ So they saddled the donkey for him; and he rode on it, 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.’ Then he said to him, ‘Come home with me and eat bread.’ 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. 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.’ ’ 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.) So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water. Now it happened, as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back; 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, 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.’ ’ 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. 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. 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. 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.’ And he spoke to his sons, saying, ‘Saddle the donkey for me.’ So they saddled it. 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. 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. Then he laid the corpse in his own tomb; and they mourned over him, saying, ‘Alas, my brother!’ 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. 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.’ 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. And this thing was the sin of the house of Jeroboam, so as to exterminate and destroy it from the face of the earth.”
The only thing that produces life in man, especially eternal life, is the Word of God. There is no life in anything else. As it is written: “…‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ” Matthew 4:4b. If we are even breathing at this very moment, it is because the Word of God is making it possible. We saw in today's passage that, because a prophet was not zealous for what God had commanded him, he died for his disobedience. Disobedience always has consequences, especially when we are judged.
Some may think, “Why did God judge him if the other prophet had lied to him?” Because we are not supposed to get carried away by what others say, no matter who they are. Finally, each person has to learn to hear the Word of God for themselves. And at this time, even more so, because there is very little truth everywhere. We have more apostasy today than ever because of the sin that abounds in the people of God. So, today more than ever we must cling to the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. And today people have less than ever the excuse that they do not know the will of God. There are Bibles everywhere. Today there are even free applications for smartphones. The Word of God has been spread throughout the planet, and for many years now. We must search for His Word, because it is written: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” Hosea 4:6. If you do not seek the knowledge of God today, it is because you are simply discarding it, and not because of lack of access. And everything that is preached must be verified. You can't take everything as truth, especially if it sounds attractive. We see this same example in the Word: “Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” Acts 17:10-11. You need to verify what is being said.
Today more than ever we must be careful with false gospels and doctrines of demons because they are very subtle and attractive. What is the biggest lie that exists today in most of our churches? That we will not be judged by our actions. Yes, we will ALL give an account before God for all our actions. Do not be fooled. This is what the Word says: “For if we sin willfully after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful expectation of judgment, and fiery indignation which will devour the adversaries. Anyone who has rejected Moses’ law dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace? For we know Him who said, ‘Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,’ says the Lord. And again, ‘The Lord will judge His people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Hebrews 10:26-31. And the Word says this also: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” Matthew 7:21. So, for your own good, learn to listen to God for yourself, through the Holy Spirit and by studying His Word. And of course, obey Him. You don't want to find out in the final judgment that you lived wrongly. And don't make the mistake of believing that life here is some kind of indicator of how you stand before God. He who does the will of God may encounter great challenges today. And also, if a person is prosperous here, it does not mean that they are well before God. So, are you obeying the Lord for eternal life? Lord bless! John. Support Israel. Pray for Israel. God will bless those that bless Israel.