1 Kings 13:13

The man who led the man of God out of Judah astray was himself a prophet of the LORD. The Holy Spirit calls him "an old prophet" (1 Kings 13:11). The adjective catches our attention. In God's family, "fathers" are believers at the highest stage of growth; old men, in the spiritual sense, suggest decay. Large numbers of devout people had left everything in the Northern Kingdom to get away from Jeroboam's idolatries. They went south into Judah and Jerusalem, where there was still some regard for the law of the LORD (2 Chron. 11:13-17). But the old prophet stayed in Bethel!

Whether he wanted to be or not, the old prophet was linked with the evil. The result was that he, a prophet, did not share the secret of God's thoughts. He learns them from others — from his sons, who repeat the words of the Lord to him. God shows neither Himself nor His thoughts to a servant who stays tied to what dishonours Him. He gave this prophet no revelation. He used someone else, while this man stayed barren for the work of the Lord. How could he prophesy against Bethel when he was used to living there?

The old prophet could not bear the fact, for if this was the case with the man of God, where was the old prophet? And it is not said that he was a false prophet; the outcome of the story seems to show the opposite. But the old prophet was determined to test the man of God and see whether he could make him as unfaithful as himself. That would have been a miserable comfort to a bad conscience.

Let us be fair in our criticism of the old prophet at this point. He probably knew nothing of God's strict command that His witness must not eat or drink in Bethel. What is likely is that he longed for time with a man who feared God. Perhaps he also wanted recognition from a man who had acted so wonderfully in front of the king and his people. But why had he not long before turned his back on Bethel?

"Now an old prophet lived in Bethel." Beware of old prophets! This old prophet followed the man of God and said to him, "Come home with me and eat bread." This was the devil in a new shape. What the word of a king had failed to do, the word of a prophet might achieve. It was a trick of Satan, and the man of God clearly was not ready for it.

He was not told to sit under an oak. That was the beginning of it. That was his first failure, and there is no failure — there is no ruin — that happens in one step. There is always a departure from the word of the Lord which exposes us to the power of the devil... He had been told not to return by the way he came. He was meant to get away as fast as possible. A man who is forbidden to eat and drink was not meant to sit under a tree.

It is possible for an older believer to become a spent force; shall we not guard against this? Advanced years do not necessarily mean more spiritual growth. A long record of useful service can breed self-satisfaction, and then our words of advice may carry weight with younger believers which they do not deserve... Respect for age and experience is good; but our only authority for action in any area of life is the Word of God. "A brother advised me," or "an angel spoke to me," will not sound well at the judgement seat of Christ.