LESSON 10   
   November 27 - December 3   
   The Man of God: Obedience Is Not Optional   
      
   SABBATH AFTERNOON   
      
   Read for This Week's Study:   
      
   Exodus 32, 1 Kings 13:1-34, Dan. 5:13-17, Luke 16:31, John 15:24, 2 Tim. 4:3.   
      
   Memory Text:   
      
   "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by   
   the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the   
   will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy   
   Spirit" (2 Peter 1:20, 21, NIV).   
    This week we will look at one of the strangest stories in the Old Testament.   
   On first glance we discover a renegade king, a prophet who makes specific food   
   prohibitions, an altar that splits open like a cracked egg, and then, more   
   disturbing, a lying old prophet and a selectively dangerous lion.   
      
   The story takes place in the first years of the divided monarchy, a time of   
   political and religious tension. Under the leadership of Jeroboam (and with   
   the express blessing of the Lord, 1 Kings 11:29-39), the ten tribes of Israel   
   have separated themselves from Rehoboam, the son of Solomon and heir to the   
   Davidic kingdom. War hangs in the air, and it is during this time of   
   instability and change that God sends his prophet with a specific message to   
   King Jeroboam about the idolatrous worship in the Northern kingdom, which   
   would prove ultimately to be its ruin.   
      
   Below the surface of this story about a nameless prophet lies the important   
   issue of obedience and how seriously God takes our obedience. Whatever the   
   unanswered questions, this story shows that any expression of the gospel   
   without resulting obedience is, of necessity, a false gospel.   
      
   *Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, December 4.   
   SUNDAY   
   November 28   
      
   The Politics of Religion   
      
   After the death of Solomon, the poor judgment of Rehoboam, his son, led to the   
   division of the nation, with King Jeroboam ruling in Israel, the northern   
   kingdom, and Rehoboam in Judah, the southern kingdom (see 1 Kings 12).   
      
   Not long after the break, Jeroboam set the northern kingdom on a very   
   dangerous path. He did not deliberately set out to lead Israel from a worship   
   of God to idolatry; instead, he was acting from political expediency. He   
   created two centers of worship, one at Bethel and one at Dan. He claimed to be   
   trying to make things easier for the Israelites, so that they would not have   
   to travel all the way to Jerusalem in order to worship. The golden calves were   
   simply to be a visual reminder of God (not a representation) and were to make   
   worship more credible for the common Israelite. What started as a political   
   move, however, led to the breaking of the Ten Commandments (Exod. 20:4, 5).   
      
   What similarities can be noted between the golden calf episode in Exodus 32   
   and Jeroboam's golden calves? See 1 Kings 12:25-33.   
      
   It is necessary to be innovative in worship and adapt worship to our specific   
   cultural contexts, but we must be so careful. Even a small deviation from a   
   clear command of God has far-reaching effects. In the case of Israel, the   
   golden calves led the nation on a path toward blatant sin. But things did not   
   stop there. Jeroboam was obliged to make other changes, as well. He wanted to   
   persuade some of the Levites, living within his borders, to serve as priests   
   at his newly established shrines. However, they saw the dangers and were not   
   prepared to contradict God's commands; thus, Jeroboam was compelled to make   
   priests of common people (1 Kings 12:31, 32), which in turn degraded the   
   sacred office.   
      
   The story of Jeroboam's religious-political changes should have served as a   
   warning to the early Christian church; however, the same thing happened.   
   Divine commandments were changed due to political or social influences. Sunday   
   instead of Sabbath was now the new "holy" day, in order to distinguish the   
   church from the Jews. The veneration of saints was introduced in order to make   
   the worship of God more visual for heathen believers. The pressures that led   
   to these changes are by no means limited to the time of Jeroboam or early   
   Christianity. Today, as a church, we face many similar challenges.   
   What kinds of cultural pressure is your own church facing? How susceptible are   
   you to cultural pressures around you? How willingly do you compromise on   
   "little" things?    
   MONDAY   
   November 29   
      
   God's Move   
      
   In the middle of Jeroboam's political moves, God steps in and makes Himself   
   heard. He speaks through a prophet from Judah. This unnamed prophet makes his   
   appearance just as Jeroboam is standing before his altar at the dedication   
   ceremony for the shrine. Anyone who was anybody in the kingdom of Israel would   
   have been there. God selected the most opportune moment to act. The result is   
   dramatic.   
      
   Read 1 Kings 13:1-6. What happens here? What immediate lessons come to mind   
   from this narrative?   
      
   The prophet, though not named, is referred to as the man of God. This was a   
   common title used for a person recognized as a messenger of God. It was used   
   for Moses (Deut. 33:1) and Elijah (1 Kings 17:18). This title connects our   
   nameless prophet with some of the great prophets of the Old Testament; thus,   
   the reader's expectations for him are high. The man of God cries out against   
   Jeroboam's altar and gives a prophecy. In the prophecy, a specific name,   
   Josiah, is mentioned (1 Kings 13:2). This is amazing, because Josiah is born   
   almost three centuries afterward. It reminds us of Cyrus, the Persian, whose   
   name is mentioned by the prophet Isaiah about two hundred  years before his   
   birth (see Isa. 44:28, 45:1).   
      
