Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from 1 Kings 13:11-34.  Here is a link to this Scripture – https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Kings%2013&version=NASB1995

I quote only the following verses.

“Now an old prophet was living in Bethel;  and his sons came and told him all the deeds which the man of God had done that day in Bethel;  the words which he had spoken to the king, these also they related to their father.  Their father said to them, “Which way did he go?”  Now his sons had seen the way which the man of God who came from Judah had gone.  Then he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.”  So they saddled the donkey for him and he rode away on it.  So he went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak;  and 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.”  He said, “I cannot return with you, nor go with you, nor will I eat bread or drink water with you in this place.  For a command came to me by the word of the LORD, ‘You shall eat no bread, nor drink water there; do not return by going the way which you came.’”  He said to him, “I also am a prophet like you, 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.’”  But he lied to him.  So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house and drank water.

Now it came about, as they were sitting down at the table, that the word of the LORD came to the prophet who had brought him back;  and he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, “Thus says the LORD, ‘Because you have disobeyed the command of the LORD, and have not observed the commandment which the Lord your God commanded you, but have returned and eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which He said to you, “Eat no bread and drink no water”;  your body shall not come to the grave of your fathers.’”  It came about after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, for the prophet whom he had brought back.  Now when he had gone, a lion met him on the way and killed him, and his body was thrown on the road, with the donkey standing beside it; the lion also was standing beside the body.  And behold, men passed by and saw the body thrown on the road, and the lion standing beside the body;  so they came and told it in the city where the old prophet lived.”  1 Kings 11:11-25.

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The old prophet lied and misled the one who prophesied in front of King Jeroboam.  

“Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”  Matthew 24:11-14.

Previously, that one (who prophesied in front of King Jeroboam) had rejected the offer of Jeroboam and the temptation to disobey the LORD at that time.  See 1 Kings 13:7-10.  But, because he fell to this second temptation, we see in today’s Scripture that he suffered the consequences of being killed by the lion.  

Here are two lessons that we learned from today’s Scripture.  First, just because we avoid falling to one temptation, it should not make us smug and careless.  We can fall to a second temptation.  Second, just because someone appears to be a prophet a/k/a teacher or preacher and appears to be trustworthy, that person can be telling a lie and trying to mislead us.  When we know that we receive the word of God, we should not trust someone more than the word of God that we received.   

“I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;  which is really not another;  only there are some who are disturbing you and want to distort the gospel of Christ.  But even if we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you a gospel contrary to what we have preached to you, he is to be accursed!  As we have said before, so I say again now, if any man is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, he is to be accursed!

For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God?  Or am I striving to please men?  If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.”  Galatians 1:6-10.

“Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.”  1 Corinthians 10:12.

“Be of sober spirit, be on the alert.  Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”  1 Peter 5:8.  

But, there is hope!

“But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.  After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.  To Him be dominion forever and ever.  Amen.”  1 Peter 5:9-11.