Former Blackout Artist

The man of God said, “I cannot turn back and go with you, nor can I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. I have been told by the word of the Lord: ‘You must not eat bread or drink water there or return by the way you came.’” The old prophet answered, “I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me by the word of the Lord: ‘Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.’” (But he was lying to him.) So the man of God returned with him and ate and drank in his house. 1 Kings 13:16-19

There’s something about this fella – this unnamed man of God from Judah. He was sent into a difficult place with a difficult message. Jeroboam was king, and the idolatrous altar at Bethel was crowded with worshipers. The false religion of Israel seemed very acceptable and secure. That God had sent a prophet from Judah and not a prophet from there in Bethel to deliver His message? That says a lot about how far they had strayed.

This prophet was sent to deliver God’s message faithfully, not to build a following or seek popularity.

This is a good reminder that the servant of God isn’t responsible for the results of his witness. He’s responsible for his faithfulness. In every generation, believers are tempted to measure success by the wrong things. How many followers do I have? What do my numbers look like? How big is my influence? Is my message receptive? Am I having a visible impact? But God measures something entirely different. He looks for men and women who’ll simply say what He has said and do what He has commanded.

Yes, the prophet’s courage is incredibly admirable! He stood before a king without fear, and he pronounced judgment upon an altar that represented the nation’s false worship. And when Jeroboam stretched out his hand against him? God defended His servant! At first glance, the man of God seems to be a model of unwavering obedience, doesn’t he?

But the tragedy of the chapter is that the prophet who resisted a king could not resist a lie. That should catch our attention. After standing firm against public pressure, his demise came in private.

He obeyed God in the great matter, but he disobeyed Him in what may have seemed a smaller one. An older prophet persuaded him to disregard the clear command God had given. So instead of holding fast to God’s Word, he listened to another voice. This is such a hard lesson… that could’ve just as easily been you or me!

But spiritual victory yesterday doesn’t guarantee faithfulness today. How many times do we need to be reminded of Peter? One minute he’s testifying that Jesus is the Messiah, and the next minute our Lord is calling him Satan. A believer may stand firm in a great time of testing, and yet stumble badly in an ordinary conversation. We’re never beyond the need for vigilance. And of course the Lord’s grace and protection!

Because think about it – how often are we tempted the same way? God has spoken plainly in Scripture, yet we allow the opinions of others, or the pressure of culture, or even the advice of respected people to outweigh what God has said. We convince ourselves that a slight deviation from obedience is harmless, forgetting that partial obedience is still total disobedience.

The man of God teaches us that sincerity – as important as it is – isn’t enough. That courage isn’t enough. Even our past faithfulness isn’t enough. We must continue to obey God to the very end.

Loved ones, the safest Christian isn’t the one with the strongest personality. It isn’t the one with the greatest gifts or the most impressive ministry. The safest Christian is the one who keeps returning to the Word of God and asking, “What has the Lord said?”

The unnamed prophet came to Bethel to deliver God’s message. In the end, however, the greatest message of his life was this:

It is possible to speak God’s truth to others while neglecting to obey it ourselves.

Prayer: Father, give me a heart that treasures Your Word above every other voice. Keep me from being influenced by human wisdom when it conflicts with Your truth. Help me to obey You not only in public moments of courage but also in the quiet, unseen decisions of daily life. Make me faithful to the end, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.