Resurrected Or Not?

What are the evidence and arguments for and against the resurrection? The main objection to the resurrection today isn’t even verifiable evidence at all; rather it’s a philosophical argument.  It is argued that since no miracles are scientifically observable today, no miracles have ever happened. This is not sound logic, but rather materialistic, naturalist presumption. This is no stronger proof against the resurrection that the simple assertion that, “We don’t believe it.”  Still, this is the strongest and most common argument that is used today.  

On the other hand, the evidence for the resurrection is strong and multifaceted.  The direct evidence includes the predictive prophesies of the Old Testament and by Jesus in the gospels. There were the many witnesses who saw Jesus after there resurrection and the miracles worked by the apostles as they preached that Jesus was raised. Then there is the circumstantial evidence of the changed character of the apostles after the resurrection, the rapid spread of the church and its continued existence to this day.  

Christians can, and should, face with confidence any challenge to the historical proof of the resurrection. The apostle Paul did so in 1 Cor. 15. He considered whether or not Jesus was raised and argued with convincing proof that He was. Paul affirmed the inspiration of the gospel message, listed the witnesses, presented the effects of resurrection not taking place, then told what the results of the resurrection will be and quoted a predictive prophecies concerning it. Study the scriptures, consider the proof of the resurrection, consider the alternatives, consider its effects and believe.

Jesus Questioned On Taxes

The of the four gospels record that Jesus was questions about paying tribute (tax) to Caesar. (Matt. 22:15-22; Mark 12:13-17; Luke 20:20-26) The Pharisees did this after taking counsel together on how to trap Him, even including the Herodians in on the plan. 

They sent people pretending to be honest seekers to ask the question. Their hope was that he would play to the crowd and denounce the Roman governance (an easy thing to do) and then they could accuse Him of fomenting rebellion. 

Jesus easily saw through their ruse but still fully answered the question. He said that we should give the rulers of our land (whoever they are, and whatever land we’re in) what is rightfully due them. They have the power to tax us. The fact that the Jews were using Roman coins showed who was in charge, as did their armies in Jewish cities. 

But Jesus also acknowledged a higher and more important duty – the duty to God that we have wherever we are and no matter who civil authority does. So “Give to Caesar’s what’s Caesar’s, and to God what’s God’s.” Caesar is our king. God is our God. 

Those determined to condemn Jesus ignored His answer and told the authorities what they’d wished Jesus had said. “And they began to accuse Him, saying, "We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying that He Himself is Christ, a King.” (Luke 23:2They lied about His answer because truth was not their goal.

Jesus’ Love, Sickness, Death and Hope

Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. And it was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. The sisters therefore sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” But when Jesus heard it, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified by it.”  Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.  (John 11:1-5)

Even though the Lord loved Him, He still was sick. Righteousness protects the soul — not the body from all infirmity. Yes, even though Jesus loved him — he still became sick and died. This is not what the love of Jesus protects of from. This is what the love of Jesus gets us through.

So never think that sickness and death mean that Jesus doesn’t love you — know in the comfort of the hope of the resurrection that Jesus l loves you!

Jesus went to His grieving friends. He cried with them at the cemetery. Then He made a great hopeful promise that all believers ever since have shared:

Jesus said to her, “Your brother shall rise again.” Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world. (Jn. 11:23-27)

And then He raised His friend from the dead. 

Doctrine

Matt. 16:6,12Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

12Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. 

Jesus condemned the Pharisees for what they taught. Not that they taught. He was concerned about the content of their teaching (as well as their personal sins) because they greatly harmed other people.  

Jesus taught an awful of doctrine as well. “And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine...” (Mark 4:2) “And they were astonished at his doctrine.” (Luke 4:2) “When Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine.” (Matt. 7:28)

We teach these same doctrines because it is the word and will of God.  “Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.  If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.” (Jn. 7:16,17) Today many are surprised to see such doctrinal teaching, but the true gospel has always been taught and advanced by teaching its precepts. 

So Timothy was taught, “charge some that they teach no other doctrine.”  (1 Tim. 1:3) Speak against all “that is contrary to sound doctrine.” (1 Tim. 1:10)  “Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.” (1 Tim. 4:16)

Jesus Walked On The Ice?

