In 1 Kings 13:1-10 a certain “man of God” who was from Judah confronted King Jeroboam for leading Israel into sin by idolatry. After this “man of God” confronted King Jeroboam he was told by God, “You shall neither eat bread nor drink water nor return by the way that you came” (1 Kings 13:9). In other words, he was to go to Bethel speak to Jeroboam on God’s behalf and return to Judah without eating or drinking, and to return to Judah a different way than he had went.
But we discover in 1 Kings 13:11-17 that there was an “old prophet” who lived in Bethel and heard what this “man of God” from Judah had done. Upon hearing this he saddled up his donkey, found the “man of God”, and invited the “man of God” to his home to eat bread and drink water. Naturally, the “man of God” informed the “old prophet” that he was not to eat or drink or remain in Bethel, according to the Word of God. However, the “old prophet” replied, “I also am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, ‘Bring him back with you into your house that he may eat bread and drink water” (1 Kings 13:18a). As you may notice, these are two contradicting claims. God does not contradict Himself, so both cannot be true.
Regardless of the contradiction, the “man of God” returns to Bethel with the “old prophet” to eat bread and drink water. Don’t blame him, why shouldn’t he trust this “old prophet”? He’s a prophet and he claims that God had spoken to him, so he must be trustworthy. Right? While they were enjoying one another’s company, God spoke to the “man of God” from Judah through the “old prophet” and said, “Because you have disobeyed the word of the LORD and have not kept the command that the LORD your God commanded you, but have come back and have eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which he said to you, ‘Eat no bread and drink no water,’ your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers” (1 Kings 13:21-22). On his way home the “man of God” was actually killed by a lion, to fulfill the word that God had spoken (1 Kings 13:24).
What’s the lesson here? The lesson here is that not every person who claims to be a prophet is one. The lesson here is that just because someone says that God has told them something, does not mean God told them something; they could be lying. In this case, the “old prophet” was in fact lying (see 1 Kings 13:18). If God instructs you to do something that contradicts what another is saying, it is best to go with what you know for certain God has said. If God wants you to do otherwise, He will let you know. There are many liars in pulpits today and in our churches claiming that God said this or that God said that, when God never said anything, and there are real consequences to disobeying God’s instructions. So be sure to judge and discern rightly. Don’t be deceived. Compare everything to the Scriptures, which is THE source for absolute truth, and be sure to follow God’s word above man’s word.