The True Prophet that Lied
This story has always baffled me. There was a true prophet who lied.
There was another true prophet who disobeyed God and believed the lies
and he lost his life because of it. 1 Kings 13:
The true prophet compelled the man to not follow the directions of God. He had been told what to do.
What if he had asked for a clarifying sign? Instead, he believed a lie.
Sometimes when we hear from God, we are not sure which way we are to go.
If there are not confirmations from His word and other ways that God clarifies things in our lives,
we will be in turmoil or unsurety of following God’s will.
The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:33
Gideon’s fleece
And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,
Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only,
and it be dry upon all the earth beside,
then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.
And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together,
and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.
And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once:
let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece;
let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.
And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground. Judges 6:36-40
Hezekiah’s fleece
In those days Hezekiah was sick to the death, and prayed unto the Lord:
and He spake unto him, and He gave him a sign. 2 Kings 20:1-7, Isaiah told Hezekiah he was going to die.
Hezekiah wept and pleaded with the Lord and the prophet Isaiah said
you will be given fifteen more years and God will heal you and deliver you from the King of Assyria.
Hezekiah wanted a sign and he was then given one from God above.
And Hezekiah said unto Isaiah, What shall be the sign that the Lord will heal me,
and that I shall go up into the house of the Lord the third day?
And Isaiah said, This sign shalt thou have of the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that He hath spoken:
shall the shadow go forward ten degrees, or go back ten degrees?
And Hezekiah answered, It is a light thing for the shadow to go down ten degrees:
nay, but let the shadow return backward ten degrees.
And Isaiah the prophet cried unto the Lord: and he brought the shadow ten degrees backward,
by which it had gone down in the dial of Ahaz. 2 Kings 20:8-11
Elijah even needed confirmation. Jezebel was trying to kill him.
God gave him specific instructions:
And He said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord.
And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains,
and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind:
and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:
And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
1 Kings 19:11-12. 1 Kings 19 is full of confirmations God gave to Elijah.
It is very apparent that Elijah was close to the Lord, following Him in all obedience.
There is not one story in the Bible that is in there for naught.
All of them are valuable and as examples of what the Lord has done for others in times past
that we may learn and our faith may grow in the Lord Jesus and recognize His infinite power and wisdom.
David had to wait years to be crowned after he was anointed.
He was faithful to wait and received signs from God along the way and was reminded of God’s will.
He also refused to force the issue by sparing Saul’s life multiple times
and telling all of his men not to lay a hand on Saul as David said many times: He is anointed of God.
When Jonah was on the boat, the men, who served other gods cast lots.
They knew there was an ultimate higher power who ran things.
When the lots fell on Jonah, they heard about his God and were more afraid. in the end,
they worshiped the One, True God of Heaven and Earth.
Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the Lord, and made vows.
Jonah 1:16
When we are unsure of God’s voice, the best thing we can do is keep seeking Him until God has made things clear.
He is gracious. If strong prophets of old needed confirmations of God’s voice, we also, at times, may need confirmations.
God will be faithful to make His way clear.