“Jesus may not have walked on water as the Bible claims but rather skated on ice formed through a freak cold spell, a scientific study has suggested.”  (BBC News, “Did Jesus walk on water - or ice?” April 5, 2006, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/4881108.stm). 

A few years ago, in a silly attempt to give a naturalistic explanation for a miracle, a professor at Florida State made news by “seriously” proposing that Jesus’ miracle of walking on the water was really just Him shuffling along on ice. The professor made got lots of press with this for a few weeks. 

Many “scientific,” “rational,” cynical, and skeptical men look down on people who still take their faith seriously enough to believe in miracles.  They view believers as gullible simpletons of the same type as those who fear or use magic spells and witch doctors. Yet it is the folly of unbelief that leads men to the acceptance of truly fantastical things.

What would it say about Jesus’ moral judgment if He chastised Peter for lack of faith when he merely fell off the ice?  (How well would you do walking on ice at night in a storm?)  And what would it say about the character of Jesus if He accepted worship as the Son of God on the basis of being able to walk on water and calm the storm when He really just skated out to the boat?  

The “scientific” explanation removes the stumbling block of the miracle for the skeptic, but it attacks the credibility and character of Jesus and the inspiration of the scriptures. The folly rationalists is apparent even as they look down on us for believing in miracles.

“Judge Not, Lest You Be Judged”

These words from the sermon on the Mount (Matt. 7:1-5) turn out to be some of the most famous words Jesus said, but unfortunately not always for the right reasons. These words are often used as a bludgeon against those who are raising concerns about objectionable or sinful conduct. These is obviously a misuse, since some judgement is required as we go through life. 

While this passage is commonly misused, it does have a true use and Jesus’ words are to be carefully considered for what they do mean, not just what they do not. The lesson here is to judge fairly, rightly, and with a generous spirit since that is how we will be judged as well.  The whole teaching of Jesus on the sermon on the mount is to be generous in our giving and helping of others, and our treatment of them even if they are different from us or have done us harm. 

This generosity of spirit is to extend to the way that we judge them as well. Think of how unfair it is the judge people based on standards that they do not know, or to excuse our friends and family (and especially ourselves) but to never excuse faults in others. The Pharisees were especially known for finding all faults in others but never finding faults in themselves. Or, as Jesus brings up with the log (beam) and the speck, making much of small faults in others while overlooking large faults in those that we favor. 

“The commandment is leveled at rash, censorious and uncharitable judgments, and that fault-finding spirit or disposition which condemns upon surmise without examination…forgetful that we also shall stand in the judgment and shall need mercy.  (McGarvey, Fourfold Gospel.”)

Jesus Healed The Man Let Down Through The Roof Mark 2:1-12

After the shock of a man being lowered through the ceiling, every eye was on Jesus, the man the sick man was trying to get to, waiting to see what He would do. He spoke of the only thing that matters: Faith! Verse 4 says that Jesus “saw their faith.” (Oh, that we all had a faith that could be seen!) Because of this show of faith Jesus granted forgiveness immediately. 

The forgiveness that comes by faith is the thing we need above all else. Of all our problems spiritual ones are the most important and should be taken care of first. This is what the gospel is about. Not self-help, therapy, counseling, etc. but salvation. From the beginning of the gospel we are told of Jesus’ priority: “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matt. 1:21). Sadly, all through theministry of Jesus, the scribes complained about how Jesus was forgiving sins, rather than celebrating that people were being forgiven. 

Jesus did also heal the man of his physical problems. This was necessary, but it was secondary. Jesus healed the man to prove that He had to power to forgive sins. The visible (healing) was the proof that the invisible (forgiveness) had actually happened. Isn’t that true today as well? How do we know one is saved today except that they act like it? The gospel solves so many of our personal and social problems, but that’s a secondary effect of it, not its purpose. The secondary benefits of the gospel are undeniable, but that is not its purpose. Forgiveness and salvation are the point and purpose.

