book excerpt
CHAPTER 2: FILL UP YOUR MIND WITH GOD
1Kings 13 narrates a sad account of a young prophet who was instructed by God not to eat bread or drink water in a certain city. Unlike the obedient sons of Jonadab (who did not sway from an instruction they had received from their father, Jeremiah 35), he forsook the instruction.
In that account, the younger prophet falls for misrepresentations from an older prophet. He is told an angel of God had later on visited instructing it was indeed fine for the younger prophet to eat and drink with the older prophet. However, as they ate and drank, the older prophet received a real word from God proclaiming that the younger prophet would certainly die for disobeying God‘s prohibitions!
On his way home, the young prophet was met and killed by a lion. Mysteriously, the lion never even attacked his donkey! Truly, disobedience causes disasters to come upon a person in mystical ways. Anyone who witnesses such an event will shake their head in disbelief. They will ponder how such misfortune could leave out others around and only afflict that hapless individual.
1Kings 13.24 (CEV) and the prophet from Judah left. Along the way, a lion attacked and killed him, and the donkey and the lion stood there beside his dead body.
When the old prophet heard the news, he said, "That must be the prophet from Judah. The LORD warned him, but he disobeyed. So the LORD sent a lion to kill him."
The old prophet told his sons to saddle his donkey, and when it was ready, he left. He found the body lying on the road, with the donkey and lion standing there. The lion had not eaten the body or attacked the donkey.
Evil befell the young prophet despite him coming from a victorious campaign wherein he had prophesied and performed signs and wonders. His exploits had included pulling down devil’s strongholds and destroying strange alters. However, because he listened to the second subtle voice – he was slain. He ate and drank in the city – a thing he had been straightly commanded against.
Indeed, if we reject knowledge, we perish (Hosea 4.6). Therefore, we should not reject the word – to read it or to follow instructions from those sent by God (preachers, prophets and the righteous). Otherwise, we will be delivered to the lions as was done to the young prophet. We should never turn to the left or right of the instructions we acknowledge to have been from God, for only then will it be well with our lives (Joshua 1.7).
Temptations and trials will definitely arise but we need to stand on and for the truth we know. We have to do the right things, even if people call us fools. We are the light and the salt of the world and therefore should not sway from the word of righteousness we have been taught. We cannot behave as the world does. Rather, we are to show it the right way to live through obedience to the word …
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…COMPREHENSION
WEEK 2, GROUP DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
Paragraph 1
1. Obedient persons do not sway away from _______________ given by their fathers [elders/ leaders].
Paragraph 2
2. We need to be careful, even some man of God can misrepresent. True/False
3. The only man of God one should ultimately listen to for advice is the church pastor or a righteous elder from the church. True/False
Paragraph 3
4. The young prophet was ________________ by a lion for disobeying part of God‘s instruction.
5. What causes mystical [mysterious, strange] disasters [evils, sicknesses, stress, scarcity, misfortunes etc.] to afflict seemingly good people?
Paragraph 4
6. Evil came upon the young prophet despite the fact he was returning from a victorious mission and prophetic action where he performed notable miracles. Pertaining to miracles, what lesson can you draw?
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7. The Lord _______ the young prophet from Judah yet he disobeyed.
8. We should take any warning we get very seriously to avoid unnecessary disasters befalling us. True/False
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