Trust in God's Word

1 Kings 13 (Read First!)

Introduction

How easily do those we see as leaders, experts, and colleagues deceive us? How many of you remember back in 2011 when Harold Camping predicted the end of the world and many of his followers and others sold all of their possessions actually thinking the end was coming. Or how many of you have heard that God will not give you more than you can handle? The thing is, intentions and sincerity do not necessitate or require truth. Both the above examples were and are false. We are to live by God’s word and His truth alone. But I’ll come back to that. Let’s delve into this story…

Original Meaning

So in this passage we have a king named Jeroboam and a couple of prophets. To give you a little background Jeroboam was a servant of King Solomon who oversaw the forced labor that built the Temple and other buildings in Jerusalem. What happened prior to this passage was that Solomon had greatly sinned by whoring after his wives’, yes wives, as in more than one. In fact scripture says he had 700 wives and 300 concubines. Anyway, he started to whore after his wives gods and even went as far as to build shrines and altars in their name. So God being utterly holy and righteous pretty much told Solomon that he would take his kingdom away from him. God didn’t do it right away though, but waited for Solomon to die. The kingdom was taken away from Solomon’s son and heir Rehoboam who instead of listening to the elders when the people of the northern tribes asked to lighten their load, listened to his so-called friends and laid even heavier burdens upon the people, who in turn rebelled and set Jeroboam, their task master, as king. So now we have the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah.

Now you would think that the newly appointed king, Jeroboam, would do what’s right in God’s eyes, but no, he too built idols for the people of the northern kingdom to worship. It says that they were two golden calves, sound familiar? The people did not necessarily worship the calves, but saw them as pedestals in which God would stand. Still, when you have a statue and an invisible God, what are you likely to lean towards in adoration? So God sent a prophet to admonish him. And that’s where we are now.

Bridging Contexts

There’s this man of God who was extremely faithful and obedient. He picked up his things from Judah and went to Israel in order to turn one of God’s children away from demonic and dead idolatry. He went to speak God’s truth into Jeroboam’s life, hoping this wayward king would repent and turn towards the LORD. Because you know what, that’s all He wants from us, to repent and turn towards Him. So this man of God is doing wonderfully. He even turns down the king’s enticements of a meal and nice accommodations in his palace. But then comes this other “old” prophet that distracts this man of God from his one true calling. He coaxes him and tells him, “I also am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying...”

Contemporary Significance

Hmm, how many of us today have had that happen? We are doing quite well in life, following God’s path for us, but then someone on the inside within our inner circle says, “Hey, this is what you’re really suppose to be doing,” or, “I have a word from God for you,” or, “No no, THIS is what real Christians do.” Have you ever been blindsided, utterly thrown off course, belittled or deceived by someone you should be able to trust? Known theologian Matthew Henry wisely notes that, “God’s people are more in danger of being drawn from their duty by the plausible pretenses of divinity and sanctity than by external inducements.” That is why Jesus, Paul, and others time and time again warn brothers and sisters alike, “BEWARE of false prophets, teachers, what have you!” Earlier I said that intentions and sincerity do not necessitate or require truth and I gave the example of Harold Camping. Do you know how many preachers, pastors, and cults have used this one subject, the second coming of Jesus, to lure millions? The Jehovah Witnesses for one have predicted numerous second comings of Christ. Like this passage, we are not to blindly believe others, but are to go to God’s revealed word and test the veracity of what is claimed as truth. This is the primary way God speaks to us, through His Word. And if we take the example just discussed about Jesus’ second coming what do we find when we go to God’s word? In Matthew 24:36 does not Jesus clearly state, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”

And how about the often-heard quip, God will never give you more than you can handle? Well, we all know that’s not true! I’m sure many of you have had times where you were drowning in your circumstances. The actual verse isn’t even about suffering or handling stress, but about temptation. In it Paul tells the Corinthians, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

So why is the heart so easily deceived in matters of faith? We know what is right deep within, we know what we should do, my not-so-favorite extremely loose translation of the bible, The Message, rewrites Romans this way, “They show that God’s law is not something alien, imposed on us from without, but woven into the very fabric of our creation. There is something deep within them that echoes God’s yes and no, right and wrong.” We know what God says and requires, but we still stray, why? Again, scripture states in 2 Timothy, “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”

How do we combat this then? How do we stay within God’s will, within His chosen path for this life? And how in the world do we know when to believe someone or not?

We must first and foremost, always go to Him. Like the examples given above, our loving and holy Father speaks to us through what he has already revealed in scripture. We’re not alone in this endeavor though, for the Holy Spirit’s job is to point us to Christ and to illuminate God’s word for our lives. Some of you may be saying, “Yeah, but scripture can be made to say whatever one wants, that’s why there’s so many denominations.” You’re right, it can be made to say whatever one pleases, and you know what I call that, bad scholarship, poor bible study, laziness. When we go to sacred scripture we must look at the entire context, not just one verse. God’s word deserves our best don’t you think? We are to look at the intended recipients, what was going on during the time of the writing, what particular statement was being made? God will never contradict something He has already declared. So when we do have people approach us with insight, that’s fine, just remember to check the facts with what our Creator has already declared. Because God still works in our lives and sometimes gives us those nudges to approach someone and speak truth to them, to prophesy. And to prophesy is to what? “The one who prophesies speaks to people for their upbuilding and encouragement and consolation.” You hear that, its not new inspired words from God, but primarily to lift up the body of Christ, the fellowship of believers.

Friends, the man of God in 1 Kings 13 knew in his heart what was right, what God had called him to and so do we. Let us not stray and be lured by itching ears and feel-good theology, but stay on the narrow path that leads to life, the abundant life.