   What are the main points of the message the man of God brings? First, the   
   altar is illegal, and the man of God predicts that a descendent of David named   
   Josiah will defile it. This is exactly what Jeroboam most fears. He is   
   establishing these worship centers especially to avoid losing his kingdom to   
   someone who sits on David's throne. The second part of the message provides an   
   immediate demonstration of God's power, thus guaranteeing the prophecy's   
   future fulfillment. Before the eyes of everyone, the altar splits apart.   
   Perhaps this is meant to remind the onlookers of the tablets of the Ten   
   Commandments that Moses broke at the worship of the first golden calf.   
      
   It seems as if Jeroboam has learned nothing from history. He has two golden   
   calves instead of one. And now instead of being repentant, Jeroboam points at   
   the man of God. Pointing the hand, stick, or scepter has always been a sign of   
   judgment in biblical times. Jeroboam wants to have him arrested. So much for   
   surrendering to the will of God.   
   How, in this story, do we see the mercy of God presented, even to someone as   
   stubborn as Jeroboam? How often do you find yourself expressing a similar   
   attitude toward the clear leading of God? What have been the personal   
   consequences of that attitude?    
   TUESDAY   
   November 30   
      
   The Giver of Gifts   
      
   It is a spectacular miracle. Jeroboam's hand, which had "dried up, so that he   
   could not pull it in again" (1 Kings 13:4), is immediately restored. After   
   such convincing evidence, we would expect at least a public confession from   
   Jeroboam, the king. But miracles cannot change our will. Even after a dramatic   
   intervention by God, it is surprisingly easy to find a "natural" explanation   
   or just simply to go back to our old habits.   
      
   What did Jesus say about the connection between miracles and belief? Luke   
   16:31, John 10:25-28, 15:24. Why do you think this is so true of us?    
   Instead of abandoning his worship activities and wholeheartedly beginning a   
   reformation, Jeroboam simply changes tactics (see 1 Kings 13:7-10). He invites   
   the man of God home with him and offers him a reward. This was a political   
   move aimed at neutralizing the effect of the message on the people who   
   witnessed the miracle. King Jeroboam is offering to take the man of God into   
   his employ. Only the one who is in charge or who is soliciting a service is in   
   a position to offer a reward, but God's man is never to be on sale. He owes   
   his allegiance to God and cannot let his messages from God be modified by   
   whoever might be sponsoring him.   
      
   Read 2 Kings 5:14-16 and Daniel 5:13-17. How did the prophets respond to the   
   offers of gifts?    
   Giving a gift places the giver in a position of power and the receiver "owes"   
   the giver. The man of God refuses the king's gift and goes on to state that he   
   will not eat or drink in the territory of Israel. By not accepting Jeroboam's   
   hospitality, the man of God says "No" to mixing true worship with idolatry.   
   God's people should not be for sale. They should walk a different route. The   
   man of God did not have too far to walk, because the inauguration of the   
   shrine at Bethel took place about 2 kilometers (1.4 miles) from the border   
   with Judah. The next town in Judah's territory was Mizpah, a 10 kilometers (7   
   miles) walk from Bethel. The man of God was to show how revolting the   
   idolatrous system was to God through a dramatic object lesson of not eating   
   and drinking and even by taking a different route home.   
   How is the giving of gifts or favors viewed in your culture? Are you indebted   
   to anyone by gifts that you receive? Pray for God's wisdom in helping you   
   disentangle yourself from any compromising situations that you might find   
   yourself in because of gifts given you.    
   WEDNESDAY   
   December 1   
      
   Tempting Lies   
      
   God's dramatic intervention at the inauguration ceremony gives the ordinary   
   people plenty to talk about. Some young men go home and tell their father all   
   about the man of God. The father's name is not given, but we learn that he is   
   old and that he is actually a prophet himself. This old prophet decides to go   
   after the man of God and finds him sitting under a tree.   
      
   Read 1 Kings 13:11-19. Compare this passage with the first temptation and lie   
   in Genesis 3:1-5. What similarities are there, and what can we learn from   
   these episodes?   
      
      
   The man of God must have understood something of the urgency of his mission.   
   He was told to give his message to the king and then not to take any time for   
   eating or drinking but to return straight back. However, here he is, sitting   
   under a tree in Israel, taking it easy. He could have walked the 2 kilometers   
   (1.4 miles) and then could have sat under a tree in Judah. By losing his sense   
   of urgency, the man of God was opening himself to temptation.   
      
   The old prophet deceives the man of God. We do not know what motivates the old   
   prophet to deceive him. Whatever his motivation, the Bible tells us that "he   
   lied" (1 Kings 13:18, NKJV). In this moment the old prophet becomes an agent   
   of Satan, the father of lies (John 8:44). Perhaps an even more disturbing part   
   of the story is that the man of God seems so easily taken in. After so   
   obviously being led of God, after so obviously doing the Lord's will, he just   
   falls for the trick and goes directly against what God has told him to do.   
      
