Accountable Obedience

"1 King 13:11. An old prophet was living in Bethel. His sons told him everything the man of Elohim did in Bethel that day and the exact words he had spoken to the king. When they told their father, 12. he said to them, "Which road did he take? (His sons had seen which road the man of Elohim from Judah had taken.) 13. The old prophet told his sons, "Saddle the donkey for me." After they had saddled the donkey for him, he got on it. 14. He went after the man of Elohim and found him sitting under an oak tree. The old prophet asked him, "Are you the man of Elohim who came from Judah?" "Yes," he answered. 15. "Come home with me, and eat a meal," the old prophet replied. 16. The man of God said, "I'm not allowed to go back with you. I'm not allowed to eat or drink with you. 17. When Yahweh spoke to me, he told me not to eat or drink there or back on the road I took to get there." 18. The old prophet said, "I'm also a prophet, like you. An angel spoke the word of Yahweh to me. He said, 'Bring him home with you so that he may have something to eat and drink." (But the old prophet was lying.) 19. The man of God went back with him and ate and drank in his home. 20. When they were sitting at the table, Yahweh spoke his word to the old prophet who had brought back the man of Elohim. 21. Yahweh also called to the man of Elohim. He said, "This is what Yahweh says: You rebelled against the words from Yahweh's mouth and didn't obey the command that Yahweh your Elohim gave you. 22 You came back, ate, and drank at this place about which he told you, 'Don't eat or dink there.' That is why your dead body will not be allowed to be placed in the tomb of your ancestors." 23. After the old prophet had something to eat and drink, he saddled the donkey for the prophet whom he had brought back. 24. The man of Elohim left. A lion found him as he traveled on the road and killed him. His dead body was thrown on the road. The donkey and the lion were standing by the body. 25. People who passed by saw the body lying on the road and the lion standing by the body. They talked about it in the city where the old prophet was living." 26. When the old prophet who had brought the man of Elohim back from the road heard about it, he said, "It's the man of Elohim who rebelled against the words from Yahweh's mouth! Yahweh gave him tot he lion. It tore him to pieces and killed him as the word of Yahweh had told him."-The Names of God Bible, Ann Spangler

This passage brought me to stop reading and think. It made me think that we are held accountable for our obedience to the Heavenly Father. Even with this prophet, he was told, given specific instructions, directions, and commandments. Now he obeyed it when it came to the king at the time who asked him to come back in 1 Kings 13:7-10. But once another prophet or man of God came to say no don't listen to God because God said this to me regarding what you should do, he believed the old prophet instead of what God told him himself. Now I cannot fathom why the younger prophet believed the older. Was it because he was older, or was it because he said he was also a prophet and didn't think he would do something to harm him. But whatever the case may be the younger prophet should have stayed and continued to obey the Father. In my head I was thinking, if God did change his mind about him going back and to eat, drink with another prophet wouldn't he have told him that and advised/warned him of that ahead of time? And the answer to that is yes. The Father always gives specific instruction and details.

Now I knew this, but it didn't really click in my head until this past Tuesday on Bible Study, however it didn't stop me from making a silly decision while I was even saying or thinking to myself I know I'm going to be held accountable for this. But today, when I read this scripture, that is when it became life changing to me. I'm like even if a prophet of our Father dies from being disobedient than how so much he will do to me. It's just that important.

What I got from this is that I should obey listen and follow whatever the Father tells me to do, commands me to do, and instructs me to do, even if another believer, family, friend, elder, stranger or even somebody else tries to get me or want me to do the exact opposite. I must continue to obey my Father and trust that if there's something different that he wants me to do that he will tell me and let me know just as he let me know the first time. Because I am accountable for my actions, my choice, my obedience. And when the time comes for me to stand in front him and he asks me why didn't I do what he said. I have nobody to blame or point to but myself. So when it's my time and my turn for me to be held accountable for my actions I want to be able to say and to show that I was obedient to the Heavenly Father.


*Author's Note: The Bible Study I'm referring to is on on Tuesday and Friday nights 9EST/8CST and it's by phone so anyone anybody and everybody is welcome to join, listen. It's called Prayer Love Our Family Bible Study held by Bro. Edwards. If you would like to take a listen, learn, and experience what I did, please call, you're more than welcome to.  1- 605-475-6700 passcode 7556771#. And if you would like a sneak peak or something to get you started they are also recorded, so you can listen to past recordings at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/djsqwyd. And just once again click on the recordings title Prayer Love our Family Bible Study (with Bro/Minister/Pastor Nathaniel Edwards).*

Thank you.