Introduction:  The question refers to I Kings 13. There are many wonderful lessons to be learned in the Hebrew scriptures (Rom. 15: 4). The Hebrew scriptures are foundational to the covenant of Christ (Heb. 7-10). At the time of I Kings 13, the divided Kingdom was in place (I Kgs. 12). There was the Southern Kingdom under Rehoboam and the Northern, under Jeroboam. Jeroboam had introduced false worship and changed the place of worship for the Northern Kingdom (I Kgs. 12: 26 ff).

I. The young prophet of I Kings 13

  A. This prophet is not named.

   a. He is sometimes referred to as the young prophet in contrast to the "old prophet" in Bethel (I Kgs. 13: 11).

  B. The young prophet came out of Judah "by the word of the Lord" (vs. 1). He cried out against the King and the corruption in the worship of God (vs. 1-6).

   a. Unlike Balaam, he refused to be paid off (vs. 8, Num. 22).

  C. The prophet had been given instructions by God (vs. 9, 16, 17, 21, 22). "Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest," was the instruction.

II. The young prophet believed a lie

  A. The old prophet arranged for the young prophet to come to his house and eat bread and drink water (vs. 11-15).

  B. The young prophet faithfully refused (vs. 16, 17, stress again the instructions God had given him).

  C. The old prophet reasoned thus with him, "I am a prophet also…and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying bring him back…that he may eat bread and drink water."

   a. Notice the end of the verse: "But he lied to him" (vs. 18).

III. The young prophet believed the prophet and disobeyed God (vs. 19)

  A. As a result, this young prophet was killed (vs. 23 ff).

  B. It was said of him, "It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the Lord" (vs. 26).

   a. The example of how God dealt with the young prophet exemplifies that God expects man to do what he is told to do (cp. Gen. 4: 6, 7).

     Conclusion:  God's word can be understood and understood alike (Eph. 3: 3, 4, 5: 10, 11).  If we are not attendant to what God says in his word, we too can believe a lie and be condemned (2 Thes. 2: 10-12).