'In about 931 BC, the nation of Israel split into two separate kingdoms. For 120 years, under the reigns of Saul, David and Solomon, a united Israel had grown steadily in wealth, power and glory. After the
death of King Solomon, however, economic and political factors led to the collapse of the unified kingdom, and two separate kingdoms were formed. Rehoboam, Solomon's son, became the king of the southern kingdom, which was called Judah and included Jerusalem and God's Temple. Jeroboam I, who was not of the kingly line of David, became the first king of the northern kingdom of Israel. To help solidify his position in the northern kingdom, King Jeroboam instituted his own system of worship by setting up two idolatrous shrines with golden calf images! (See 1 Kings 12.) One shrine was established at Dan, in the far north of the kingdom, and the other was strategically located at Bethel, on the border with the southern kingdom of Judah. People in the northern kingdom, traveling south to worship at the Temple in Jerusalem, would possibly be tempted to stop off at Bethel and try out the new form of "worship." In addition, since God's true priests served at the Temple in Jerusalem and lived in Judah, Jeroboam made up his own priesthood from among his own people. These illegitimate "priests" were not from the tribe of Levi. And King Jeroboam declared his own religious feast day. Because of all this evil activity, Jeroboam I is known in sacred Scripture as "the king who caused Israel to sin" (1 Kings 14:16 and 15:30,34).' -http://www.growingchristians.org/dfgc/tale.htm
Because of what King Jeroboam did, the Lord sent a prophet from Judah to Bethel to speak out against the altar (the false system of worship), but the King didn't listen and so God judged him. Although the prophet prayed for the King, and he was healed, the King didn't change the false system of worship, or listen to God. The prophet who had spoken against him had been told by God to not return from Bethel by the way that he had come, but to take a different route and to not stop. Even when the King wanted him to stay, he refused:
v7: 'The king said to the man of God, "Come home with me and have something to eat, and I will give you a gift." But the man of God answered the king, "Even if you were to give me half your possessions, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water here. For I was commanded by the word of the LORD: 'You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came. So he took another road and did not return by the way he had come to Bethel.'
However, he was soon tested again in this regard, and the next time it didn't go so well. When he was returning on his journey, he was met by an old prophet, who, seemingly being deceived or a deceiver himself, told the other prophet to come home and eat with him (in the place of Bethel and the false system of worship) because he said that an angel had appeared to him and told him that the other prophet was to come home with him to eat bread and drink water (he was lying). At first, the other prophet held firm, knowing what the Lord had told him to do: ..."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.'" But when the old prophet told him about the angel (although he was lying), the other prophet believed him, and went home with him. It was then that, although the old prophet was deceptive, that same old prophet received the true word of God, and told the other prophet that: ...'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.' Sadly and indeed tragically, the old prophet pronounced the judgment of the LORD against the other prophet, and on his way home he was attacked and killed by a lion (1 Kings 13v26).
As we know, all stories in the Old Testament are given for our admonishment: 1 Cor 10v11: 'These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.' As such, this story stands as a vital lesson for us when we come to realise (and the LORD specifically reveals it to us) that the place we are worshipping in, has actually given itself over to being a place of false and corrupted worship. We are living in a time when Churches are slowly but surely giving themselves over to practices of worship that, although they try to pass them off as God-honouring, they are in fact systems dominated by men and their ways. God had shown the younger prophet very clearly that the worship in Bethel was VERY WRONG, so, he was to speak out against it, declare the judgment of the LORD concerning it, and LEAVE, and NOT STOP TILL HE WAS COMPLETELY OUT OF IT (not even going out the way he had come, which is also an important lesson for us). Now, at first he was very intent on obeying the LORD, knowing clearly what he had been instructed, and yet, because of an older, deceived and deceiving prophet, he TURNED ASIDE from obeying the EXACT will of God, to only obey a VERSION of it (which in reality is just complete disobedience). Again, there is a very real possibility that we will do the same thing today, in that, while the LORD may reveal to us very clearly that a Church's worship is wrong, and while we may know that the LORD wants us out of there, we will instead reason with ourselves that there is still some good left there (e.g. The older prophet being a type of the Pastor or other leaders in a Church), that there is still some good fellowship there (i.e 'eat bread and drink water') or still something for us to feed on there, and we will reason with ourselves that the older prophet, or again, 'older leader or Pastor' still has good revelation to give us (notice from this story that whether there is still good revelation in a place of false worship or not, the LORD has still told us to go), and still knows best when he says that we should stay. However, if we stay, we do exactly the same thing as the younger prophet, and we disobey what we know the LORD has told us, and this is a VERY SERIOUS MATTER, so serious in fact that we are in danger of being judged by the LORD because of it (because we are responsible for the revelation given to us). So no matter what seems to be beneficial about any Church or place or system of worship, if God has TOLD YOU TO LEAVE AND TO NOT HANG AROUND, make very sure you do exactly that, and not some version of that, and do it as quickly as you can. God will look after you and direct you after you go and after you are obedient to Him, but let Him provide the food that He knows you need. Seek first HIS KINGDOM and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, and all THE NEEDFUL things will be provided for you.
