Punished

Punished

Q: The prophet God sent to rebuke Jeroboam disobeyed. What was the result?

• a. His hand was paralyzed.
• b. A lion killed him.
• c. God struck him dead.

Growing up, Samantha shared a room with her older sister, Emily. During a dispute, Samantha drew a line down the middle of their room with a purple marker. Emily and Samantha agreed each would stay on her own side of the room. The problem was, the closet with all the clothes was on Samantha’s side, and the door to the room was on Emily’s side. The divided room didn’t last long.

Jeroboam had a similar problem. He ruled the northern kingdom, but the Temple was in the southern kingdom. He didn’t want his people going to the Temple, because they might become loyal to the southern kingdom. So Jeroboam created his own form of worship with idols, shrines, false priests, and false feast days.

God sent a messenger to speak to Jeroboam. Jeroboam asked the messenger to dine with him, but God had told the messenger not to eat or drink while there. So the messenger left without dining with Jeroboam.

There was an old prophet nearby who sent his son to find the messenger. The messenger refused to dine with him, too, but the prophet said an angel had told him the messenger was to dine with him.

The old prophet was lying, but the messenger believed him. Even though the messenger disobeyed God as a result of someone else’s lie, God held him responsible. As he started out for home, a lion killed him, but it left his body by the road. The old prophet found the messenger and buried his body.

When the old prophet told the messenger that an angel said something different from what God said, the messenger should have consulted God himself. Even people who appear to be servants of God can be dishonest and lead you astray.

For You

There are many pastors and leaders who preach their own message but act as though it is from God. God’s Word is the true authority, so always check the Bible when someone says something that doesn’t match what you think God said.

Answer: b

The man of God started off again. But as he was traveling along, a lion came out and killed him. His body lay there on the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it.   1 Kings 13:24

(The Whole Story: 1 Kings 12:26–13:34)