Challenged by Deception: Choosing God's Word Over Human Interpretations

How the Story of the Judah Prophet Reveals the Dangers of Following False Prophets

I challenge you to get your marching orders directly from the Lord and His Word. Stop listening to your buddies, fellow servants, or those who pose as your friends.

There is a story in I Kings 13 about a prophet from Judah who receives a direct command from God not to eat or drink in a certain place and to return home by a different route. However, an older prophet from Bethel deceives him by claiming that an angel had instructed him to bring the prophet back for a meal. Trusting the older prophet’s words, the Judah prophet disobeys God’s command and returns with him.

While they are eating together, the older prophet receives the word of the Lord and condemns the Judah prophet for his disobedience. He predicts that the prophet will not have a burial alongside his ancestors and will meet his death. After the meal, the Judah prophet leaves, but a lion on the road soon confronts him, killing him. People are attracted to the scene where the lion stands beside the prophet’s body on the road.

The older prophet learns of the prophet’s fate and realizes it results from disobedience to God’s command.

This story challenges you to be wary of false prophets, even well-intentioned ones, who may lead you astray.

Truths to consider

Don’t believe every famous “prophet.”

Trust God and His Word over human interpretations. Dig deep and study well. Know the Bible context, and when you do, follow what the Scriptures say.

We often follow and believe people who seem well-meaning. They offer spiritual guidance that you may follow blindly unless you wake up and realize that you have the Spirit of God and the Word of God and are responsible directly to God and Him alone.

Stay focused on your original mission. Of course, you will learn more and grow every day, but remember that you are to do what God calls you to do.

Be careful with new revelations.

Every day, people find something new. They hear from God. They know what you need to work on. When someone claims new revelations contradicting what you knew before studying, dig deep before you follow, if you ever do.

Friendly advice can get you in trouble.

Everyone has an opinion. We tend to go with the flow. Most of us are slow to study the Bible and quick to follow our group’s culture or popular beliefs without question.

Remember, you are responsible for what God shows you. Don’t let them tell you what to do simply because they have a large church, a big budget, lots of influence, and get invited to speak at all the conferences.

Don’t let their position or status influence you.

Getting off target has consequences.

I intentionally didn’t say disobeying because most of us do not disobey intentionally. We compromise to get ahead, to gain influence, comfort, or convenience, and allow ourselves to be deceived.

We would never follow the “world,” but we would follow the “spiritual world.” Many who claim to speak for God do not.

That is why an in-depth study of the Scriptures in context, verse after verse, might show you that what you have been hearing is not true.

Stand alone if you need to do so

They will praise you one day and destroy you the next. They might just be using you like a pawn in their plan. You need to walk with God. It is God who has called you to serve Him and not other servants. You stand or fall before your Master, not your fellow servants.

Many who claim to speak for God do not do so. It is more important to please God than fellow servants.

Your weakest point

Good intentions do not justify not following the Word of God. Many times, spiritual attacks will come from “friendly” sources.

Success is not what others think of you, say about you, or how they refer to you. Success is being faithful to the God who called you.

Going along and getting along may seem easier than standing, but God has given you His Word, and you will find truth there.

Check the package

Deception will almost surely come in a beautiful package marked truth. Cherry-picking Bible verses to be the foundation of a truth doesn’t make it true. Don’t compromise truth for some short-term gains.

God seldomly follows culture or the norms of society. Nor does God necessarily follow your denomination, fellowship, or group of heroes.

Be a Berean and check for yourself. Experience does not trump God’s specific instructions.

Check the language they use. Do they define the terms the same way the Bible, or even you do?

Peace and unity can lead to compromise.

We want to be liked, looked up to, and respected. To achieve this desire, we must trumpet the music they like. Preach to the choir. Don’t dig in and investigate for yourself.

You do not want to lose “friends.” Truth is seldom popular.

Don’t fall for it

I feel so sorry for the guy in this story. He respected another preacher who didn’t have his best interest at heart. He felt like the preacher would never steer him wrong.

But it happens all the time. We go to the big conference, hear the big speakers, and fall into lockstep with the agenda without deeply checking into it.

We do so at our peril. Be careful. Don’t fall for it.