Because of what King Jeroboam did, the Lord sent a prophet from Judah to Bethel to speak out against the altar (the false system of worship), but the King didn't listen and so God judged him. Although the prophet prayed for the King, and he was healed, the King didn't change the false system of worship, or listen to God. The prophet who had spoken against him had been told by God to not return from Bethel by the way that he had come, but to take a different route and to not stop. Even when the King wanted him to stay, he refused:
v7: 'The king said to the man of God, "Come home with me and have something to eat, and I will give you a gift." But the man of God answered the king, "Even if you were to give me half your possessions, I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water here. For I was commanded by the word of the LORD: 'You must not eat bread or drink water or return by the way you came. So he took another road and did not return by the way he had come to Bethel.'
However, he was soon tested again in this regard, and the next time it didn't go so well. When he was returning on his journey, he was met by an old prophet, who, seemingly being deceived or a deceiver himself, told the other prophet to come home and eat with him (in the place of Bethel and the false system of worship) because he said that an angel had appeared to him and told him that the other prophet was to come home with him to eat bread and drink water (he was lying). At first, the other prophet held firm, knowing what the Lord had told him to do: ..."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.'" But when the old prophet told him about the angel (although he was lying), the other prophet believed him, and went home with him. It was then that, although the old prophet was deceptive, that same old prophet received the true word of God, and told the other prophet that: ...'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.' Sadly and indeed tragically, the old prophet pronounced the judgment of the LORD against the other prophet, and on his way home he was attacked and killed by a lion (1 Kings 13v26).
As we know, all stories in the Old Testament are given for our admonishment: 1 Cor 10v11: 'These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the fulfillment of the ages has come.' As such, this story stands as a vital lesson for us when we come to realise (and the LORD specifically reveals it to us) that the place we are worshipping in, has actually given itself over to being a place of false and corrupted worship. We are living in a time when Churches are slowly but surely giving themselves over to practices of worship that, although they try to pass them off as God-honouring, they are in fact systems dominated by men and their ways. God had shown the younger prophet very clearly that the worship in Bethel was VERY WRONG, so, he was to speak out against it, declare the judgment of the LORD concerning it, and LEAVE, and NOT STOP TILL HE WAS COMPLETELY OUT OF IT (not even going out the way he had come, which is also an important lesson for us). Now, at first he was very intent on obeying the LORD, knowing clearly what he had been instructed, and yet, because of an older, deceived and deceiving prophet, he TURNED ASIDE from obeying the EXACT will of God, to only obey a VERSION of it (which in reality is just complete disobedience). Again, there is a very real possibility that we will do the same thing today, in that, while the LORD may reveal to us very clearly that a Church's worship is wrong, and while we may know that the LORD wants us out of there, we will instead reason with ourselves that there is still some good left there (e.g. The older prophet being a type of the Pastor or other leaders in a Church), that there is still some good fellowship there (i.e 'eat bread and drink water') or still something for us to feed on there, and we will reason with ourselves that the older prophet, or again, 'older leader or Pastor' still has good revelation to give us (notice from this story that whether there is still good revelation in a place of false worship or not, the LORD has still told us to go), and still knows best when he says that we should stay. However, if we stay, we do exactly the same thing as the younger prophet, and we disobey what we know the LORD has told us, and this is a VERY SERIOUS MATTER, so serious in fact that we are in danger of being judged by the LORD because of it (because we are responsible for the revelation given to us). So no matter what seems to be beneficial about any Church or place or system of worship, if God has TOLD YOU TO LEAVE AND TO NOT HANG AROUND, make very sure you do exactly that, and not some version of that, and do it as quickly as you can. God will look after you and direct you after you go and after you are obedient to Him, but let Him provide the food that He knows you need. Seek first HIS KINGDOM and HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, and all THE NEEDFUL things will be provided for you.
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