Life Center Foursquare Church

If you’ve been following along, you’ll remember I felt like I need to put a disclaimer up* on this blog.  I’ve had no formal Bible education, only a thirst to explore it from an amazing God, so if you’re thinking I’m stretching interpretation of Scripture, that opinion is just as valid as mine!

I was led to 1 Kings 13 the other day.  It’s an interesting time in Israel’s history, but for right now the main people we need to know are King Jeroboam and two prophets: one referred to as “man of God” and the other “old prophet”.  I won’t retell the whole chapter because you should really read it yourself as my interpretation is just that, mine!  Instead, I’ll point out a few key elements in the story and share my thoughts. 

The man of God “interceded” with the Lord to restore King Jeroboam’s hand after a powerful display of “the word of the Lord.”  The splitting of the altar, the healing of the king’s hand, and his certainty of God’s commands to him surely show this man was walking in the Spirit.  When the man of God meets the old prophet, the old prophet lies to him, basically commanding him to disobey God.  Here’s where you would think the story takes a sad turn.  The old prophet then prophesizes the man of God’s death because of his disobedience, the man dies, the old prophet finds him and buries him, and we remember the man of God for having great power in the Spirit but for listening to a man above God. 

We really have no way of knowing, but I contend that man of God knew exactly what he was doing the whole time and that the whole sequence of events was set in place by God to foreshadow the amazing act of Love on the cross.  The key in the story is when the old prophet lies and the man of God follows him home.  I had read the passage before, but this time I thought, “No way!  This man of God, full of the Spirit, lackadaisically disobeys what God tells him?  A man who intercedes with God to heal a king who is definitely guilty of a multitude of sins and deserves to be cursed (though, aren’t we all!), would turn away from God based on what this old prophet says?”  No, I see it as a man of God who knew of the old prophet’s lie and willingly took his sin upon himself, interceding with God again, this time to the point of death.  I see an amazing demonstration of Love, a story of disobedience and death; disobedience of an old prophet and death of a man of God who died so the prophet could live. 

The story seems so clear that I’ve tried to convince a few others.  Look, there’s a man of God from Judah, intercession, a “body not buried in the tomb of your fathers,” riding a donkey, an awkward lion, and two men continuing in their sins while a man of God is punished.  Yeah, they weren’t convinced either, better throw up the disclaimer*.  Guess that’s the good part of having a blog!

*Information offered on this Internet site does not necessarily represent an opinion of Pastor Joe, Life Center, or the Foursquare denomination. Opinions offered are those of the individual making the representations only.  Reader assumes all liability.