There’s an interesting story in1 Kings 13 about a ‘man of God’…a true prophet of God. He was given instructions by God to confront the wayward king of the northern kingdom of Israel. Jeroboam was ignoring God’s law and was making sacrifices for the people. God told the man of God that he was NOT to eat or drink anything, even though it was a long and tiring journey from where he lived to Bethel, where the king was making sacrifices!
After he confronted the king, a miracle was performed on the altar and on the king himself, who wanted to repay the prophet for the miracle he had performed. Jeroboam told the man of God that he would ‘refresh’ (give him food and drink) and reward him. The prophet refused because of God’s explicit instructions.
On the way back, by another route, as God had also instructed, he met another so-called prophet from Bethel, who had heard about the miracle, and had followed him. This prophet made the man of God the same offer the king had made him but he emphatically refused for the same reason he had refused the king…He was not to eat or drink anything!
The so-called ‘prophet’ from Bethel then told him that he was also a ‘prophet’ and then lied to him…telling him that an angel told him that it was okay to go home with him to eat and drink…which he did. Because he disobeyed the express instructions of God, it cost him his life on his way home!
The man of God had been given strict orders from God which he disobeyed by listening to someone who CLAIMED to speak for God also! He died because he listened to a man who claimed to speak for God rather than to God Himself!
Moral…ALWAYS trust what GOD through Scripture says AND disregard what others claim to be messages from God if their words contradict or they’re not confirmed by the Bible…ESPECIALLY today because there are many, MANY FALSE PROPHETS out there!