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A Sign to This Generation

In 1 Kings chapter 13 there is a fascinating account of a man of God taking an incorrect course immediately following the taking of a correct course, which results in his public death. The story is also notable for the origin of the incorrect course being a fellow holy man who lies to get his way.


The account is summarized as follows (all quotations come from the NLT):

  • Verses 1 – 6: A "man of God" obeys the command of God to denounce the wickedness of the people of Bethel. He shows signs to the people and the king that convince them that he is a true messenger.

  • Verses 7 – 10: The king offers gifts to the man of God possibly to buy his favor, but the man of God denies the gifts and says he must comply with all the Lord's commands, which included not accepting their hospitality and taking an alternate route home. He departs from the town.

  • Verses 11 – 19: Another person claiming the prophetic gift but who lived in Bethel hears about the incident and rides out to catch up with the man of God. This prophet finds the man of God "sitting under a great tree" and asks him to come home and eat with him in Bethel to win his favor against the evils he prophesied. But the man of God refuses citing the fulness of his previous commands from God. But the Bethel prophet lies and says that an angel came to him and told him that it would be alright. So the man of God goes and dines in Bethel after all.

  • Verses 20 – 34: During the meal a prophecy comes against the man of God through the prophet of Bethel declaring that for defying God's word and making an agreement with the holy man of the cursed city, the man of God would die before getting home. Accordingly, a lion kills him on the way home.

As the Pulpit Commentary notes concerning this interaction:


"It is...to be considered that this lying prophet, like those of 1 Kings 22:22, accomplished the purpose of God, which was to make the man of God a sign to the men of that generation" (Pulpit Commentary, "1 Kings 13:18").

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