Note: Devotion taken from last Sunday's sermon on 1 Kings 13.
He said unto him, I am
a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD,
saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and
drink water. But he lied unto him (1 Kings 13:18).
1 Kings 13 provides one of the most unusual narratives found
in the Old Testament. A prophet described as “a man of God out of Judah” (v. 1)
confronted the false worship promoted by King Jeroboam. As he returned home,
however, this same prophet was deceived by “an old prophet in Bethel” who
convinced him to disobey God’s explicit instructions to him and to turn aside
for a meal.
In order to mislead the man of God the old prophet of Bethel
claimed to have been visited by an angel (v. 18a). The inspired historian then
adds: “But he lied unto him” (v. 18b).
We should stop and reflect on this:
First, this episode reveals the precarious
nature of relying on supposed experience alone. It reminds us of the superiority
of our present situation as New Covenant believers now that we have the
complete Word of God written, by which to test all things.
Second, it reminds us that men can lie about
their experiences and can claim false experiences in order to manipulate
others.
Third, it reminds us of the importance of
what we might call the “non-contradictory” principle of God’s Word. The man of
God of Judah failed in that he believed that God’s Word to him had been changed
or was contradicted by some “new” revelation.
The apostle Paul exhorted the churches of Galatia: “But
though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than that
which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:18). In
warning the Corinthians to beware “false apostles” Paul told that them that
Satan can transform himself into “an angel of light” (2 Cor 11:13-14).
Beware the man who says, “God told me….” Test everything, as
did the Bereans, by the Word of God (Acts 17:11).
As the apostle John exhorted, “Beloved, believe not every
spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God; because many false
prophets have gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1).
May the Lord give us wisdom and discernment.
Grace and peace, Pastor
Jeff Riddle
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