A Question of Instructions.
1Kings13, In brief the Kingdom of King Solomon has been split by Hashem because of the turning away by King Solomon. Currently we have King Jeroboam for the Northern Kingdom(Ten Tribes and 10/11 – Levi) and King Rehoboam for the Southern Kingdom(Judah and 1/11 – Levi). King Jeroboam does not want his people going down to worship at the Temple, so he creates two golden calf alters in the North. The LORD sends a prophet to speak unto the alter when the King comes to offer the first sacrifice. When the prophet speaks according to what The LORD has said, it comes true.
Our interest here is not the King or the alter, it is the prophet, for in this story to many events take place for a prophet with no name and some seemingly unrelated events to mean nothing.
Let us take a look at what transpires with this prophet. The king is impressed with the words and then the actual events immediately following the pronouncements, he invites the prophet to have food and drink and rest. The Prophet replies that The LORD has said to me, take no drink, take no food there and return by a different road then how you arrived. The Prophet then leaves. An old prophet in the town hears this and goes to meet this Prophet. The old one tries to convince the Prophet to come back with him to eat and drink. The Prophet repeats all that The LORD has said. The old one says, I too am a prophet and an angel told me to bring you back to my house for food and water(this was a lie). The Prophet returns and eats and drinks there. Suddenly the Old Prophet declares to the Prophet that because you did flaunt the word of The LORD, you will die when you leave this place and your bones will not be buried with those of your fore-fathers. This all comes true.
So what can we learn here?
The Prophet demonstrated that he KNEW the instructions from The LORD, and these personal instructions he repeated twice. He apparently wanted to stop in and visit with the old prophet, for he took the statement that an angel said to do such and such rather than the word of The LORD. This sounds like Adam in the Garden, to me.
We are told in Mosaic Law that we are to trust a prophet, except when they go against the word of The Lord. If The LORD wanted this to happen, this Prophet would have been told by The LORD. The Prophet turned his back upon The LORD. Since when does an Angel over ride the word of The LORD GOD? –Never! There is no excuse in this case that I can see, what about you?
We are each given to know the word of The LORD, in the Torah, in the Tanach, in a Bible, each of these gives us the ability to know and learn the Word. When we hear or are provided in some means information that we then assume to be true without verification with the Word of The LORD –WE are at risk of our Soul; our Life; our children’s lives and that of our community! This is so, because we act in accordance to our beliefs even if we never speak about them to another human being.
If you are blessed to be a spiritual leader and you point others away from The LORD and HIS’s Laws, what will be your reward? This is simple to understand, –you can repent for your actions and deeds, thereby receive forgiveness; however, the souls that you mistreated will weight upon your soul. “Ezekiel 3:17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.”[King James Version of the Bible]. This is whole chapter gives confirmation to spiritual leaders and what they are required to perform.
If you think that you are not involved with this, try:
(Ezekiel 34:6) My sheep wandered through all the mountains, and upon every high hill: yea, my flock was scattered upon all the face of the earth, and none did search or seek after them.
(Ezekiel 34:7) Therefore, ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;
(Ezekiel 34:8) As I live, saith the Lord GOD, surely because my flock became a prey, and my flock became meat to every beast of the field, because there was no shepherd, neither did my shepherds search for my flock, but the shepherds fed themselves, and fed not my flock;
(Ezekiel 34:9) Therefore, O ye shepherds, hear the word of the LORD;
(Ezekiel 34:10) Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against the shepherds; and I will require my flock at their hand, and cause them to cease from feeding the flock; neither shall the shepherds feed themselves any more; for I will deliver my flock from their mouth, that they may not be meat for them.
The LORD requires more from those that know better, and if you are opposed to The LORD, this is also taken care of.
Last item: Isaiah 27:11 …”For they are a people without understanding(or not having the desire to know?); that is why their Maker will show them no mercy, their Creator will deny them grace.
Chapter 27 is an interesting read about “In That Day”
Shalom,
Yaakov
Posted by Yaakov –James Jeffries