Killed by a lion for defying the instructions of God!

The Holy Spirit took me to this story last night. You can read the full details of the text in 1 Kings 13.

There was a man of God who was instructed to travel to Bethel and confront King Jeroboam who was wicked and mocked the holiness of God.

God told the man of God he was not to enter any home or eat and drink with anyone in Bethel. He also told him to leave by another road to return home.

The altar will be split apart and the ashes on it will be poured out.

The man of God spoke the words of the Lord to the King who ordered him to be seized. God intervened and shriveled the King’s hand. The King asked the man of God to pray that his hand would be restored and God answered the prayer.

Then the King asked the man of God to come to his home and dine with him and receive a gift but he refused.

There was an old prophet in Bethel who was told about the incident between the King and the man of God by his sons. The old prophet rode on his donkey and found the man of God resting under a tree.

The old prophet lied to the man of God and told him an angel of God spoke to him and told him to bring the man of God to his home.

The man of God agreed and dined with the old prophet. After the meal the old prophet told the man of God he had disobeyed the instructions of God and would not be buried with his ancestors.

The man of God left to return home and was killed by a lion.

The old prophet found the body and asked his sons to bury the man of God in the tomb reserved for the old prophet. He told his sons to place his body next to the bones of the man of God.

The text doesn’t explain why the old man lied to the man of God. We do know the mistake made by the man of God was not to inquire of the Lord about the veracity of the words of the Old Prophet. This caused him to lose his life.

The spiritual truth in this story is when God speaks with instructions you must obey Him explicitly without any deviations. Do not listen or accept any contradictory wisdom without conferring with God.

God did not want the man of God to enter into the darkness of any home in Bethel or accept any gift. God is holy and commands His people to be holy.

We do not need an explanation from God for His instructions. We are to obey Him explicitly!