The Hand Of God Was With Ezra

In Ezra 7 & 8, Ezra successfully a led great caravan of thousands of returnees and a vast treasure given by the king for the temple at Jerusalem on a dangerous four month journey across a wilderness to go home. He credited God for the achievement. He attributed God being with him to his conscious decision to know, follow and teach God’s law.  As he explained:

Ezra 7:9,10“For on the first of the first month he began to go up from Babylon; and on the first of the fifth month he came to Jerusalem, because the good hand of his God was upon him.

10For Ezra had set [prepared – KJV, NKJV] his heart to study the law of the LORD, and to practice it, and to teach His statutes and ordinances in Israel.”

The safe passage of the caravan was far from the only success Ezra had. He was successful in accomplishing great and lasting things in every incident recorded of him, and in other tasks where his name is not directly mentioned. He always attributed his success to God, repeatedly saying that it was “because the good hand of his God was upon him.”  (Ezra 7:9,28, 8:18,22)

Ezra understood the basic principle that success and victory belong to the Lord. As the wisdom writer said, “The horse is prepared for the day of battle, But victory belongs to the LORD” (Prov. 21:31; Ref. 2 Sam. 23:10,12; 1 Chron. 29:11; 2 Kings 5:1; Ps 98:1).  God gives victory and success to those who are with Him.

Overtaken By God’s Word Zech. 1:6

Zechariah told those who returned from exile, “The LORD was very angry with your fathers.” (Zech. 1:2)  This was obvious in the ruined city and destroyed Temple. “Therefore say to them, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Return to Me," declares the LORD of hosts, "that I may return to you," says the LORD of hosts. Do not be like your fathers, to whom the former prophets proclaimed, saying, 'Thus says the LORD of hosts, "Return now from your evil ways and from your evil deeds.’”  But they did not listen or give heed to Me," declares the LORD.” (vs. 3,4) They had been told and told, yet they never did. They received the wrath of God instead of His welcome because they would not repent.  

Men think that there is “time, time enough yet.” But the longer we postpone repentance the more difficult it becomes, and finally we are out of time.  “Your fathers, where are they?  And the prophets, do they live forever?” (vs. 5)  Their fathers were gone, perished by the sword or gone to captivity. Also gone were great men like Jeremiah who had preached to them. 

The father’s time to repent and change was gone.  But God’s word still remained.  “But did not My words and My statutes, which I commanded My servants the prophets, overtake your fathers?  Then they repented and said, 'As the LORD of hosts purposed to do to us in accordance with our ways and our deeds, so He has dealt with us.” (vs. 6)  God told them what He would do then did it.  Later, when they repented, they acknowledged that it was just. There aretwo great truths in this verse: 1.) God’s word overtakes all men and 2.) God does as He purposed (and predicted) with sinful men.

We Remember The Ones Who Are Different: Daniel 1-3

The early chapter of the book of Daniel tell what happened when four of the Hebrews captured and exiled by Nebuchadnezzer are sent to Babylon. We don’t know how many other youths from the noble and priestly parts of Israel’s society were taken captive, but since 2 Kings 24:14 says 10,000 captives in all were taken, it must have a large number.

How many of them do we know about? Four. Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego. 

We know of them as youths at the special royal academy that Nebuchadnezzer had set up to train young men from all over the empire in service to his empire. When these four alone made it a point to keep the restrictionsthat the Law of Moses gave for eating foods. And we know of three of the four years later, when as Imperial officials, they alone would not worship the idol that Nebuchadnezzer had set up.

Had Daniel and his friends eaten pagan food there would have been nothing left to distinguish them from the rest. Had they bowed down to worship the idol, they would have just been part of the crowd. 

Modern thought says to go along, accommodate and convert by overtime by coexisting. But God wants us to be different in regard to the things that He commanded. This is not odd for the sake of being odd, but different in the things that God has decided. (Rf. 2 Cor. 6:17,18

Settled On Their Lees Zeph. 1:12

Zephaniah 1:7-11 describes the judgments that were going to come on the city of Jerusalem. Vs. 12 tells reason for its judgment.  

Zeph. 1:12 “And it will come about at that time That I will search Jerusalem with lamps, And I will punish the men Who are stagnant in spirit [that are settled on their lees - KJV], Who say in their hearts, 'The LORD will not do good or evil!'” 

