1 Kings 13:1-34
By the word of the Lord a man of God came from Judah to Bethel, as Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make an offering. By the word of the Lord he cried out against the altar: “Altar, altar! This is what the Lord says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.’” That same day the man of God gave a sign: “This is the sign the Lord has declared: The altar will be split apart and the ashes on it will be poured out.”
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.
While they were sitting at the table, the word of the Lord came to the old prophet who had brought him back. He cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, “This is what the Lord says: ‘You have defied the word of the Lord and have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. You came back and ate bread and drank water in the place where he told you not to eat or drink. Therefore your body will not be buried in the tomb of your ancestors.’”
After burying him, he said to his sons, “When I die, bury me in the grave where the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. For the message he declared by the word of the Lord against the altar in Bethel and against all the shrines on the high places in the towns of Samaria will certainly come true.”
Even after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways, but once more appointed priests for the high places from all sorts of people. Anyone who wanted to become a priest he consecrated for the high places. This was the sin of the house of Jeroboam that led to its downfall and to its destruction from the face of the earth.
In this critical time for Israel and Judah, the role of the prophets is vital. The need to discern what is true from what is false is most acute in the case of those who claim to speak for God. But even a lying prophet may sometimes speak and recognize the truth. The prophet from Judah is wrong to accept the old prophet's word when it contradicts God's own word to him. The point the writer makes is that God must be obeyed. The prophet's death is a sign to Jeroboam and Israel of the severity with which God deals with disobedience. But there are none so blind as those who will not see. So Jeroboam brings ruin and destruction on his dynasty.
Why?
God's word has to obey fully, there is not any room to turn away or make a negotiation.
God has declared the waring on Jeroboam, but he still won't listen and continue doing the wrong decision. How stubborn of the heart human beings!
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神人告誡耶波羅安並說預言。在約西亞王時發生。北國沒有一個人可以被神使用，卻從猶大差遣一個神人來傳話。神可以用反對的力量來成就神的工作。我們有什麼要懼怕呢?
神人也拒絕了王的所有招待與贈予。
神人未聽神的吩咐而死了，放下心防。老先生應該不要招待這位神人，不要騙這神人且還哀哭。Why?是故意還是無法無意的呢?顯然不是故意害這神人。出於好意招待神人，明明知道還要假傳聖旨，招待遠方來的傳道人。把自己的好意壓過神的話。神人因為老先生的話而相信他，沒有求證，神的話不會變來變去。我們很容易分辨不是服事神的人的話，卻不容易分辨同樣服事神的人的話，似是而非。老先生是屬靈長輩，所以神人受老先生接待。誰的吩咐優先呢，屬靈長輩、同樣傳道人的意見，不能勝過神的吩咐！問題神的旨意不能打折扣。我們的好意，不一定對人有好處。動機正確，不一定對人有益。神的話話還勝過人的動機。
老先生意思是生命衰退、老了，即屬靈的生命不長進，所以神不再使用他，這裏不一定是指年紀大。他明知道耶波羅安走錯了，卻沒有提出建言指正。
我們的好意，往往不是神的心意！讓我們更多尋求神的心意。教會中許多長輩值得我們傚法，但是神的心意要我們自己去尋求。
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How?
Be humble always and listen to the word of the Lord. Obey the word of the Lord is the best choice in my life.
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