Story of Two Prophets

I Kings 13, I John 4:1-3, James 1:12-15

The story in I Kings 13 involves two prophets and King Jeroboam.  Jeroboam was King of the northern tribes and established a civil religion to offer a place of worship for the northern tribes.  He did not want them to go back to the southern kingdom to the established place of worship.

A prophet from the southern kingdom Judea came to the northern kingdom and prophesied against the worship that was taking place there.  On his return to Judea an older prophet from Bethel lied to the prophet from Judea and convinced him to return to eat bread or drink water.  When the prophet from Judea started back home after eating bread and drinking water a lion killed him.  The older prophet from Bethel who lied to him brought his body back to be buried in his own tomb.  We ask the question, why was the prophet from Judea who was almost obedient killed by a lion, yet the older prophet from Bethel who lied seemed to go unpunished.

Lessons For Us:

• NO COMPROMISE - God is honored by obedience.

• DISCERN THE SPIRITS - do not believe every spirit.  The prophet from Judea did not test the spirit.  We today must never forget that admonition in I John 4:1-3 about testing the spirits.  Read it.

• EXPECT TESTING - resist temptation.  In James 1:12-15 we are told that if we let temptation conceive then it gives birth to sin and sin bring forth death.