They were in such a poor spiritual condition because they were “men that are settled on their lees” (in the King James and American Standard Versions).  The New Revised Standard Version updates the figure, giving it as “people who rest complacently on their dregs.” 

Pictured here is undisturbed wine. The dregs (lees) have precipitated out, and have not been disturbed for a very long time. When bottles of wine are not rotated in their racks or casks of wine that are not turned, the wine becomes thick and it’s flavor is unchanged.  For a cask of wine to sit for so long undisturbed implies prosperity and affluence. As a result, good wine becomes great and bad wine becomes worse.  

Some of the newer translations simply give the meaning of Zephaniah’s figure of speech. The New American Standard speaks of the people being “stagnant in spirit” and the New King James says that they “are settled in complacency.” Speaking either literally or figuratively, it is obvious that the conscience of these people has not been exercised for a long time.  They are wicked men long set in evil who forgot that God will examine everything. 

Destruction By False Prophets Lam. 2:14

In the second Lamentation of Jeremiah we find him in inconsolable anguish.  Jerusalem was under siege and the suffering of the people, for least to greatest, was profound.  Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, could hardly cry enough for the suffering of the people. The great city was being destroyed. Even the littlest children in the streets and at their mothers’ breasts were dying for lack of food.  Jeremiah cried for these helpless and innocent of victims of the great destruction. How did it come to this?  

14Your prophets have seen for you false and foolish visions; 

And they have not exposed your iniquity So as to restore you from captivity, 

But they have seen for you false and misleading oracles.

Most of the prophets of Jeremiah’s time (Jeremiah himself being almost a singular exception) refused to do their job. They would not expose sin.  This is the only work that would have saved the people from calamity, but they refused to live up to the demands of their profession. The Lord said, “[T]he prophets...prophesy falsely in My name...Is there anything in the hearts of the prophets who prophesy falsehood, even these prophets of the deception of their own heart?” (Jer. 23:25,26) And again, “Behold, I am against the prophets... [who] led My people astray by their falsehoods and reckless boasting; yet I did not send them or command them, nor do they furnish this people the slightest benefit,’ declares the LORD.” (Jer. 23:31,32)

So James warned, “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment.” (James 3:1)

Are You Living Up To The Vision?

Many of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the church are of the “all is right with the world” variety. Prophecies of “lions laying with lambs,” “the exile is set free” and “the sun will not beat down on them” are familiar and common.  

Zephaniah adds to this a wonderful vision describing the repentant and converted under the new system. The prophet does not see the establishment of a physical, conquering kingdom, as so many mistakenly read many prophecies. But He sees a grand vision of pure, moral and spiritually minded saints.

READ ZEPHANIAH 3:9-12 and see the what he saw as coming:

“Purified Lips” (vs. 9)  

“Serve Him Shoulder To Shoulder” (vs. 9) 

“Feel No Shame Because of Your Deeds” (vs. 11) 

“Never Again Be Haughty” (vs. 11) 

“They Will Take Refuge In The Name Of The Lord” (vs. 12) 

“Do No Wrong, Tell No Lies” (vs. 13)  

Result: “Secure and Well Pastured” (vs. 13) 

Does this wonderful vision describe you and the Christians you know? If not, why not? It is a predictive prophecy; does prophecy fail? Or are we failing prophecy? Are we really, fully living up to our calling?

Running From God Jer. 52:1-11

The end of the earthly reign of the house of David came when Jerusalem fellto Nebuchadnezzar in 586 B.C. The last descendant of David to rule as a king of a physical nation was Zedekiah. They fell because fellowship with God was lost. “For through the anger of the LORD this came about in Jerusalem and Judah until He cast them out from His presence.” (Jer. 52:3) 

As the Babylonian army closed in, he cut and ran.  “A]l the men of war fled and went forth from the city at night by way of the gate between the two walls which was by the king's garden...” (Jer. 52:7)  Ezekiel prophesied their escapee and their capture. “The prince who is among them will load his baggage on his shoulder in the dark and go out. They will dig a hole through the wall… I shall also spread My net over him, and he will be caught in My snare." (Ezk. 12:12,13) Jeremiah records, “The Chaldeans pursued the king and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho…his army was scattered from him…they captured the king and brought him up to the king of Babylon.” (Jer. 52:8,9)  

