A man of God receives a prophesy concerning the open idolatry in Bethel.
When the king hears the Word from the Lord, he reaches out to lay his hand on the preacher, but it dries up. Jeroboam begs the man of God to pray for him, and he receives a miracle...his hand is restored as before.
The king was grateful and desired that the man of God sit with him and eat, for there was a reward to be had. But the preacher said that the Lord had told him to not eat or drink but return from whence he came.
In Bethel was an old prophet who heard about the prophesy and the miracle, and desired to meet the man of God.
Finding him sitting under a tree, the prophet asked if he was the man of God from Judah who had done all of these marvelous things.
He said that he was, and the prophet said, "Come home with me and eat bread." However, the man of God was once again firm in his response that he could not detour, but must journey on as commanded by the Lord.
But then something extraordinary happened...
The old prophet said that an angel of the Lord had spoken to
him that he should bring the preacher home with him to eat bread and drink water.
"But he lied to him."
Even though the man of God knew the voice of the Lord, and even though he had repeated several times what thus saith the Lord, "he
went back with him." (
I Kings 13:1-19).
He went back on what he knew was right. He listened to another voice, and in the end, it cost him his life (v. 24).
There is a price to be had for listening to the wrong voices. When we
know what the Lord has spoken into our spirit, yet choose to follow another voice, it is a dangerous and often tragic place to be.
How easy it is to listen to voices which sound reasonable and often comforting.
"Come with me...there is ease with me...I can do this or that for you...allow me to show you a better and less stressful way."
"But he lied to him."
Just how many have gone back because they listened to another voice, only eternity can say. But this we know...we don't have to fall for satan's bag of tricks.
Weigh every voice with the Word of truth. Don't let it be said that we were one who received the lie of the enemy and went back.
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