GOD’S THOUGHTS AND WAYS
NKJ Isaiah 55:8 " For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD. 9 "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
God thinks and does things differently than we think and do. However, we are commanded to learn to think as God thinks and learn to understand His ways.
NKJ Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
God has given us the Helper – the Holy Spirit in order to learn God’s thoughts and ways.
NKJ 1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him." 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God. 13 These things we also speak, not in words which man's wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. 15 But he who is spiritual judges all things, yet he himself is rightly judged by no one. 16 For "who has known the mind of the LORD that he may instruct Him?" But we have the mind of Christ.
Furthermore, we have the Old Testament that is full of “case studies” in order to learn God’s thoughts and ways.
NKJ Romans 15:4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.
We will examine one of these case studies that occurred during the time of King Jeroboam. Recall that after King Solomon died the nation of Israel split into two different nations. Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, had become King but refused to listen to the wise council of the older men. Instead he chose to listen to the council of men that were young and inexperienced.
Note: God has given us guidance in the New Testament for selection of our overseers to prevent immature men from ruling over us. It takes maturity, which comes from obedience to God over time, in order for the position not to possess you.
NKJ 1 Timothy 3:6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.
Rehoboam’s sin resulted in the division of Israel with ten tribes to the North and Judah with two tribes to the South. However, the Northern ten tribes had no place to worship since Jerusalem was located in Southern Judah. Consequently, King Jeroboam was afraid that his ten tribes would return to Judah to worship and there be influenced to join King Rehoboam’s side. To counter this threat, Jeroboam established two new sanctuaries in Northern Israel with golden idols in the form of calves. He called these idols God (elohiym) the name that is mostly used in the Bible to refer to our God. However, this is partial obedience to God’s command to worship Him. These altars accelerate Israel’s turning from God and ultimately the annihilation of the ten tribes of the northern nation.
We enter the following story in the Old Testament soon after King Jeroboam has built the new sanctuaries with the golden calves.
NKJ 1 Kings 12:32 Jeroboam ordained a feast on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, like the feast that was in Judah, and offered sacrifices on the altar. So he did at Bethel, sacrificing to the calves that he had made. And at Bethel he installed the priests of the high places which he had made. 33 So he made offerings on the altar which he had made at Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in his own heart. And he ordained a feast for the children of Israel, and offered sacrifices on the altar and burned incense.
God has spoken to a “man of God” and ordered him to deliver a message to wicked King Jeroboam. The man of God arrives while Jeroboam is offering a sacrifice on his golden calf alter. The man of God delivers the message of God’s judgment with a pronouncement of God’s sign that it would come to pass.
NKJ 1 Kings 13:1 And behold, a man of God went from Judah to Bethel by the word of the LORD, and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. 2 Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD, and said, "O altar, altar! Thus says the LORD: 'Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men's bones shall be burned on you.' " 3 And he gave a sign the same day, saying, "This is the sign which the LORD has spoken: Surely the altar shall split apart, and the ashes on it shall be poured out." 4 So it came to pass when King Jeroboam heard the saying of the man of God, who cried out against the altar in Bethel, that he stretched out his hand from the altar, saying, "Arrest him!" Then his hand, which he stretched out toward him, withered, so that he could not pull it back to himself. 5 The altar also was split apart, 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.
King Jeroboam was angered by the pronouncement of judgment and sought to harm the man of God. The king learned a hard lesson – those in charge, those anointed by God, can not harm God’s servants without retribution.
NKJ 1 Kings 13:6 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 LORD, and the king's hand was restored to him, and became as before.
The king’s hand becomes stiff and his heart becomes supple. He would now like to befriend the man of God. Next we have revealed the orders God gave initially to the man of God.
NKJ 1 Kings 13:7 Then the king said to the man of God, "Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward." 8 But the man of God said to the king, "If you were to give me half your house, I would not go in with you; nor would I eat bread nor drink water in this place. 9 "For so it was commanded me by the word of the LORD, saying, 'You shall not eat bread, nor drink water, nor return by the same way you came.' " 10 So he went another way and did not return by the way he came to Bethel.
The orders from God to the man of God:
- He was not to eat or drink until the assignment was completed.
- The assignment included going to the King one way, delivering the message of judgment and returning home via a different path.
So far the man of God is batting 1000. He has gone to the King, delivered the message and is now returning via a different path and has not eaten or drunk. King Jeroboam has seen two signs of God’s wrath against his idolatry (the golden calf alter is broken and his hand was withered and then restored by God). We would think that the mission is accomplished, but not God. His ways are not our ways.
