Exposing the False Prophetic Movement: A Call to Discernment and True Faith
February 14 1 Kings 13-14; Romans 9; Psalm 135
It’s been a long time since I read 1 Kings 13, I guess, and I was awestruck by this chapter. Maybe because, to be honest, I had forgotten this account. Maybe because the story seems especially relevant given all that is unfolding in the prayer movement and the church at large. Maybe because the story indicts the professional clergy, this isn’t a favorite passage to preach on a Sunday morning.
Whatever the case, I am shaken by it. I’m rattled, and the very fact that I am is terrifying.
To the extent that I am shaken and disappointed, to the extent that I am reeling from the feeling of being duped, to that very extent, I’m asking the Lord to help me review my theology.
I’m asking the question: What is my faith built upon?
I’m testing to make sure my foundation is in Christ, and Christ alone.
Have I preached another gospel? Have I made a detour from the faith and led others down a false wider path that can never save?
I pray not! Sincerely, I pray not!!
As I sift through here with you, peering in, once again, to the Holy Scriptures, listening for the voice who calls my name and yours, I wonder. I’m troubled by my own casualness, my own certainty. Maybe we should all be troubled.
Do we know the One we claim to know? Does He know us?
I know these last posts have been especially heavy. I don’t feel I owe an apology for that, but I do want you to know that I see it. Thanks to all who are trudging through with me. My heart is heavy, and I’m concerned for the church.
I hope soon to rejoin the wedding song, but for now, I feel I would be amiss not to lean into what the Lord is highlighting in this hour. So, I offer you my funeral dirge today. For those wrestling through the grief, sing along.
1 Kings 13 is fitting.
It starts with the supernatural. It starts right. It starts, like all God’s best stories do, with a nameless prophet, being called out of obscurity and sent with a message!
If you’ve ever addressed power before with nothing but the word of the Lord, you know this man, this nameless prophet, was a brave soul. He must have counted the cost, as all prophets must. After all, this act of obedience could have very well sealed his fate.
He gave the word, he stood against power, and he survived.
So far so good.
The king, feigning repentance, invites him to dine.
1 Kings 13
7 And the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me, and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.” 8 And the man of God said to the king, “If you give me half your house, I will not go in with you. And I will not eat bread or drink water in this place, 9 for so was it commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘You shall neither eat bread nor drink water nor return by the way that you came.’” 10 So he went another way and did not return by the way that he came to Bethel.
And that was that! The nameless prophet gave the word, God showed up in power, and the prophet passed the final test with the king: He refused to be bought off. And, he made it out alive again.
This guy was the real deal. Let’s sit with that for a moment. This guy, this nameless one, was the real deal. He was obedient, fearless, and refused to be a hireling. Let that settle in you.
Just when you thought he was out of the trenches, enter the false prophetic movement.
Do we understand the dangers of the false prophetic movement?
I think we are now. I think we do now!
Let’s continue…
1 Kings 13
11 Now an old prophet lived in Bethel. And his sons came and told him all that the man of God had done that day in Bethel. They also told their father the words that he had spoken to the king. 12 And their father said to them, “Which way did he go?” And his sons showed him the way that the man of God who came from Judah had gone. 13 And he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him, and he mounted it. 14 And he went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak. And he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” And he said, “I am.” 15 Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.” 16 And he said, “I may not return with you, or go in with you, neither will I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place, 17 for it was said to me by the word of the Lord, ‘You shall neither eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by the way that you came.’” 18 And he said to him, “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.’” But he lied to him.
Like, what??
“But he lied to him.”
That last line. I don’t know when the last time I read the Bible and felt almost a rage swell up in me, but it did today.
Why did he do it? Why did he lie?
The scripture doesn’t say. But it doesn’t take too much imagination to figure on a few things. He was jealous. Or maybe he wanted to rub up against the man of the hour, hoping to revive his own prophetic ministry. Maybe he had been out of the limelight for a while, and so he pursued a connection he thought would help his own aging ministry.
I mean, it’s just a guess, but isn’t this how it works?
If we aren’t looking at our present corruption and asking how it got this bad, then I don’t know what we’re looking at. If you’re in ministry, if you’ve been in prophetic ministry, and don’t see the dangers of the system we’ve all built up, then it is time to wake up!
Maybe we didn’t lie, but I know for a fact, I’ve nodded my head, listening to what qualifies and passes in prophetic circles, which, if I’m being honest, is usually nothing more than an echo of someone else’s word that has pulled social media traction. And I’m sick of it! I’m sorry to have been part of it. This is my confession.
I don’t want to be part of the system God is clearly tearing down. It appears He doesn’t want to be part of it either.
Let’s get back to the Word…
19 So he went back with him and ate bread in his house and drank water.
And right here, right here is where the story takes a turn.
The nameless prophet was given a clear directive from the Lord. He knew he wasn’t to eat or drink in the region. And while he wasn’t tempted by the king, after all, he had prepared himself against those royal trappings, he was enticed by the man who represented the prophetic movement he had most likely longed to be part of during all those preperational years in obscurity.
This was a big moment for this little nameless, faceless guy. And he had done well.
So where did he go wrong?
He had a longing to be accepted in that “old guard” system. So much so, that he stopped regarding the very word that had kept him safe.
20 And as they sat at the table, the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back. 21 And he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord and have not kept the command that the Lord your God commanded you, 22 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.’” 23 And after he had eaten bread and drunk, he saddled the donkey for the prophet whom he had brought back. 24 And as he went away, a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his body was thrown in the road, and the donkey stood beside it; the lion also stood beside the body.
If you continue on in the chapter, we see that the evil lying prophet goes on living. He even asks that his bones be joined to the nameless one whom he deceived, trying to rub against him even in his death, sidling up, even in the grave, to the anointing he himself corrupted.
Gross.
There’s a lesson here: No matter what, regard the Word of the Lord.
No matter what.
Here are a few lessons: Recognize that we are all susceptible to corruption. Understand your deepest desires and vulnerabilities. Do not deceive yourself. Consistently place the word of the Lord before you. Recite it daily, or even hourly if necessary. Allow for no deviations. Make no exceptions.
Let’s get to the end of our race! Obedience in continued obscurity may be the safest path.
Deepening Faith: Reflective Journal Prompts
- Examining the Foundation of Your Faith: Reflect on the foundation upon which your faith is built. How does it align with the principles and teachings of Christ? Consider moments when you’ve been challenged to review or strengthen your theological understanding.
- The Temptation of False Paths: Think about a time when you were tempted to follow a broader, less challenging path in your spiritual journey. What were the consequences, and how did you realign with the narrow path that leads to life?
- The Role of Divine Directives in Your Life: Recall a specific instance where you felt a clear directive from the Lord, much like the nameless prophet. How did you respond to this directive? Were there any temptations to deviate from this path, and how did you overcome them?
- Navigating the Influence of False Prophetic Voices: Consider the impact of misleading or false teachings you’ve encountered within your faith community. How did you discern the truth, and what steps did you take to protect your spiritual integrity?
- Commitment to Daily Engagement with Scripture: Reflect on your current practice of engaging with the Word of God. How might you deepen or adjust this practice to ensure you are continually placing the Lord’s word before you? Describe a plan to recite and meditate on scripture more frequently, noting any specific verses that will be your focus.
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