From a literary point of view, the sudden turn of events in 1 Kings 13 makes its structure seem quite fast-paced and perplexing to read. However, as we unpack it further, we can discover how this chapter plays an important role in our lives of faith.
God’s messenger
1 Kings 13 happens right after the Israel’s divide into the northern and southern kingdoms. Jeroboam, the Israelite king, had just set up golden calves to prevent Israelites from returning to Jerusalem for worship. His role in leading the Israelites to sinning against God angered God. As such, God sent an unnamed messenger to prophesy about Josiah, the future king of Judah who would restore true worship to God (2 Kings 22-23). King Jeroboam, naturally, reacted with anger, ordering for the man to be arrested (verse 4). His hand immediately withered, whereupon he called for the man to pray for him to restore the king’s hand.
When we are rebuked by those around us, how do we react? Unlike King Jeroboam, we should not react in the heat of our wrath and instead, take time to contemplate. God sends His message to us through different methods, be it people, sermons, or His word in the Bible. When we feel provoked by a message, we should instead ask ourselves what He is trying to tell us. After his hand was restored, King Jeroboam invited the man of God to come home with him and offered him a reward. He was evidently grateful for his help– however, he did not take heed of the actual core of the message. Verse 33 records that “after this event, Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way...”
After receiving a message, we should not simply “blue-tick” (to put it in modern terms) like Jeroboam did, but rather, we must act on what we hear (James 2:26).
The false messenger
Later on, an old prophet in Bethel heard of this, and invited the man of God to his house to eat together. The man turned the prophet down, as God had earlier instructed him not to eat or drink while at Bethel. The prophet then lied to the man, telling him that “...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’...” (verse 18) Despite this being directly against the word of God, the man believed the old prophet, and went back with him to eat. Are we also susceptible to listening to others out of convenience? It must have been exhausting, to make the journey from Judah to Bethel and not being able to eat anything while there. Hearing the false words of the prophet must have brought him much relief— however, we know that our God is an unchanging God. His plan for us does not change, and He has reasons for every instruction He gives us.
At Bethel, many sacrifices could have been offered up to the golden calf there, and as such, God did not want His messenger partaking in food and drink there. Therefore, it is important to keep to God’s word, even when it may seem like an inconvenience to us. He truly has our best interests in mind, and it is better to trust His ways over ours. (Isaiah 55:8-9)
Consequences
The consequences of both cases are that of death. The man of God, for his disobedience, was torn and killed by a lion (v 24), who interestingly enough, had not eaten either the man or his donkey. As for Jeroboam, his own lineage was wiped out later on by Baasha, as written in verse 34.
Reflection questions:
How can we tell which message is true and which is false?
How can we be humble in accepting rebukes from God?
How can we be firm in rejecting those who lead us away from keeping God’s word?