NKJ 1 Kings 13:11 Now an old prophet dwelt in Bethel, and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel; they also told their father the words which he had spoken to the king. 12 And their father said to them, "Which way did he go?" For his sons had seen which way the man of God went who came from Judah. 13 Then he said to his sons, "Saddle the donkey for me." So they saddled the donkey for him; and he rode on it,
An old prophet enters the story – age alone is not the maker of godly character. It is a lifestyle of obedience to God over time that yields the character of Christ. This old prophet is enamored upon hearing of the man of God’s acts. Perhaps pride is working in his life and he wants to save face. After all, why did God not call on him to deliver the message to the king? He is a spiritual vulture, swooping down on the fresh move of God in order to use it to build up his ministry. These spiritual vultures live to steal the works of others in order to perpetuate their God resisted ministry. They are Jacob’s, tricksters, and ones in whom there is much guile!
NKJ 1 Kings 13:14 and went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak. Then he said to him, "Are you the man of God who came from Judah?" And he said, "I am." 15 Then he said to him, "Come home with me and eat bread." 16 And he said, "I cannot return with you nor go in with you; neither can I eat bread nor drink water with you in this place. 17 "For I have been told by the word of the LORD, 'You shall not eat bread nor drink water there, nor return by going the way you came.' "
The old prophet attempts to befriend the man of God for his own gain. The man of God holds fast to his orders. However, why is the man of God sitting down while the orders from God have not been completed? Here is the first indication that all is not well within the man of God. David declared the pattern of those being led away from form the narrow road of Christ and have stopped running the race set before us. Those that leave this path start walking then standing and finally sitting.
NKJ Psalm 1:1 Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
NKJ 1 Kings 13:18 He said to him, "I too am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD, saying, 'Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.' " (He was lying to him.)
Perhaps it was when the old prophet called the man of God a prophet that his heart was opened up for seduction. Be weary of those that call themselves prophets with pride in their voice. A genuine prophet knows the burden that goes along with the offices of God.
NKJ 1 Corinthians 4:9 For I think that God has displayed us, the apostles, last, as men condemned to death; for we have been made a spectacle to the world, both to angels and to men.
NKJ 1 Kings 13:19 So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water.
The old prophet’s lie convinces the man of God to alter his orders from God. Let us stop here and pass judgment on these men:
Man of God:
Charge – Guilty of not completely obeying God’s orders. However, this was after successfully completing the major parts of the assignment (going before a king to pronounce God’s judgment – impressive!). Furthermore, it was after an old prophet, who lacked Christlike character, lied and seduced him.
Judgment –based on extenuating circumstances, the man of God should receive council and then have the minor infractions overlooked.
Old prophet:
Charge – Guilty of lying and seducing the man of God into partially obeying God’s orders for his own selfish gain.
Judgment – He should be removed from the office of prophet!
NKJ 1 Kings 13:20 Now it happened, as they sat at the table, that 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 came from Judah, saying, "Thus says the LORD: 'Because you have disobeyed the word of the LORD, and have not kept the commandment which the LORD your God commanded you, 22 'but you came back, ate bread, and drank water in the place of which the Lord said to you, "Eat no bread and drink no water," your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.' "23 So it was, after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, the prophet whom he had brought back. 24 When he was gone, a lion met him on the road and killed him. And his corpse was thrown on the road, and the donkey stood by it. The lion also stood by the corpse. 25 And there, men passed by and saw the corpse thrown on the road, and the lion standing by the corpse. Then they went and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt. 26 Now when the prophet who had brought him back from the way heard it, he said, "It is the man of God who was disobedient to the word of the LORD. Therefore the LORD has delivered him to the lion, which has torn him and killed him, according to the word of the LORD which He spoke to him."
Let us compare God’s judgment on these two men:
Man of God: Charge – Guilty of not completely obeying God’s orders.
Judgment – termination of ministry and forfeiture of life. Partial obedience is not obedience at all!
Old Prophet: Charge – Guilty of lying and seducing the man of God.
Judgment – must live with the fact that his pride caused the death of a man of God and dissolution of his ministry. He will retain his office as prophet. Brokenness will have its perfect work.
NKJ Matthew 21:44 "And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder."
NKJ 1 Kings 13:27 And he spoke to his sons, saying, "Saddle the donkey for me." So they saddled it. 28 Then he went and found his corpse thrown on the road, and the donkey and the lion standing by the corpse. The lion had not eaten the corpse nor torn the donkey. 29 And the prophet took up the corpse of the man of God, laid it on the donkey, and brought it back. So the old prophet came to the city to mourn, and to bury him. 30 Then he laid the corpse in his own tomb; and they mourned over him, saying, "Alas, my brother!" 31 So it was, after he had buried him, that he spoke to his sons, saying, "When I am dead, then bury me in the tomb where the man of God is buried; lay my bones beside his bones. 32 "For the saying which he cried out by the word of the LORD against the altar in Bethel, and against all the shrines on the high places which are in the cities of Samaria, will surely come to pass."
Why is God so harsh in His judgment on the man of God? God was setting an exclamation point on the man of God’s message to King Jeroboam – partial obedience is not obedience at all!
Why was God so lenient in His judgment on the old prophet? The old prophet had a character flaw; however, he had not violated a personal order from God.
Our ways are not God’s ways – yet.
NKJ 1 John 3:2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
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