“There was an old prophet living in Bethel, whose son came and told him all that the man of God had done that day in Bethel.
When his sons repeated to their father the words the man of God had spoken to the king, the father asked them, “Which way did he go?”
So his sons pointed out to him the road taken by the man of God who had come from Judah. Then he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.”
When they had saddled it, he mounted and followed the man of God, whom he found seated under a terebinth.
When he asked him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” he answered, “Yes.” Then he said, “Come home with me and have some bread.”
“I cannot return with you or go with you, and I cannot eat bread or drink water with you in this place,” he answered, “for I was told by the word of the Lord: You shall not eat bread or drink water there, and do not go back the way you came.”
But he said to him, “I, too, am a prophet like you, and an angel told me by the word of the Lord: Bring him back with you to your house to eat bread and drink water.” But he was lying to him.
So he went back with him, and ate bread and drank water in his house. But while they were sitting at table, the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back, and he cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah: “Thus says the Lord: Because you rebelled against the charge of the Lord and did not keep the command which the Lord, your God, gave you, but returned and ate bread and drank water in the place where he told you, Do not eat bread or drink water, your corpse shall not be brought to the grave of your ancestors.”
After he had eaten bread and drunk, they saddled for him the donkey that belonged to the prophet who had brought him back, and he set out. But a lion met him on the road, and killed him. His body lay sprawled on the road, and the donkey remained standing by it, and so did the lion,” 1 Kings 13:1-24.

An old prophet from Bethel finds out about the prophecy that the man of God had spoken to the king. He had his sons saddle-up his donkey for him, and rode to find the man of God.

The old prophet found the man of God sitting underneath an oak tree. He asked him to have dinner with his sons and him at his house. The man of God told him that he had been instructed by God not return with him or to go with him; and that he was not to eat bread or drink any water in this place.

The old prophet invited the man of God just like Jeroboam had, but this time he didn’t refuse because the old man had told him that an angel sent from the Lord had said, ‘Bring him back with you to your house that he may eat bread and drink water.’

However, the old prophet was lying to him. The old prophet gave a false word from God, and tricked the man of God. He tried to persuade the man of God to change his course from doing what God had originally told him to do.

The old prophet had remained faithful to the Lord, but had fallen from his steadfastness lately.

Remember that Satan can come as a messenger of light. In this case, the false word spoken by the old prophet came in the form of something true, but it was deception.

If we have received something from God as a fresh word, we must act upon it, and not be misled by others.

God never contradicts himself when dealing with his servants.

As we know from the scriptures above all were sitting at the table eating, and then a true word came to the old prophet: “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 his place of which the Lord said to you, “Eat not bread, and drink no water, your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.”

At first the old prophet had spoken a lie, and now he had spoken a true word from God.

This is an important principle of how God works. We think that strict judgment should begin with the ungodly, but God often uses strict judgment with His own, (1 Peter 4:17)

This is because He knows that some people won’t be reached when His people live in compromise and disobedience.

Fortunately, we live in an era and time when our sins are forgiven through the blood of Christ. Even when we err by speaking something that is false, God in his infinite mercy forgives us.

However, those who continue down this path must reap the repercussions of sinning against the Holy Spirit.

In time, the slippery slope that they have been traveling upon, will cause them to be cut-off from God.

“For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God?” 1 Peter 4:17.

 

Selah,
~ Stephen Hanson

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Stephen Hanson of In His Truth Ministries came to the LORD is a special way in 1975 and has prophesied regularly since. In these end-time birthing pangs we are reminded that judgment must first begin with the household of God. Will we be prepared and ready?

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