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

Jeroboam revolted against Rehoboam and led ten tribes to become the first king of the divided kingdom Israel. He was infamous for introducing calves worship into Israel. He set two golden calves, one in Bethel and one in Dan, and offered sacrifices to them (1 Kings 12:26-29). 1 Kings 13 opens with Jeroboam offering sacrifices to his golden calf in Bethel. A man of God from Judah appeared and prophesied that the time will come when there will be one born of the family of David, Josiah by name, and he will sacrifice on this altar the idolatrous priests who make offerings here, and human bones will he burned on it (v.2). It is one of the most remarkable prophecies recorded in the Scriptures because of its details and exactness. The prophecy was fulfilled three hundred and sixty years later when Josiah became king of Judah; he did exactly those things that were said in this prophecy (2 Kings 23:15-16). Moses said that if a prophet’s prediction does not come to pass, that forever settles it - he is a false prophet (Deuteronomy 18:20-22). What this prophet of Judah had prophesied came to pass; he was a true prophet of God. An old prophet of Bethel heard what this prophet of Judah had prophesied and he went to meet him (v.11-24). He said to him: “I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water” (v.18). Who was this old prophet from Bethel? Was he a true prophet? The answer is obvious: True prophet does not lie. The Scripture says: “But he lied unto him” (v.18b). The old prophet lied to the man of God from Judah. He gave a false word from God, trying to persuade the man of God from Judah to change his course from doing exactly what God had told him. True prophet will not do such a thing to harm another prophet of God. John cautions us: “Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world” (1 John 4:1). The young prophet of Judah ought to test the spirit. Perhaps he lacked experience. But, like most people, he was too simple minded, which made him gullible to believe a lie. He listened to a lie from the old prophet of Bethel. Why? Perhaps, the reasons are these: 1. The prophet from Bethel was probably older. The Scripture calls him an old prophet. It implies that prophet of Judah could be younger. The young prophet had respect for an older prophet. Today, young preachers look up to older preachers because of their vast experience and knowledge. When they encounter tough Bible questions, they seek answers from the older preachers. Preachers, seek answers from the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16, 17). 2. The prophet from Bethel identified himself as a prophet of God like him. O, it feels so good to meet people of the same profession. Moreover, this fellow was old and surely the prophet of Judah would want to learn from him. False preachers claim to be preachers of God’s word; test them! 3. The prophet from Bethel claimed a spectacular experience (an angel spoke to me). False preachers today are still repeating the same lie: “The Lord spoke to me.” The Christendom is in chaos today because many believe such lie. Is God the author of confusion? (1 Corinthians 14:33). 4. The prophet from Bethel claimed to speak the word of the LORD. Which false preacher will come to you and say he is preaching a lie? Everyone will say he is preaching from the word of God. They will quote a few verses. What about the other verses they will not quote? Test the spirit, brethren! 5. The prophet from Bethel was hospitable; he offered the prophet of Judah food and drink in his house (v.19). He is so good and loving; he can’t be a false prophet, right? Wrong! Paul warns: “And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light” (2 Corinthians 11:14). Our Lord also warns: “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matthew 7:15). The old prophet looked harmless. In fact, he looked sincere, truthful, and full of love. But, the truth is, he is a false prophet. True prophets do not contradict God’s commandments. God never contradicts Himself in His dealings with His servants. He will not tell the prophet of Judah one thing and another prophet another thing. God has given us the Bible so that we can check for ourselves who is a true preacher of God and who preaches falsely? Are you testing the spirit to see if it is from God? (1 John 4:1).