   It's really hard to understand, isn't it? We would like to excuse him for   
   disobeying God, since he was led astray. But God never excuses belief in a lie   
   when the lie is directly opposed to a clear command that He has given.   
      
   Temptation revolves around the choice to disobey God's revealed will.   
   Temptations don't change as much as the forms of the temptations do. Hebrews   
   4:15 tells us that Jesus was tempted as we are. The same basic temptations we   
   face (albeit in modern disguise) were faced and conquered by Jesus. Jesus   
   promises us insight and a "way of escape" so that we would not be taken in by   
   Satan's lies (1 Cor. 10:13).   
   How easily do you allow temptations to lead you into direct conflict with   
   God's revealed will? What can you do, what choices can you make, to protect   
   yourself from the temptations that so easily trap you?    
   THURSDAY   
   December 2   
      
   Twin Temptations   
      
   The man of God faced two temptations. The first, which he powerfully resisted,   
   came from the king; the second, which he succumbed to, came from the old   
   prophet. What important lesson can we take from this for ourselves? See 2 Tim.   
   4:3, 2 Pet. 2:1, Jude 4-16.   
      
   The greatest threat to our faith is not persecution from the outside by   
   political powers but rather false prophets and teachers who come from within   
   us or who claim to speak in God's name.   
      
   It is important to have a clear word from the Lord. In other words, we need to   
   study God's Word, the Bible, for ourselves. A true prophet or teacher will not   
   contradict other inspired revelation. Because God never contradicts Himself,   
   any new prophecy or teaching from God will add to established truth and not   
   subtract from it. It also will encourage obedience and never disobedience.   
   Finally, we can judge prophets and teachers by the results of their teaching   
   for their audience and in their own lives.   
      
   Read 1 Kings 13:20-34. What happens next, and what lessons are there for us?   
      
   What is hard to understand in all this is why the old prophet lies to the man   
   of God to begin with. He starts out in the role of Satan, the deceiver, and   
   then, before the chapter is over, he is the one delivering the "Thus saith the   
   Lord" (vs. 21) to him. Although much is hard to understand, one thing in this   
   story shouldn't be: the man of God should not have so directly and blatantly   
   disregarded the clear command of the Lord.   
      
   The death of the man of God is not without effect. Unlike the king, who   
   witnessed a miracle and continued in his sin (see 1 Kings 13:33, 34), the old   
   prophet believes that God's Word will be fulfilled. He tells his sons that   
   when he dies they are to lay his bones beside the bones of the man of God. The   
   prophecy made by the man of God from Judah is literally fulfilled by Josiah   
   three centuries later (2 Kings 23:15, 16). As prophesied, Josiah burns bones   
   on the altar; however, he spares the bones of the man of God and also,   
   consequentially, the bones of the old prophet who was buried with him (2 Kings   
   23:17, 18).   
      
   Look at this verse: "It is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word   
   of the Lord" (1 Kings 13:26). What ironic but important message can we take   
   from this for ourselves?    
   FRIDAY   
   December 3   
      
   Further Study:   
      
      
   "The Saviour overcame to show man how he may overcome. All the temptations of   
   Satan, Christ met with the word of God. By trusting in God's promises, He   
   received power to obey God's commandments, and the tempter could gain no   
   advantage. To every temptation His answer was, 'It is written.' So God has   
   given us His word wherewith to resist evil. Exceeding great and precious   
   promises are ours, that by these we 'might be partakers of the divine nature,   
   having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.' 2 Peter 1:4.   
      
   "Bid the tempted one look not to circumstances, to the weakness of self, or to   
   the power of temptation, but to the power of God's word. All its strength is   
   ours. 'Thy word,' says the psalmist, 'have I hid in mine heart, that I might   
   not sin against Thee.' 'By the word of Thy lips I have kept me from the paths   
   of the destroyer.' Psalms 119:11; 17:4."--Ellen G. White, The Ministry of   
   Healing, p. 181.    
   Discussion Questions:   
      
      
     Truth is progressive. As we better understand God's truth we may have to   
   make changes in our lives, beliefs, organization, outreach, etcetera. Keeping   
   the status quo is not an option. Discuss in your class how we can know whether   
   our proposed actions arise from God's leading or society's influence?    
    Discuss Jesus' model of socializing with sinners as opposed to the duty of   
   the man of God not to socialize and thus condone sin. How do we meet people   
   where they are? Give practical examples in your Sabbath School class to show   
   how you have come close to people and shown acceptance without encouraging   
   sinful practices.   
      
     In many societies, the paying of bribes or giving of special gifts is part   
   and parcel of almost all business, legal, and political deals. How can we, as   
   Seventh-day Adventists, individually and as a church, survive in such   
   societies? Based on this week's lesson, as a class write some guidelines for   
   dealing with this problem.   
      
    Imagine that someone in your church stands up and claims to have a message   
   from the Lord or that your head elder claims to have new biblical light on   
   last-day events. What would you do? How would you evaluate the claims?   
      
   --- Thunderbird 2.0.0.24 (Macintosh/20100228)   
    * Origin: Fidonet Via Newsreader - http://www.easternstar.info (1:123/789.0)