Its Okay to say 'No'

The story of the young and old prophets in 1 Kings 13 is quite an intriguing one. In case you are not familiar with this story, here is a summary.

There had been friction between Israel and the tribe of Judah such that each side of the divide had their leaders. Israel – Jeroboam; Judah – Rehoboam. Jeroboam had made altars in Bethel where he worshipped calves. Obviously, God was not happy with that. So, He sent a godly man from Judah to Jeroboam to deliver a message of what was to happen. This message was so authentic it came with a sign. Although the prophet’s name was not recorded, what we know is that he was young. Possibly vibrant, zealous and keen to serve the Lord (Perhaps this may remind you of yourself). Just as the young prophet delivered the message, Jeroboam was about to have him arrested and possibly killed and so he stretched his hand out and straightaway, it withered. What a wonder! Not only that, but altars were rent in pieces, ashes poured from the altar. Talk about a message with the backing of the Spirit of God. Jeroboam had no choice but to humble himself and he asked the young prophet to pray for him. This was done and his hand became restored. Now that’s not where I’m going with this story.

After this, Jeroboam requested that the young prophet come to his home to have a meal. Sounds like harmless fun, doesn’t it? If this had happened in our time and day, it would have been considered appropriate. After all, what is the big deal in having a meal in the palace? Here was the twist. The young prophet had received a clear warning from God to not stay back for this. his mission was accomplished and he was required to leave as soon as possible. Off he went on his way!
The news must have spread all around Bethel because the sons of an old prophet heard and went home to tell their father. Who wouldn’t want to associate with such young, powerful, dynamic and spirit-filled prophet? So, the old prophet sought to find him. And this is where the young prophet’s error started. He was found sitting under an oak (vs 14). He paused. He rested. He took a break. He took some time off his journey. And so, the old prophet was able to catch up with him and convinced him to follow him to his home. This was the same request Jeroboam had offered the young prophet. Nothing changed in the request, only the one making the offer had changed.

Let’s pause there…

You know how as Christians, we occasionally get an offer here and there from someone who has not come to the knowledge of Christ? We may find it easier to turn down the offer with every fibre in our being without looking back. Well, we may not have the same reaction comes from a Christian. We may think, oh well, this person has been in church all their life, surely, they must be speaking on God’s behalf. This can be true to a certain extent. It leaves very little room to doubt what is being spoken and we oftentimes do not see the need to confirm if the offer is truly from God. In saying this, the place of spiritual leaders is important in our walk with God.

What makes this story such a sad one was that the old prophet was not referred to as a false prophet. This is despite him saying an angel spoke to him to host the young prophet. Of course, we know that was not true. He had lied and deceived this young man of God. The young prophet believed the old prophet’s word as soon as he heard the phrase '"n angel spoke to me". Just as he was eating, this same old prophet received a word from God. It was all doom and gloom afterwards. On his way home, a lion killed the young prophet and stood beside his body by the roadside. Word reached the old prophet who came to get the body for burial. While mourning the young prophet, he referred to him as “his brother!”

We all have stuff on our bucket list we can wait to tick off, and we tell ourselves once we can achieve this, we will rest. We oftentimes transfer this same mindset to our Christian walk. We think of so many things we can achieve for the Lord using the gifts He has graciously endowed us with. We think of how we can win souls to His kingdom and how we want to please God with our lives. All these are good and noble thoughts. And thankfully, in Christ, we do have rest (Matthew 11:28). But you see, the journey we are on is not one where we can take a break from God. Even the enemy does not take a break. Recall Job’s story? A little rest under the oak and the enemy comes in. Why? Because it may not be our finest moment, we may just be at our weakest. And so, we keep moving on. We keep renewing our strength in the Lord.

Although the old prophet’s original message had no godly backing, he eventually heard from God. How many times have we been swayed by our emotions thinking God must have been leading us in a direction only to discover it was not God but our human desires? 1 John 4:1 enjoins us to test all spirits. If it contradicts what God’s initial word to you, its best to check back with God because He is not the author of confusion (1 Corinthians 14:33). Can you just imagine what the young prophet’s fate would have been if he had he not rested, nor listened to the old prophet?  If only he had been okay with saying 'No'?

Saying ‘No’ according to the will of God can be hard for us as humans. It can mean seeking godly wisdom to address matters respectfully. It can mean severing some unprofitable relationships. It can be misinterpreted. It can be taken out of context (hopefully not!). It can mean a whole lot of things but one thing it cannot mean is leaving the will of God. Think of the many Bible characters that chose to obey God. Think about how they reaped the rewards of obedience. Beyond simply saying ‘No’, it is also important to be comfortable with your stance and not let the enemy guilt-trip you. God’s wisdom is freely available, just ask. James 1:5

His grace is sufficient.

Be encouraged.

Shalom!

Image from Google photos