There are numerous stories in the Bible where persons gave way to disobedience because of their good intent. Unfortunately, God does not deal with disobedience lightly and has no consideration for our intent, no matter how good we think it to be. God advises us not to forsake wisdom and Proverbs 14:12 states “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” I believe the way that seems right to a man is often laden with his good intent.
In 1 Kings 13, a man of God was commanded by the Lord to leave Judah and go to King Jeroboam (King of Israel) in Bethel and prophesy judgment on him for the idolatrous altar he had established in Bethel. When King Jeroboam heard what the man of God said, he tried to grab him to have him arrested and his arm became shrivelled up. King Jeroboam then asked the man of God to entreat the favour of God to have his hand restored. The man of God made the request humbly and the King’s hand was restored by God.
The man of God had been given strict instructions by God to not eat bread, nor drink water, nor return to Judah using the same route he travelled to get to Bethel. He remembered these strict commands when the King tried to persuade him to go to his house to refresh himself and receive a reward. The man of God was there on a mission to deliver the prophecy of the Lord and that aspect of his mission was complete. He denied the King’s request and left his presence and went on his way using a different route as instructed.
This is where the story gets awfully interesting!
Our obedience will always be tested!
The twist here is that an old prophet who dwelt in Bethel had heard what happened to the King through his sons. Clearly intrigued, he saddled his donkey and rode after the man of God and found him sat under an Oak tree. The old prophet confirms with him that he is the man of God and then invites him back to his house to eat bread.
Now I don’t know about you, but by this time, bells should have been ringing in the man of God’s head as to why everyone was so keen on getting him to eat. Why is it that when God instructs us not to do something, that we are suddenly presented with the opportunities to do that exact thing?
Back to the story!
The man of God explains to the old prophet that he was under a strict order from the Lord to not indulge in eating or drinking. The old prophet then deceptively announced that he was also a prophet and that he was commanded by an angel to bring him back to his house to eat and drink. The old prophet was lying. The man of God being gullible believed the old prophet and returned to his house to eat and drink.
The man of God did not even bother to consult with God or to trust God’s command wholeheartedly and treat the old prophet with the same amount of resistance as he treated the King.
God then spoke to the “lying” prophet to give the man of God a message: “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 ancestors.’”
When the man of God had finished eating and drinking and left the old prophet’s home on his donkey, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was left lying on the road, with both the donkey and the lion standing beside it.
When I first read this story, I figured this was a really harsh punishment on the man of God especially since we are not made known of any judgments being pronounced on the lying prophet. The truth is God gave an instruction to the man of God not to the lying prophet and God deals harshly with those to whom he has fashioned as his mouthpieces or oracles and with those he specifically calls and instructs.
In local colloquial language “Who doh hear, will feel!”
I am sure the man of God had good intentions in listening to the old prophet. Maybe he believed that it would be rude of him to ignore the supposed commandment of an angel. Maybe he thought that because he delivered the judgment on King Jeroboam and did not give in to his fellowship requests that his mission was completed and he could now be understandably nourished. I am certain this man of God believed that he was doing something of a good nature.
The thing is, we all fall prey to this deception. We believe that our good intentions deserve some form of godly acknowledgment. We forget that even Satan knows how to present things and people to us in a good light.
What the man of God failed to do was adhere to strict and total obedience. God is not a fan of partial obedience and He warned us that obedience is better than sacrifice in 1 Samuel 15:22.
Believers are often prone to the compromise of disobedience in situations where they feel compelled to be compassionate or submit to the authority of someone they believe to be holy or honourable. God does not contradict His Word and He has warned us not to believe every spirit but to test them to see whether they are indeed from God.
The truth is, anything that causes us to compromise God’s Word or His specific commands should not be taken lightly. The “right” thing to do may not always be the “God” thing to do but the “God” thing is always the “right” thing. If you are ever faced with a choice between obeying God and being compassionate or obeying God and submitting to an authority in the church or your job for instance, be assured that your obedience is always of first priority to God. Always test the spirit and if in doubt, consult God but whatever you do, do not lean on your own understanding.
The line between “good” and “God” seems to be getting increasingly blurred in this New Age. As believers, we are cautioned to put on the whole armour of God and walk in the spirit so as to avoid being easily deceived.
Quote: “The road to hell is paved with good intentions!” – Abbot Bernard of Clairvaux
