What a story! It is so easy to be deceived these days, yet it’s not a new phenomenon. People were getting duped way back during the Bible time as well. I wonder what possessed the old prophet to lie to the man of God about the meal. The old prophet certainly used his position of authority to build blind trust.
Believing the old prophet, the man of God ate the very same food the Lord had commanded he was not to eat! Up to that moment, the man of God had been very intent on following the Lord’s instructions. He had no reason to doubt the prophet, did he? I certainly hope the meal he shared with the prophet was delicious.
We never hear what the man of God thought when the prophet finally did get a word from God. Unfortunately, God didn’t seem to care that the man of God had gotten “duped.” He had eaten food. That was the message the man of God had had all along. That was exactly what he wasn’t “supposed” to do.
After hearing that the LORD was not pleased with him for eating the food, the man of God leaves the prophet’s house after the meal. As if to hide his identity or something, the old prophet lets the man of God leave on his own donkey. Do you think the prophet’s reasoning was to assuage his own guilt?
Did the man of God think he was going to die that day? The message the prophet had gotten while they were sitting at the table was not clear on when. What the man of God did know was he had angered God with his disobedience, and his body would not be buried in the grave of his ancestors.
What kind of justice is that for the man of God? He did his best to obey. When he did eat, he didn’t realize he was sinning. He had been misled to believe that God had changed his mind. Should that have been a red flag alerting him? Should we not expect God to change his mind?
Can you think of a time in your life when you were misled into believing something that wasn’t true? Did you put your trust in someone who you believed was honest? I think we have all struggled with this from time to time.
When we do get taken advantage of, it can be painful. There can be scars and sensitivities that stay with us for years. When we’ve been “burned,” we often are fearful of making any sort of decision for fear it will be the wrong one. I know I sometimes still revert to “cautious” decision making to make sure everything is on the up and up.
When it comes down to it, there is only one person we can fully trust. That person is Jesus. He is the truth. He didn’t sin, much less lie. We can use our faith in Jesus as a measuring stick for all decisions and actions we take.
It also helps to ask God for discernment to see the red flags that may be lurking. We do need to keep in mind that God’s justice may be different than what we think is just and fair. In our story, the man of God lost his life, while the prophet who lied went free. Is that justice?
From the sounds of it, the prophet would live out his life with some guilt. He wanted to be buried with the man he had deceived. He would be living with those feelings and the realization a person had died because he wanted a dinner partner that night (or whatever his motivation was for lying).
Living with that anguish could possibly be seen as justice from God’s perspective. This passage alerts us to be watching for messages that might sound good but that are intended for bad and not good. Even believers are not faultless. Everyone sins. “We all fall short of God’s glorious standard. (Romans 3:23)
Let’s pray …
Lord, thank you for how you have rescued me time and again from situations that were unhealthy and sinful. Forgive me for those times I failed to trust you and your provision. I know I am nothing without you working inside me. It is an honor and privilege to be given the opportunities I have been given. Help me to be grateful and focused on bringing you the glory! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
