The Lord knew how His servant could be turned aside by the friendly attitude of those in Israel, and that is why He charged him as He did. How easily we can lose the power of our separation when we get on friendly terms with those who are walking in disobedience to the Word of God. This is especially true with professing Chriians who are opposed to the truth of God. Just as the man of God here, we are liable to look on such people as one of us, because they profess Christ, but obedience to God comes first, before all other considerations.
It is refreshing, however, to see in our chapter that this man of God of whom we are reading was very faithful, and refused to have any part with Jeroam. He turned and started back for the land of Judah alone. So far he had been faithful to God’s Word.
But the enemy had his eye upon him, and although the first attempt to hinder his testimony had failed, he soon tried again. How the devil hates to see a faithful testimony to Christ! If the Lord has used us in any way, let us be watchful. This is when we need to be specially dependent, for we cannot stand alone.
There was an old prophet living in Bethel, and when his sons came and told him what the faithful man of God had said and done, he was greatly stirred. No doubt he was glad to hear of someone who was faithful enough to speak against the altar Jeroboam had built, for undoubtedly, he knew he should have done so himself. But he was in a wrong position, and how could he speak against Jeroboam’s altar when he was identified with it by remaining there? When the Word of God, as well as conscience, tells us that we are in a wrong position, often we desire others whom we know to be faithful, to acknowledge us, and to identify theelves with us where we are. This we often see in Christendom today. If a servant of the Lord is in a wrong position, going on with things he knows the Word of God condemns, he often seeks to get others, whom he knows to be faithful, to go with him, for it salves his conscience. Let us watch against the movements of Christendom which mix truth with error, where faithful men come together with unfaithful men, as though they had nothing to stand for. Alas, faithful men become unfaithful when they leave the path of obedience to please others, and thus escape the reproach of Christ.
And so it was here. This old prophet of Bethel had his sons saddle the ass, and he went after the man of God who had cried against Jeroboam’s altar. He found him sitting under an oak, and invited him to come home with him and eat bread at his table. The man of God replied that the Lord had told him not to eat bread or drink water in that place, and to return by a different way from which he had come. How careful we need to be lest familiarity leads to carelessness.
When the old prophet saw that the man of God would not yield to this temptation, then he resorted to lying. He told him that an angel of God had spoken to him by the word of the Lord, telling him to invite him to his house to eat and drink. Had the Lord changed His Word? Was the word of an angel more important than the Word of God? “Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you... let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:88But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:8).
ML 03/25/1956