(REFLECTIONS ON 1 Kings 13:1-34)

In today’s Scripture, we see a man of God from Judah who came to Bethel by the word of the Lord to speak a prophecy against the altar that Jeroboam used to burn incense. This was because Jeroboam, out of fear and insecurity regarding his kingship, had established alternative altars, priests, and festivals for Israel so that the people would not return to Jerusalem to worship.

Interestingly, the man of God did not speak directly to Jeroboam. Rather, he spoke to the altar that Jeroboam had established and misused. In a sense, Jeroboam had become unworthy to receive God’s word, and the prophecy was directed against the very object of his false worship.

God gave the man of God specific instructions regarding both his message and his conduct afterward:

9 “For so it was commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘You shall eat no bread, nor drink water, nor return by the way which you came.’”

Later, an old prophet came and falsely told the man of God that an angel had spoken to him by the word of the Lord, instructing him to bring the man of God back to his house to eat bread and drink water.

Rather than obeying the clear instructions that God had already given him, the man of God listened to the words of the old prophet. Because of his disobedience, the Lord judged him, and a lion killed him on the road. Ironically, it was through this judgment that the old prophet came to recognize that the man of God was truly a prophet of the Lord.

Yet even after all these events, Jeroboam remained unchanged.

33 “After this event Jeroboam did not return from his evil way, but again he made priests of the high places from among all the people; any who would, he ordained to be priests of the high places.”

Even though the words of the man of God came to pass before Jeroboam’s eyes and were confirmed by the old prophet, Jeroboam continued in his rebellion against the Lord.

Brothers and sisters, as we look at the characters in today’s passage, we see that each was unfaithful to the Lord in his own way. Jeroboam established his own priests, places of worship, and religious festivals. The man of God listened to another voice rather than the clear command of God. The old prophet spoke falsely and became a stumbling block to the man of God.

May we therefore learn to be a people and a church that listen to the Lord, trust in the Lord, and worship Him alone. May we not establish our own ways of worship that lead people away from God, follow the voices of others above His Word, or use deception and manipulation to accomplish our purposes. Instead, may we remain faithful to the Lord and obedient to His Word, regardless of the cost.

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: 1 Kings 13