Oh, That Men Would Praise Him

Perhaps you knew that you are responsible toward God to believe the truth? You are also called to not believe a lie. In other words, if you believe a lie you will be held responsible for that.

1Kings 13:1 "And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of Jehovah unto Beth-el: and Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense. 2)  And he cried against the altar by the word of Jehovah, and said, O altar, altar, thus saith Jehovah: Behold, a son shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he sacrifice the priests of the high places that burn incense upon thee, and men's bones shall they burn upon thee." 

Here we have the account of a young prophet of God sent by Jehovah to the new King Jeroboam, king of half of Israel. He decided to make idols and places of worship in his half of the kingdom, and God was not happy. So, he sent a prophet. Jeroboam didn't like what the prophet had to say and put forth his hand to capture him. His arm was struck by judgment from God and Jeroboam changed his mind, inviting the young prophet (who had healed Jeroboam's arm) home for refreshments. 

1Kings 13:8  "And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thy house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place; 9)  for so was it charged me by the word of Jehovah, saying, Thou shalt eat no bread, nor drink water, neither return by the way that thou camest."

Here we have a young prophet who preached against what King Jeroboam had done and the golden calves he had made. The King wants him to come home with him, but the young prophet says, no, Jehovah has said do not stay here or eat bread or whatnot and he leaves to go home.

But here's where the plot thickens. 1Kings 13:11 tells us: "Now there dwelt an old prophet in Beth-el; and one of his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Beth-el...1Ki 13:13  And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass; and he rode thereon. 14)  And he went after the man of God, and found him "

So the old prophet heard about the young prophet, he follows him, and he finds him. The old prophet invites the young prophet to come home with him for a meal. The young prophet repeats that no, he can't come home, he has to leave because that's what Jehovah had instructed him to do. But the old prophet has news for the young prophet.

1Kings 13:18  "And he said unto him, I also am a prophet as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of Jehovah, saying, Bring him back with thee into thy house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him."

The young prophet believes him, goes home and eats with him, then the old prophet tells him... As they are sitting at meat the old prophet has more news for the young man:

1Kings 13:21  "and he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, Thus saith Jehovah, Forasmuch as thou hast been disobedient unto the mouth of Jehovah, and hast not kept the commandment which Jehovah thy God commanded thee, 22)  but camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which he said to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy body shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers." 

And as the young prophet leaves to go back to Judah a lion comes upon him and the young prophet is killed. The old prophet hears about it and brings his body back and buries him in his own sepulchre. 

2Kings 23:16  "And as Josiah turned himself, he spied the sepulchres that were there in the mount; and he sent, and took the bones out of the sepulchres, and burned them upon the altar, and defiled it, according to the word of Jehovah which the man of God proclaimed, who proclaimed these things. 17)  Then he said, What monument is that which I see? And the men of the city told him, It is the sepulchre of the man of God, who came from Judah, and proclaimed these things that thou hast done against the altar of Beth-el. 

Many years later when King Josiah (the king of the prophecy) is ruling in Jerusalem and is purging the land of the idols this prophecy of the young prophet is fulfilled. I don't know why the old prophet lied to him. Maybe because since the young prophet had a monument and his bones were left alone, the old prophet figured his would be left alone as well:  

2Kings 23:18  "And he said, Let him be; let no man move his bones. So they let his bones alone, with the bones of the prophet that came out of Samaria." 

Psa 107:9  For he satisfieth the longing soul, And the hungry soul he filleth with good. 10)  Such as sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, Being bound in affliction and iron, 
11)  Because they rebelled against the words of God, And contemned the counsel of the Most High: 
12)  Therefore he brought down their heart with labor; They fell down, and there was none to help. 

13)  Then they cried unto Jehovah in their trouble, And he saved them out of their distresses. 
14)  He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, And brake their bonds in sunder. 

15)  Oh, that men would praise Jehovah for his lovingkindness, And for his wonderful works to the children of men! 16)  For he hath broken the gates of brass, And cut the bars of iron in sunder.
17)  Fools because of their transgression, And because of their iniquities, are afflicted.

Hallelujah! What a Savior!