Mirror of the Way

1 Kings 13

Intersection. After David, the nation stood at a pivotal crossroads. Would the kings follow David? How would the Davidic covenant be fulfilled? After Solomon’s apostasy, Ahijah transferred the hope to Jeroboam (1 Kings 11:37-38). Yet, once again apostasy threatened (1 Kings 12:25-33). At this crucial juncture, enter—not another Samson or David, but donkeys, and a lion, bread, and bones…. Huh?! But these, these strange things were what God sent as a warning to a nation at a crossroads, mirroring with a word of warning and grace the ways (derek) the nation could (and we can) take. 

“And the man cried against the altar by the word of the Lord…”  (1 Kings 13:2).

Condemnation on Jeroboam’s new cult thunders in by the word of the prophet. And no mere word of the prophet; the very word of God stands behind it. And the word of God is shown powerful—the sign is/will be fulfilled (note 1) and the king’s hand is restored (vv. 5, 6). Heed! The word of God!

And the word of the Lord enters again—given this time to the prophet. The prophet replies, “I will not eat bread or drink water in this place,  for so was it commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘You shall neither eat bread nor drink water nor return by the way that you came’” (v. 8-9). He came to Bethel under the word of the Lord—but he, too, stands at an intersection. “So he went another way and did not return by the way that he came to Bethel” (v. 10). He went another way. The plot unfolds.

Enter the old prophet, who entices the man of God to eat in his house by a lie. Intersection: Will the man of God obey the word of the Lord? Choice. Two roads, two words. Who will he believe? The man of God goes to eat in the house of the prophet. He disregards the word of the Lord. Like Eve, there are small ways in which the man of God has changed and diluted the word of God, slight deviations. Slight word deviations that led to a feet deviating path (v. 8-9 and 16-17).

“And he [the old prophet] cried to the man of God who came from Judah, ‘Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have disobeyed the word of the Lord and have not kept the command that the Lord your God commanded you, but have come back and have eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which he said to you, “Eat no bread and drink no water,’ your body shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.’” (1 Kings 13:21-21).

Judgment falls on the man of God—the word of God came true. His bones were not buried in the tomb of his fathers. As he goes on his way, a lion comes and devours the man. The divine word is clearly active as the lion remains there, not devouring his prey nor touching the stalled donkey (v. 24). The lion, the obedient servant of the Lord, rendered judgment on the disobedient servant of the Lord who went his own way.

So, too, Israel stood at a crossroads. The man of God’s story is a mirror in which Israel was invited to see themselves. Entrusted with the word of God, he choose his own way and fell under judgment. His movement from obedience to disobedience is a foreshadowing of the way the nation would take. A similar mirror in the passage, Jeroboam failed to honor the word of the Lord, and came under judgment. So, too, the rest of the book of Kings shows the way that Israel took. Warning! Warning! Choose the way of life and live! Choose obedience and live!

But so too was it a word of grace to Israel at the crossroads. It is present in the first part as Jeroboam’s hand was restored upon prayer—not even with true repentance! So much more would God forgive and restore a repentant Israel who sought the way of the Lord! The way of grace is shown in the man of God’s foil, the old prophet. A liar (note 2). Causing another’s death. Yet, when the word of the Lord truly comes to him (v. 21), he seems to show signs of repentance in true mourning for the man of God, his respect for his body, and believing that the word of the Lord would come true (vv. 28-32, especially v. 32). The old prophet escapes punishment, despite his lie—grace is shown to the repentant. So, the invitation is given to Israel: Repent and live! Choose the way of grace!

Bones, donkeys, lions, bread, and drink—it is a strange passage, an intersection of judgment and grace, truth and falsity. It is crossroad where the holiness, creatorship, and lordship of the living God comes down and intersects with wayward, sinful man. And just as the man of God was a mirror for the way of Israel, so we find ourselves in this mirror too. We are responsible individuals, given the dignity to choose, before the Lord. Choose life! Choose life! Honor the word of the Lord!

There is yet more hope, found in another man of God who rode a donkey into Jerusalem thousands of years later. An obedient man of God and a true king (unlike idolatrous Jeroboam) who instituted true worship (instead of false altars as the passage opens). He chose the right way, and kept it perfectly. He is our feet when we stray. He is our path when we wander. Christ, the prophet who intercedes, the king of the world, the obedient Son and Servant, the Lion of Judah, who bore the full judgment of God in humans’ place.  The Lion of Grace.

NOTES

(1) Although likely fulfilled later, it is so certain that the author says it is fulfilled. The author was also likely writing post-exilic, after the altar had been destroyed, so inserting it here emphasizes his point that the word of God is powerful.

(2) One of the many interpretive issues, especially for modern readers’ sense of fairness, is the seemingly harsh judgment of the man of God while the old prophet escaped despite his lie. First, we have to realize the man of God was culpable. He was deceived, yet the lie is a “blunt motif” serving as a hinge for the major question: Will he obey?  He had received a clear command.  There are no circumstances that excuse disobedience to Yahweh.  There are a variety of theories put forth regarding why the old prophet lied. Many are psychological speculation; the author’s point is the testing of the man of God. Noteworthy is the old prophet’s lack of punishment, but his actions speak of repentance.