Jeroboam, the young prophet and the old prophet of Bethel (P3): lies and traps

Simone-Christelle NgoMakon
4 days ago
9 min read

Bok valiant hero! Annyeonghaseyo ( 안녕하세요) redeemed by Grace! Do not fall. If necessary, ask for help. Temporary humiliation is better than eternal condemnation.

"So then, whoever thinks he stands, let him take care that he does not fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man. GOD is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but will also make a way of escape with the temptation, so that you will be able to endure it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. I speak to you as to intelligent people; judge for yourselves what I say." (1 Corinthians 10:12-15, NIV)

As I wrote in previous articles , the one who is called " a man of GOD " is called "a young prophet" in several translations of the Bible . In the original Hebrew texts and in the French Jewish Bible it is written " a man of GOD " and "not a young prophet".

3. Lies and Traps ( 1 Kings 13:11-20)

❖ (1 Kings 13:11-13, NIV) : 11 Now there was a certain old prophet living in Bethel, whose sons came and told him all that the man of GOD had done there that day. They also told their father what he had said to the king. 12 Their father asked them, “Which way did he go?” And his sons showed him which road the man of GOD from Judah had taken. 13 So he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And when they had saddled the donkey for him, he mounted it.

🙂 The Bible does not specify who the old prophet was. We do not know his name or his tribe. There are two theories about this man.

The first, which I find more likely, is that he was someone to whom GOD once spoke (in his youth), but to whom GOD no longer spoke . Probably because he became complicit in the sins of many, or he did things that GOD condemned, or spoke words that GOD had not spoken to him. A bit like Judge Eli who became an accomplice in the sins of his sons and was rejected by GOD (1 Samuel 2:29-36). Or like some prophets to whom GOD no longer speaks today. They said anything in return for an offering. Some collaborate with demonic spirits and fallen angels. They speak by divination and not by revelation. If this old prophet was a false prophet from his youth, the Bible would have presented him as a false prophet or a prophet of a deity . We can say that at one time, he spoke inspired by GOD. But as he grew older, he spoke sometimes inspired by himself (lies) and sometimes inspired by demons.

🙂 The second hypothesis is that this man was not a prophet of GOD. He was a person to whom Jeroboam had given the title of prophet. I prefer the first hypothesis but, I recognize that the second must be considered. Not all those who have a title of prophet are prophets of God. It is explicitly said of the first prophet that he was a man of GOD sent by GOD. On the other hand, regarding the second prophet, it is just written that he was an old prophet.

Reminder

After King Solomon's death, the kingdom split in two. In the south, two tribes (Judah and Benjamin) formed the Kingdom of Judah, with Jerusalem as its capital. In the north, ten tribes formed the Kingdom of Israel, also known as the Kingdom of Samaria or the Northern Kingdom. The tribe of Levi had a special status. Unlike the other tribes, it did not have a dedicated region, but towns scattered throughout the regions of the other tribes. This tribe was dedicated to the LORD and to the service of the temple. It is therefore very likely that many of them, if not all, continued to live in Jerusalem.

Shechem, also spelled Shechem (near the city of Samaria), was the capital of Israel, the Northern Kingdom. The Northern Kingdom had several capitals: Shechem, Penuel, and Samaria. Shechem was the first capital. During his reign, Jeroboam moved the capital to Penuel. Samaria became the capital long after Jeroboam's reign. In Jeroboam's time, Samaria was not yet a city, and the Northern Kingdom was not yet called the Kingdom of Samaria.

❖ (1 Kings 13:14, NIV) : He went after the man of GOD and found him sitting under an oak . He said to him, “Are you the man of GOD who came from Judah?” He answered, “I am.”

This old prophet was not present when the prophet sent by GOD, called a young prophet by many, warned Jeroboam at Bethel. He was at home and his sons came to tell him what had happened. He went after the young prophet and found him sitting under a terebinth tree.

The terebinth tree, or terebinth pistachio, is a common tree in Palestine. It is a robust and majestic tree. It reaches 10 to 15 meters in height and is composed of umbrella-shaped branches. It can live up to 100 years. It produces an edible fruit similar to coffee beans.

Like oaks, terebinth groves (hedgerows) sometimes served as places of pagan worship (Genesis 35:2-7, Hosea 4:13, Isaiah 57:5). I do not know if the terebinth under which the servant of GOD sat was used for pagan worship. It is a possibility.

The young prophet leaves Bethel for Jerusalem. On the way, he sits near Shechem, the capital of the Northern Kingdom.

Bethel (which means house of GOD in Hebrew) , is said to be located 10 km north of Jerusalem. It was in this city that Abraham and Jacob had built altars to GOD (Genesis 12:8, Genesis 28:12-18). It was in this city that GOD spoke to Jacob in a dream. Bethel was often in competition with Jerusalem. The Samaritans worshipped GOD in Bethel and the Judeans in Jerusalem. Bethel was a city of the tribe of Ephraim (son of Joseph), also called the half-tribe of Ephraim. Ephraim and Manasseh form the tribe of Joseph (eleventh son of Jacob).

