Obedience Better Than Sacrifice

Doing the right thing at the wrong time is disobedience. Having the best intentions while operating outside of the right season is disobedience. Halfway following instructions still disobedience. Obedience is complete surrender to the instructions given or the request made. 99.5% won’t do! Complete obedience is the only obedience.

The Story: 1 Kings 13

In 1 Kings 13, we find two prophets. Prophets were men and women of God who relayed messages from God to the people. In this passage, the prophets are distinguished by their length of time in ministry as the old and the new prophet. God sent the new prophet to Bethel, which is the city where the old prophet lived.

At this particular time, God assigned the new prophet to issue a warning to King Jeroboam for his idolatrous ways against God. He told Jeroboam that a new king would arise from the house of David because of the human sacrifices performed on the altar. A sign that the new prophet came from God would be the altar splitting open and ashes pouring out.

Unfortunately, the prophet’s words displeased the king and he used his hand to order seizure of the prophet. His hand withered immediately and the sign about the altar manifested. In surprise, the king asked the prophet to inquire of the Lord to heal his hand. Straightway, God healed the hand. The king invited the prophet into his home for refreshments and a reward. The prophet refused because God prohibited him from eating bread and drinking water and told him to lead the city a different way.

The sons of the old prophet heard what happened between the new prophet and the king. They told their father everything. The old prophet went and met the new prophet on the road. He invited the new prophet back to his home under the deception that God told the old prophet to give him bread and water. Learning that the old prophet was a prophet, he followed him home and ate and drank. Then the word of the Lord came to the old prophet about the demise of the new prophet. As expected, the old prophet told his guest about how the new prophet disobeyed God.

The Lesson

When we read this story, our hearts go out to the new prophet. Should he be held accountable for falling prey to the deception of the old prophet? I mean he had a long journey home and was probably hungry and thirsty. He trusted the more seasoned prophet. However, none of that mattered. The new prophet possessed an authentic word from God.

A word from God is a sure foundation and certainty that’s undeniable. When we receive a word from God, we are to stand flat-footed knowing that He will bring it to pass. Our issue is twofold though. First, the manifestation doesn’t occur in our timing. We get anxious and insert our methods to manifest the word spoken to us. Disobedience. Habakkuk 2:3 says the vision is for an appointed time and we are to wait for it though it tarry.

Second, we turn from the word of God and follow the words of man. We look at our situation more than we look at our faithful God. We follow the opinions of others along with our own feelings while laying aside what God spoke. Disobedience. James 1:14-15 reveals that when we surrender to our own desires, we sin and sin leads to death. However, there’s hope.

James 1:25 provides hope and direction. When we look to God and follow His Word, we are blessed and favored because of our obedience. No word from any person negates what God said. If the words of people contradict what God said, throw it out. If our thoughts tells us something contrary to the word of God, throw it out. God’s word never fails. Although our circumstances may appear contrary to God’s Word to us, we are to keep standing on what God said.