God’s punishes the prophet

*Study Scripture*
1 Kings 13:13-24 So he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And when they had saddled the donkey for him, he mounted it and rode after the man of God. He found him sitting under an oak tree and asked, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” “I am,” he replied. So the prophet said to him, “Come home with me and eat.” 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 fathers.’” When the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the prophet who had brought him back saddled his donkey for him. As he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was thrown down on the road, with both the donkey and the lion standing beside it.

*God’s punishes the prophet*
This study Scripture surely gives us alot of insight concerning disobedience and being spiritually mature as christians.
After the prophet had departed from king Jeroboam at Bethel (verses 11 to 12 tells us more) that as he was on his way and old prophet asked about the prophet of God and his son’s told to prepare his ass(it’s the means of transportation that they used at that ancient time) so that he can go towards the prophet and that’s when the old prophet reached the prophet of God reaching us to the above quoted scriptures.

At first the prophet of God whom God sent to the altar at Bethel refused to disobey the Lord’s word/command to him against eating/drinking in the land but the Old prophet was able to convince him with a false revelation that the Angel of the Lord had told him that the old prophet can eat from his House.
As Christians/shepherds of the Lord we should be able to be obedient and by the grace availed to us be able to discern false and right even if it’s among us. In the Bible Luke 21:8, the word of God tells us to be careful because many will come in His name… And because the prophet was not able to discern, he was disobedient to God’s command to Him.

Because of his disobedience, he was to die in the land of Bethel and not buried with his forefathers in the land of Judah, it was the punishment that the Lord had set unto him because of the disobedience he had done.
Practically with human judgement, the old prophet was also to be punished but because God’s ways are not of man(Isaiah.55:8), the prophet from Judah is the one who suffers the wrath of God because he didn’t obey to the command of God.

After the prophet from Judah was buried, the land of Samaria continued in idle worship being led by the king as they were resilient to God’s command to them.

*Nugget*
Many times we fail and fall into the wrath and judgement of God because sometimes we take God’s command and word to us for granted. *obedience* is really important and key in our working with our Father in our Christian walk of life (1 Samuel.15:22)

*FURTHER STUDY*
1kings. 13:13-34
1 Samuel. 15:22
Luke. 21:8
Isaiah. 55:8-9
Hebrews. 10:30-31.

*Prayer*
Elohim father, we pray that you may guide our hearts to be in obedience to your commands, teachings. Help us walk in what you consider true and right.
In Jesus name,
Amen