Shechem or Shechem (meaning shoulder in Hebrew), is located 50 km north of Jerusalem. Its position is indicated in the Bible (Judges 21:19, Judges 9:6-7, Joshua 20:7). It is the city where GOD appeared to Abraham (Genesis 12:6-9). He built an altar to GOD there (Genesis 12:7). Shechem was a city of the tribe of Manasseh (son of Joseph) also called half-tribe of Manasseh.

Shechem was a trading city. It was a wealthy city. Bethel was a city of retreat. People went to Bethel to pray. Jerusalem (meaning foundation of peace in Hebrew ), was the city where the Word was taught. People went to Jerusalem to worship God, pray, make offerings, study the Word, present their children to the Lord, celebrate Passover and other festivals.

🙂 Let's stop for a moment and look at the pictures of the cards. Remember that the young prophet came from Judah and that GOD had told him to return to Judah by a different route than the one he had taken to come to Bethel. We do not know exactly from which city in Judah the young prophet came. But, let us assume that he came from Jerusalem .

Where is Judah? Where is Jerusalem? Where is Shechem? I wonder why this servant of GOD went all the way to Shechem. From Shilloh, he could have gone to Aphek. Didn't he know that way? I think he did.

Had God told him to go in the direction of Shechem? Did he want to visit the city of Shechem? Did he intend to go to Succot and then pass through Medeba? No, I don't think so. Did he have a donkey or was he walking? I think if he had a donkey, it would be written in the Bible. If not, how did the old prophet find it so quickly? What do you think?

❖ (1 Kings 13:15-19, Segond 21) : 15 So the prophet said to him, “Come home with me and eat.” 16 The man of GOD said, “I cannot turn back and go with you, nor can I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. 17 I have been told by the word of the Lord: ‘You must not eat bread or drink water there or return by the way you came.’ ” 18 The old prophet answered, “I too am a prophet, as you are. And an angel said to me by the word of the LORD: ‘Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.’ ” (But he was lying to him.) 19 So the man of GOD returned with him and ate and drank in his house.

🙂 The old prophet asks GOD's servant to come to his house for dinner. However, his sons told him that this servant of GOD had refused Jeroboam's proposal. Either he wanted to test the young prophet, or like Jeroboam, he wanted to take advantage of the young prophet's newfound fame . Smartphones did not exist at that time. There was no way to take pictures.

The servant of GOD responds to the old prophet by telling him the recommendation GOD gave him: Eat nothing, drink nothing, take nothing and do not return by the same way. This time he says " it was told me by a word of the LORD " and not "The LORD told me". The old prophet replied that he too was a prophet. A way of telling the servant of GOD that it is not only to him that GOD speaks. 🙂 This attitude resembles the spirit of competition.

He then lied that an angel had spoken to him from the LORD. 🙂 This scene reminds me of the discussion Eve had with the serpent in the Garden of Eden . We know that through the serpent, it was the devil who was speaking. The devil who is himself a fallen angel.

Frankly, the young prophet had no obligation to tell the old prophet the recommendation that GOD had given him . Perhaps he did so because at one time the old prophet was someone important. Perhaps the servant of GOD began to doubt, to wonder if he had indeed heard GOD through his Word.

Unfortunately, the young prophet returned, ate and drank in the old prophet's house. Why did he believe the old prophet? Why didn't he question GOD himself? Why didn't he ask why GOD had given a recommendation contrary to the first? If he was hungry, couldn't he ask GOD to strengthen him and direct his steps? Did he regret refusing Jeroboam's proposal? He made mistakes that we must avoid.

We must ask GOD for the grace to be vigilant when we are tired, especially after great exploits. Only GOD has the authority to change his words. He will not send an angel or a man to tell you the opposite of what he himself previously told you. Only he can go back on his words. When he does, he says why. As long as GOD himself does not change a recommendation that he himself told you, continue. If you have doubts, pray. Ask GOD, he will answer you . Don't let anyone make you believe that GOD cannot speak to you.

A word from GOD is more precious than a title. Just because a person has a title of prophet does not mean they always speak the truth, or are inspired by GOD. Just because someone led you to JESUS does not give them the right to lead you to Satan. Don't let anyone turn you away from GOD. Don't let anyone turn you away from the truth under the pretext of supernatural experiences.

No one is infallible. Even well-intentioned people can make mistakes . A person can speak on behalf of GOD today and be wrong tomorrow. The Apostle Peter said to JESUS " You are the CHRIST, the Son of the living GOD. " (Matthew 16:16). Jesus answered, " Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. " (Matthew 16:17).

Later in the same chapter: " From that time JESUS began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes and be killed and rise again the third day. Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “GOD forbid, LORD! This shall not be for you.” But JESUS turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a scandal to me, for you are not thinking the thoughts of GOD, but the thoughts of men. ” (Matthew 16:21-23, NKJV)