Wisdom for God’s men

1º Reyes 13:1–3 KJV 1900

1 And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord unto Beth-el: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. 2 And he cried against the altar in the word of the Lord, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith the Lord; Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he offer the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men’s bones shall be burnt upon thee. 3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, This is the sign which the Lord hath spoken; Behold, the altar shall be rent, and the ashes that are upon it shall be poured out.

Introduction

I want to share with you men just a short devotional out of 1 Kings 13 about an unnamed man of God.

We don’t know his name, but we do know his story, and we see a number of things in this chapter that can help us as men who are God’s servants.

So let’s just dive into this chapter here and try to learn some wisdom and things that can help us out.

A man of God needs courage to obey God in the midst of a wicked nation

Explain: The idolatry of Israel during the time of Jeroboam.

And God commanded the unnamed servant to go to Bethel and to take a stand against the sin of the nation.

And to prophesy against the altar there of how God was going to judge the sin of the nation.

Today we also live in a wicked time, and God has commanded us men as well in His Word to take a stand against the wickedness.

Efesios 5:11 KJV 1900

11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.

We are called of God to separate ourselves from the wickedness and to preach against it. To stand up against it.

Example: Many Christians try to separate themselves from it but are afraid to say that it is wrong.

And this unnamed man of God was someone who was not a coward but rather openly took a stand against the wickedness and God worked through him to warn the nation of Israel.

A man of God needs to expect persecution, but also expect God to work in great ways

1º Reyes 13:4–5 KJV 1900

4 And it came to pass, when king Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, which had cried against the altar in Beth-el, that he put forth his hand from the altar, saying, Lay hold on him. And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not pull it in again to him. 5 The altar also was rent, and the ashes poured out from the altar, according to the sign which the man of God had given by the word of the Lord.

One thing that we can always be sure of is that when we take a stand for what is right, when we preach the gospel, when we do the work of the Lord, when we stand for truth, the world and the devil are going to punch back.

2 Timoteo 3:12 KJV 1900

12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.

We just need to expect it. It will happen.

Jeroboam attacked this unnamed man of God for standing up for what is right, and the same will happen to us when we stand up for what is right.

Example: The neighbor who tried to shut down our church. (part 1, his attacks)

But we should never be afraid because this opposition just gives God another opportunity to show Himself strong.

Notice how God stood up for his servant.

-the hand of the king dried up or withered.

-the alter itself was destroyed by a miracle from God.

Example: How God worked in the meeting with the police chief

And after God worked the hearts of people began to be changed.

1º Reyes 13:6 KJV 1900

6 And the king answered and said unto the man of God, Intreat now the face of the Lord thy God, and pray for me, that my hand may be restored me again. And the man of God besought the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored him again, and became as it was before.

The king had a very sudden change of heart after he saw God work in great ways on behalf of his servant.

Example: How the neighbors changed and in the end it ended up helping our church in the neighborhood.

Persecution is hard to go through, but it can be an effective way for God to soften peoples hearts because they can see his power in our lives.

A man of God needs to resist the deceitful tactics of the world

1º Reyes 13:7–10 KJV 1900

7 And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward. 8 And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place: 9 For so was it charged me by the word of the Lord, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest. 10 So he went another way, and returned not by the way that he came to Beth-el.

Here the king tried to entice the unnamed man of God with money, rest, etc.

And the man of God refused.

He refused because God told him not to eat or drink while in Bethel, but in addition to that we need to be careful about friendship with the world.

Example: The catholic priest who attacked our church but when he saw that their tactics were not working he tried to become buddies with me.

This is a trap by the world and the devil and we cannot fall for it.

If someone is repentant and wanting to be saved we need to help them obviously, but be careful of those who are not repentant dragging you into sin.

Example: So many Christians who have been destroyed by lost friends.

Santiago 4:4 KJV 1900

4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

We need to witness to the lost, but be careful about letting them influence your life and your relationship with the Lord.

A man of God needs to resist the deceitful tactics of carnal Christians

1º Reyes 13:11–19 KJV 1900

11 Now there dwelt an old prophet in Beth-el; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Beth-el: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father. 12 And their father said unto them, What way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah. 13 And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon, 14 And went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, Art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said, I am. 15 Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread. 16 And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place: 17 For it was said to me by the word of the Lord, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest. 18 He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him. 19 So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water.

Explain: How he was deceived and then killed by a lion

This story is truly a sad one.

This man of God did so well, was used greatly by God, but in the end he was destroyed not by the world, but by a carnal believer.

And here we see the great importance of guarding against worldliness and carnality of the world, but also we must guard against that of carnal christians.

We are living in a day and age when godliness, holy living, separation from the world are mocked not just by the world, but by carnal christianity.

Example: How if you live godly and separated lives, you are attacked as a legalist by others.

But one thing I have learned, even sin that is approved by your carnal church will still destroy you.

Example: Friend who went into carnal christian churches and ended up destroyed.

Just because someone says that they are a Christian, doesnt mean you should let them influence you.

Look at their testimony, compare what they say with what the Bible says, because if you dont you could end up like this unnamed man of God, destroyed not by the world, but by a carnal believer.

Conclusion: Finish with a summary and prayer.