1
Then Jeroboam was standing by the altar, burning an offering, when by the word of the LORD a man of God came from Judah to Bethel.
2
And by the word of the LORD he cried out against the altar, saying, “O altar, altar! Thus says the LORD: Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David; Josiah shall be his name. He shall sacrifice on you the priests of the high places who burn offerings on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.”
3
At that same time he gave a sign, saying, “This is the sign that the LORD has spoken: Behold, the altar shall be split apart, and the ashes that are on it shall be poured out.”
4
When King Jeroboam heard the words of the man of God, which he cried out against the altar at Bethel, he stretched out his hand from the altar and said, “Seize him!” But the hand he stretched out against the man became stiff, so that he could not draw it back.
5
The altar also was split apart, and the ashes on it were poured out, according to the sign that the man of God had given by the word of the LORD.
6
Then the king answered and said to the man of God, “Please entreat the favor of the LORD your God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored to me.” So the man of God entreated the favor of the LORD, and the king’s hand was restored and became as it was before.
7
Then the king said to the man of God, “Come home with me and refresh yourself, and afterward I will give you a gift.”
8
But the man of God said to the king, “Even if you were to give me half your house, I would not go in with you, and I would not eat bread or drink water in this place.
9
For so it was commanded me by the word of the LORD: ‘You shall eat no bread, nor drink water, and do not return by the way you came.’”
10
So he went by another way and did not return by the way he had come to Bethel.
11
Now there lived in Bethel an old prophet. His sons came and told him all the deeds 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
Then their father said to them, “Which way did he go?” And his sons showed him the way that the man of God who had come from Judah had taken.
13
He said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” So they saddled the donkey for him, and he mounted it
14
and went after the man of God and found him sitting under a great tree. He said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” And he said, “I am.”
15
He said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.”
16
But he answered, “I cannot return with you or go in with you; I cannot eat bread or drink water with you in this place,
17
for it was commanded me by the word of the LORD: ‘You shall not eat bread there, nor drink water there. Do not return by the way you came.’”
18
Then he answered him, “I also am a prophet like you, and by the command of the LORD an angel spoke to me, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’” But he lied to him.
19
So he went back with him, and ate bread and drank water in his house.
20
As they sat at the table, the word of the LORD came to the prophet who had brought him back.
21
And he cried out to the man of God who had come from Judah, “Thus says the LORD: Because you have rebelled against the command of the LORD and have not kept the commandment that the LORD your God commanded you,
22
but have returned and eaten bread and drunk water in this place, though he had said to you, ‘You shall not eat bread or drink water’—your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.”
23
And after the man had eaten bread and drunk water, he saddled the donkey for him.
24
Then the man went on his way, but a lion met him on the road and killed him. His body was thrown on the road, and the donkey stood beside it; the lion also stood beside the body.
25
And behold, men passed by and saw the body thrown on the road, with the lion standing beside the body. And they told it in the city where the old prophet lived.
26
When the prophet who had brought him back heard of it, he said, “It is the man of God who rebelled against the command of the LORD. The LORD has given him over to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the word of the LORD that he spoke to him.”
27
Then he spoke to his sons, saying, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And they saddled it.
28
And he went and found the body thrown on the road, with the donkey and the lion standing beside it. The lion had not eaten the body or torn the donkey.
29
And the old prophet took up the body of the man of God, laid it on the donkey, and brought it back to his own city to mourn and bury him.
30
And he laid the body in his own tomb, and they mourned over him, saying, “Alas, my brother!”
31
After he had buried him, he said to his sons, “When I die, bury me in this tomb where the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones.
32
For the word that he cried by the command of the LORD against the altar in Bethel and against all the shrines on the high places in the cities of Samaria shall surely come to pass.”
33
After this event Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way, but again appointed priests from among the people for the high places. Whoever wished, he consecrated as a priest for the high places.