His sons were killed before his eyes. And so that this calamity would be the last thing he ever saw, Nebuchadnezzar “blinded the eyes of Zedekiah.”  Then he “bound him with bronze fetters and brought him to Babylon, and put him in prison until the day of his death.” (Jer. 52:10, 11)

The rebellious life always ends disastrously. You can no more run from God’s punishment than Jonah could run from His presence – yet many try. Men try to sow the wind without reaping the whirlwind.  They try to sow to the flesh and not reap corruption. They keep on trying to live a life of sin without going to hell. None will succeed. Zedekiah couldn’t run that fast. I can’t run that fast. You can’t run that fast.

Ps. 80:8-13 A Parable Of A Vineyard, A Confession

This parable is a confession of the goodness of God and the sins of His people. Israel was like a vine. God drove out seven wicked nations to plant it.  The ground was prepared, and it was easy for it to grow. The vine grew to cover great trees and mountains. It grew from the sea to the river – the geographic area of the height of the united kingdom. This is reminiscent of the prophecy made to Jacob, “Joseph is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a spring; Its branches run over a wall.” (Gen. 49:22)

But now the vine has lost its protection, the hedges that protected it have been broken down. Passers-by take its fruit and wild animals eat at its base.  This is same message as the prophets preached. The good vine God made corrupted itself and had to be pruned, and later removed. “Yet I planted you a choice vine, A completely faithful seed.  How then have you turned yourself before Me Into the degenerate shoots of a foreign vine?” (Jer. 2:21) “Your mother was like a vine in your vineyard, Planted by the waters; It was fruitful and full of branches Because of abundant waters… But it was plucked up in fury; It was cast down to the ground…” (Ezek. 19:10-14)

So the next section of this psalm (vss. 14-19) is aprayer for restoration. The nation God planted, but has now chastised, would be received back. Vs. 17 could first refer to the priests that their prayers might be heard again, to the king as God’s anointed, or even to the nation of Israel as the son of God.  But it is hard not to see this applying also to the Messiah, the ultimate “man of God’s right hand.”  That is when the full restoration came.

“Fired Up” Hos. 7:4-8

Hosea described those zealous for evil.  Their hearts were very passionate toward their idolatries.  They are as heated up and excited about these things as can be.  They are compared to bread in a baker’s oven.  They are burning to be involved. But what are they involved in? Anger, plotting, and consuming desires that destroy.    

Hosea’s indictment:  1.)  The used artificial devices to keep their passions up. (vs. 5)  Hosea speaks of those who fire themselves up with wine.  

2.)  They consumed others in their excited state. (vs. 7)  Here were people that plotted against, mulled over, and then burst out like flames against their rulers. They nursed their grudges until their anger overcame their fear of acting (vs. 6).  Its a dangerous thing to be to hot for too long. Paul said, “let not the sun go down upon your wrath,” (Eph. 4:26). The wrath of these never stopped. 

3.)  They ended up half baked. (vs. 8)  They were “a cake not turned.”  They were raw on one side and burned on the other.  There is a time and place for all parts of life (Eccl. 3). There is both weeping and rejoicing, joy and gladness, and repentance and lamenting.  The sinful life is an extremely unbalanced life.

In vs. 7 God lamented,  “None of them calls on Me.”  Those who get to fired up about their own feelings and desires and wants don’t care to much about God.  You can put God first, or you can put yourself first.  You can fire up your faith or your lusts.  It all depends on where you put your emphasis.

Hypocrites in Your Hearts

“Hypocrites in Your Hearts” is how the NKJV translates Jeremiah’s charge against the people in Jer. 42:20. The KJV says that they were “dissembling in your hearts.” The NASB says that they had “deceived yourselves,” and the ASV says that they were acting “deceitfully against your own souls” Additionally, the NIV calls it a “fatal mistake.” All of these carry the idea of a people who are lying hypocrites - not just in their dealings with others and God - but even with themselves.  What occasion brought such a charge?  

