The disobedient prophet in 1 Kings 13

Various spots in the bible contain strange stories that don't seem to fit within the larger narrative. But those stories are there for a reason!

One example occurs in 1 Kings 13. A prophet is sent to deliver a dire message to the wicked king Jeroboam. God evidently has told the prophet that, after delivering the message, he is to refuse any and all offers of food or drink and return to his home.

But during his journey home, an elderly prophet hears of the visit by the first prophet and invites the visitor to his home to eat and drink. When the first prophet says that he cannot, because that goes against God's orders, the elderly prophet offers the following lie (1 Kings 13:18, KJV),

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.

The reason for the deception is not clear, but the first prophet, evidently convinced, follows the elderly prophet to eat and drink. That act of disobedience displeases God, who then sends a lion to kill the first prophet.

But why is the first prophet punished? Doesn't fault lie with the elderly prophet who lied about speaking with an angel?

The point, it seems, is that the first prophet already had his orders from God. He should have trusted and followed those orders without question. Instead, he was lead astray by another person's interpretation of right and wrong.

We all risk being lead astray is similar ways. After all, we have the bible, God's word, which unambiguously lays out what is right, what is wrong, and what we are to do. But then when something earthly, be it a person or institution or societal norm, tries to interpret right and wrong in a manner that contradicts God's word, we don't have any excuse for ditching God to conform to that earthly source.

Therefore, we must pray without ceasing, so that our actions and thoughts remain consistent with God's will.

The Songs of Degrees

Immediately following the monster Psalm 119 (the longest psalm, and the longest chapter in the bible) comes the Songs of Degrees, also called the Songs of Ascent. Comprising Psalms 120-134, those fifteen psalms were sung by the ancient Israelites as they made pilgrimages to Jerusalem to worship at the Temple.

We're no longer required to physically transport ourselves to a temple structure, because, as the bible makes clear, Jesus himself now supersedes any physical structure (John 4, 21:24). But the Songs of Degrees still serve a useful purpose as we attempt to "ascend" to an improved relationship with God.

In particular, those fifteen psalms make a great fifteen-day bible study plan. Each of those psalms is a prayer, and dedicating a day to each over an (approximate) two-week period is a great way to force the bible into our hands, while also kick-starting our prayer lives.

David repents again

Despite being referred to as "a man of God's own heart," David, of course, was far from perfect. His most scandalous episode involved his adultery with Bathsheba and murder of her husband. But, following that episode, David famously repented, and had his sin washed away.

Note that David's confession does not take the form of some complicated speech to God, nor does it involve deep philosophy. He just repents.

Another depressing episode, appearing toward the end of 2 Samuel, has David ordering a census of his kingdom. The census, itself, was not sinful. Rather, David's haughty attitude in wishing to quantify his power showed a disregard for God's role in the accumulation of that power.

Yet, when David become aware of his sin, he follows the same script as the Bathsheba affair -- his just repents (2 Samuel 24:10, KJV),

David said unto the Lord, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, O Lord, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.

David's life, both the positives and negatives, serves as a prime example of how we should approach God. Let us do likewise.

Canst not tell whence it cometh

The bible includes several passages that emphasize our inability to understand heavenly matters. One example occurs in the book of Judges, when an angel announces to Samson's parents that they will have a son. Samson's dad asks the angel his name, to which the angel replies (Judges 13:18, KJV),

Why askest thou thus after my name, seeing it is secret?

The Hebrew word translated as "secret" means something close to "incomprehensible."

Another example occurs in John 3, when Jesus is dining with Nicodemus. Nicodemus expresses confusion about people being "born again" with the spirit of God. How can that actually happen? Jesus responds (John 3:8, KJV),

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Jesus says that, although we hear the wind, we neither know where it comes from nor where it goes. And the same goes for the spirit of God.

Passages such as these serve to remind us that we should adopt a humble attitude toward spiritual matters. The point of faith is not to understand everything. Rather, the point simply is to believe and trust in God.

God reaffirms our faith

Judges 7 finds the Israelites facing the large, intimidating Midianite army. (Their count was "without number"!) Gideon, the Israelite leader, has an army of only 300 men, so things look dire! But God tells Gideon (Judges 7:7, KJV),

I [will] save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand.

Gideon, faced with such improbable odds, probably struggles to really believe this. But then a member of the Midianite army has a vision in a dream, and an interpreter conveys the meaning that dream to Gideon (Judges 7:14, KJV),

This is ... the sword of Gideon ... for into his hand hath God delivered Midian, and all the host.

Gideon, encouraged by this message, proceeds to worship God and eventually defeat the Midianites.
 
The amazing part of the story is that, rather than punish Gideon for his (understandable) doubt, God seeks to boost his faith by sending Gideon a reaffirming message. And this is after God has already told Gideon that he will defeat the Midianites.

The larger message, as it seems, is that God understands our day-to-day weaknesses in faith. And, if we keep our hearts open to him, he'll send reaffirmations to boost our faith.

...asked not counsel of the Lord

Life, of course, is not always easy. Jesus acknowledges as much when he says (Matthew 6:34, KJV),

Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

But we don't have to confront those daily troubles alone. God not only offers his help, he requires that we seek his help.

Turning to Chapter 9 of Joshua, we find the Israelites entering into an ill-advised treaty with the Gibeonites. God already has forbidden such treaties, but the Gibeonites present a convincing, albeit deceptive, case for establishing a peace treaty.

When confronted with a morally ambiguous situation, the Israelites should have consulted God. They didn't have to make that decision on their own. Instead (Joshua 9:14, KJV),

[They] asked not counsel at the mouth of the LORD.

And, ultimately, the Israelites' habit of acquiescing to their neighbors -- against God's explicit orders -- resulted in spiritual rot and the eventual demise of the Israelite kingdom.

Let us not follow that path. Whatever difficult scenarios we encounter, let us "ask counsel at the mouth of the LORD." We can do so through never-ceasing prayer! 

A command near to us

God's main command to us is explicitly stated in Deuteronomy 30:16 (KJV),

I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply.

In the same chapter, God emphasizes that this is not some distant, esoteric diktat, but rather a command that we already know and understand because it has been written in our hearts (verse 11-14, KJV),

This commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. It is not in heaven ... neither is it beyond the sea ... But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

This is why sin causes such guilt and shame; it goes against the very spirit put into us. We must listen to that spirit, and that is achieved through never-ceasing prayer!