"HOW TO KILL A PROPHET"
A false system of worship had been set up by Jeroboam, it had all the same elements the true system had, worship, altar, sacrifice, priests(ministers), places of worship etc. Two main places were set up where people could go to worship, one was Bethel and the other Dan to keep people from Jerusalem and the true worship of God.
"Then Jeroboam built Shechem in the mountains of Ephraim, and dwelt there. Also, he went out from there and built Penuel. And Jeroboam said in his heart, “Now the kingdom may return to the house of David: If these people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then the heart of this people will turn back to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah, and they will kill me and go back to Rehoboam king of Judah.” "Therefore the king asked advice, made two calves of gold, and said to the people, “It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem. Here are your gods, O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt!” And he set up one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan. Now, this thing became a sin, for the people went to worship before the one as far as Dan. He made shrines on the high places and made priests from every class of people, who were not of the sons of Levi. Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. And at Bethel, he installed the priests of the high places which he had made. So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in his own heart. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar and burned incense." I Kings 12:25-33
God sent a young prophet, "The Man of God", to Bethel to speak against this Altar and this false system of worship. I Kings 13.
This young prophet from Judah the place of true worship came with a bell ringing word of God. He prophesied Josiah by name was going to destroy this altar almost 300 years before Josiah was born. He declared God was going to give an immediate sign of the veracity of his Word, which happened, the Altar split and when Jeroboam lifted his arm toward him to have him arrested his arm immediately withered and he could not draw it back. God sent this young prophet into this system, deliver His Word and leave and come home by another route. He was to not stay, drink water or eat food in Bethel. God knew this was a deadly seductive system, it was virulent and powerfully contagious. He didn't want this prophet to become familiar or comfortable in any measure, even not to return home by the same route. King Jeroboam's armed had withered and he asked this young prophet to pray for him that his arm might be restored, the prophet did and it was. Jeroboam then asked him to stay with him and receive rest and sustenance, that he wanted to give him a reward. The young prophet refused and told him even if he offered up half his wealth he would not stay, eat or drink water. "So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Bethel." I Kings 13:10
As he was going the son of a prophet of God who lived in Bethel came and told his father what had happened, what Jeroboam had done and said and how the young prophet left another way. Immediately the Old Prophet has his son saddle a donkey and he headed out to find the young prophet. When he found him he asked him to come home with him, the young prophet told him what God had said about not eating, drinking or staying in Bethel. The Old Prophet said he was a prophet also and an angel of the Lord had sent him a word, from God to tell him that the young prophet could come to his house. The scripture declares in vs 18, "But he lied to him."
As they sat at bread in the Old Prophets table the true Word came to the Old Prophet declaring because he disobeyed the Word of God he was going to die. The young prophet immediately continues his journey, and a lion met and killed him on the road. The lion stood there with his donkey, not attacking it, on the side of the road until the Old Prophet came and buried him. What a sad story, but I want to point out a few things about the death of this young prophet I think is a Word of instruction and warning to the Prophets of God being raised up in this generation to bring judgment to the false system of "Compromised Christianity".
#1 This young prophet was not raised up in the tainted, compromised, sick system of Christianity being presented as the answer today. He was a Son of Zion, a man of God, birthed, sustained and saturated in the righteousness of God. He was sanctified, called and prepared in the true House of God, he represented the antithesis of the false. He very presence was a rebuke to the corrupted system set up to keep people from the true and living way.
#2 The prophetic courage, confidence, and clarity upon this young man brought a prophetic reach hundreds of years into the future as He names King Josiah. He also had immediate evidence of his prophetic authority confirming his call and ministry, the altar split in two as he had declared. Also God immediately judged those who rose against him, Jeroboam raised his arm and shouted arrest him and his arm withered on the spot so he could not draw it back.
#3 He was not going to compromise, so the enemy had to use another prophet to deceive him. Young prophets of this caliber have a pure heart, which can produce a dangerous naivety, tricking him into thinking that all prophetic people have kept that same purity. He couldn't even entertain the thought another prophet was lying to him, even when it contradicted the instruction he had been given. He honored the Old Prophet thinking he was pure and God's word to him superseded what he had been given.
#4. Another part of the trap is insecurity and the need for affirmation, approval, and acceptance found in many young prophets. The prophet is called to walk a lonely road, a road that has rejection built into it to deliver them from the fear of man. A way where God is the sole means of affirmation. This young man was deceived by the offer of recognition and affirmation given by the lying compromised Old Prophet. #5 This Old Prophet was living in, and part of this corrupt system. I'm sure he was recognized and honored as one of the five-fold, probably giving "thus saith the Lord" words at every sabbath gathering. He was so inured and saturated with the corruption of this compromised system he couldn't even see it, say nothing of standing in prophetic opposition to it.
#6 He was provoked by the unction, clarity, and anointing on this young prophet, and he knew it would reveal his condition if he didn't do something about it. Young prophets must be prepared to know, the incredible prophetic power of this hour is going to provoke the cold, crusty compromised men and women of God who now prophesy by the spirit of Baal more than the Spirit of the Lord.
#7 The Prophet of the coming day are simply known as "The Man of God", no titles, not name recognition, no prefixes or suffixes needed as this anointing will be enough for all to know, that the Lords Prophet has been among them.
#8 The Prophet of the Lord MUST recognize how seductive and virulently contagious is the acceptance this system offers. The recognition, affirmation, position, security, financial security, a false sense of peace. This is the sickness of this system, a place where men honor themselves and seek that approval in everything they do, rather than the approval of God. Once a prophet is accepted, honored and approved by this system...HE IS DEAD!
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