It was aimed at the remnant of God’s people who had come to ask Jeremiah to pray for them in a time of great difficulty. They had a perfectly worded expression of devotion to do whatever God revealed. “...Please let our petition come before you, and pray for us to the LORD your God, that is for all this remnant; because we are left but a few out of many, as your own eyes now see us, that the LORD your God may tell us the way in which we should walk and the thing that we should do.” (Jer. 42:2,3)  Should they stay or should they go? They submissively replied, “We’ll do what God says!” 

The problem they had already made up their mind as not only what they wanted to do, but had actually begun to do it. Before they ever thought to seek the Lord’s counsel they had already started heading to Egypt! “And they went and stayed in Geruth Chimham, which is beside Bethlehem, in order to proceed into Egypt.” (Jer. 41:17)

This attitude (of doing first and asking God later) is wicked, open, knowledgeable, purposeful, rebellion to God. They only pretend to consider God’s will. Only pray after they’ve already decided.

The Everlasting Father Of Isaiah 9:6

Isa. 9:6,7  “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;

    and the government shall be upon his shoulder,

        and his name shall be called

    Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

        Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

    Of the increase of his government and of peace

        there will be no end,

    on the throne of David and over his kingdom,

        to establish it and to uphold it

    with justice and with righteousness

        from this time forth and forevermore.

    The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.”

We often think of Jesus as a son to the Father and as a brother to us, and these are His primary relationships. But these are not the only relationships that Jesus has with us. He is our Lord (1 Pet. 1:3), our priest (Heb. 7:26), our mediator (1 Tim. 2:5), a mediator (Heb. 9:15), an advocate (1 Jn. 2:1), and many other things to us. In Isaiah 9, He is also the “Everlasting Father.” We with absolute certainty that Jesus is the subject of this prophecy since He is the one who sits on the throne of David in the kingdom of God.

While a son to the Heavenly Father, He is a father to us. Jesus. A fatherever there, ever living, ever hearing, ever helping, every meditating, every lasting.

A Wonderful Story Of God’s People Doing As They Should 2 Chron. 20

In the days of Jehoshaphat, Judah was throated by a great horde of three countries from the east combining to invade. Jehoshaphat was afraid. Fear in similar situations has caused many godly people to do evil.  His father Asa turned to a foreign alliance when he faced less of a threat that this. (2 Chron. 16)  But Jehoshaphat sought the Lord. (16 times “seek, seeking or sought the LORD (Jehovah)” appears in 1 & 2 Chron.) He called the people of Judah to fast as they sought the Lord. They assembled in the Temple courtyard and the king led in prayer.

Jehoshaphat’s prayer acknowledged the sovereignty of God, His help in making them a nation, and that trouble should not come upon God’s people so long as they humbled themselves before God. So in faith, they asked for God’s help. A prophet stood up and said that God would fight their enemies for them. They were to go out as to battle on a mountain overlooking a plain and wait there to see the victory of the Lord. The people bowed in worship and loudly praised God.  

Led the priests and singers, they went out where God had told them. They watched as the combined armies broke into its separate parts and fought one another to the point of total annihilation.  

The victory for God’s people was so complete that all they had to do was go down and take the spoils of war.  It took three days to carry all of it off.  On the fourth day, they had a great service of thanks to God. Faith and trust worked a greater victory than the army of Judah could have,

Destroyed By The Old Prophet

1 Kings 13 contains a story of great grief. It tells of an unnamed “man of God,” a prophet from Judah, who acted with courage and boldness in carrying God’s message to the sinful, but who was destroyed by the deception of an older prophet, a man whom he thought he could trust. 

The first part of the story records the work and fidelity of a prophet from Judah sent north.  At God’s command, he went to the very alter of false religion and spoke God’s judgment against it and the king leading the sacrifices during their very first worship service.  

But in the second part, we are told that there was another prophet, an old man, whose sons were at that worship service and saw the courageous young man. The old man and his sons didn’t speak out against the evil in their midst, but they did want to visit with the man who had the courage to do so. So they lied to him and said that God said he should stay and eat with them when He clearly had not. The young man fell for the old man’s deception and was destroyed for disobeying God’s clear instruction.

The old man mourned greatly at the destruction of the young that he himself had brought. Had he destroyed a man just because of his curiosity and desire to meet him? We don’t know. But he honored him in death who he had destroyed in life. Not that helped the young man who had been destroyed.