34
And this matter became sin to the house of Jeroboam, so that it was cut off and destroyed from the face of the earth.
⚠️🕊️🔥 Summary of 1 Kings 13 – The Man of God, the Prophecy, and Tragic Disobedience
This chapter contains a mysterious and spiritually instructive account of a prophet from Judah whom the Lord sent to prophesy judgment against Jeroboam’s idolatrous altar at Bethel. Though he was at first obedient, this prophet ultimately died tragically because of disobedience—after believing the lie of an old prophet. This account teaches that full obedience to the word of the Lord is more important than anyone’s spiritual reputation.
📌 1. The Man of God Proclaims Judgment on Jeroboam’s Altar (verses 1–10)
➡️ A prophet from Judah came to Bethel while Jeroboam was offering sacrifice at the made altar
➡️ He prophesied that Josiah (a king from the line of David) would come and burn the bones of the idolatrous priests on that altar
➡️ As a sign, the altar split in two and the ashes were poured out
➡️ Jeroboam became angry and stretched out his hand to seize the prophet—but his hand became stiff and paralyzed
➡️ After the prophet prayed, Jeroboam’s hand was healed, but the prophet refused the gift and the meal because the Lord had commanded him not to eat or drink there
🎯 Obedience to God in the midst of a corrupt system requires firmness and integrity.
📌 2. Deception by the Old Prophet (verses 11–22)
➡️ An old prophet in Bethel heard the story of the young prophet
➡️ He pursued him and lied, saying that an angel of the Lord had commanded the young prophet to eat at his house
➡️ The young prophet believed and ate, breaking the Lord’s command
➡️ While they were eating, the Lord spoke His word through the old prophet: that the young prophet would die and not be buried with his ancestors
🎯 Even a “spiritual” voice that sounds convincing must not replace the clear truth already given by God.
📌 3. Judgment: The Young Prophet Dies and Is Eaten by a Lion (verses 23–32)
➡️ On the way home, a lion killed the young prophet
➡️ His body was not eaten and lay there with the donkey and the lion beside it—a sign that this was divine judgment, not an ordinary attack
➡️ The old prophet took the body and buried it, saying:
“When I die, bury me in the place where he was buried…”
🎯 Disobedience, even with good intentions, still brings serious consequences.
📌 4. Jeroboam Did Not Repent (verses 33–34)
➡️ Even though all this happened as a clear warning, Jeroboam still did not repent
➡️ He continued appointing priests at random and spreading idolatry
➡️ As a result: his whole family would be destroyed
🎯 A hardened heart will ignore the Lord’s warnings, even those that are very clear and wondrous.
📖 Main Teaching
- The Lord’s command must not be added to or taken away from—obey fully or not at all
- Do not easily trust “spiritual” people without testing whether it agrees with God’s word
- Disobedience in small matters is still serious in God’s sight
- Miracles and prophecy are no guarantee of salvation if the heart does not repent
- The Lord desires obedience more than sacrifice and reputation
✨ Spiritual Meaning (New Testament)
“Even if an angel from heaven… should preach to you a different gospel… let him be accursed.”
➡️ In line with the story of the young prophet—do not accept a message that conflicts with the already clear word.
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven…”
➡️ Spiritual signs and prophecies without true obedience do not save.
“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts…”
➡️ Jeroboam became a tragic example of one who ignored God’s warning.
“Evil people and impostors will grow worse, deceiving and being deceived.”
➡️ The old prophet is a picture of how spiritual falsehood can mislead if we are not watchful.
🕊️ “This is the sign that the LORD has spoken…” – 1 Kings 13:3
🕊️ “I also am a prophet like you… but he lied to him.” – 1 Kings 13:18
🕊️ “You have rebelled against the word of the LORD…” – 1 Kings 13:21
🕊️ “The lion killed him…” – 1 Kings 13:24
🕊️ “Despite all this, Jeroboam did not turn from his evil way.” – 1 Kings 13:33
