Biblical Fools #3: The Foolish and 'Fossilized' Prophet

1 Kings 13 has a depressing story of a ‘fossilized and foolish prophet.’ All of us, especially ministers would do well to heed its message. The amount of detail preserved in Scripture concerning this man must surely be a warning for all. As the years roll over us and we deal with the rawness of people’s experiences we need to be on guard. We should be alert to any hardening influences which want to creep into our spirits. The ‘Old Prophet’ syndrome is easily caught and hard to overcome. Don’t let it be your obituary notice in Heaven’s log book.

How did this man, unnamed, become spiritually hard, barren and ‘deadly?’ He would not have set out to become what we read about him. The paralysis of the spirit must have been insidious, slow and poisonous. His call to serve Yahweh was during the reign of Solomon. When that king died the nation was divided into the North and South kingdoms. Jeroboam established two rival religious and political centres. Their aim was to seduce his supporting tribes from going to Jerusalem in accordance with the Law. It worked! It was idolatrous but it worked. Did the old prophet speak up for Yahweh’s law and worship? Did he denounce such treason? Did he lose heart because no one seemed to listen? Did he think that silence was safety? What forces were in play to keep him in Bethel which no longer meant the house of God? His subsequent behaviour revealed the hardening power of compromise and indifference to the Word of God!

We live in a multi–cultural and litigious society. As such it’s hostile to the moral and spiritual doctrines of Scripture. The safety of silence can become a wonderful hideout. Whilst our Lord did call us to be wise as serpents and harmless as doves He didn’t ask us to be mute. Nor does He expect us to back pedal on what His word declares. Ministry has to be gracious, not necessarily popular.

We are repeatedly told in Scripture not to be false witnesses. The Old Prophet was this in two ways at least. He was false to his calling and false in what he said to the young man of God. This unnamed man of God knew his mission and carried it out. He was on his way home in accordance with the Lord’s word for he had been instructed not to hang around or to fraternise. Then along comes this senior prophet and deceives him saying God had told him to have this young man home for a meal. Was the young man’s acceptance due to respect for the aged prophet? Did the young prophet imagine God had changed His mind? Surely he would never have suspected that another man of the prophetic class would deliberately lie.

Why would this fossilized prophet want to have the young man come home for ‘supper’? Was it nostalgia? Was it seeking to impress? Whatever it was he became an instrument of death to an unsuspecting young man. One of the saddest aspects of this matter is how the ‘fossilized prophet’ is portrayed. He showed no remorse, no conscience nor repentance over what he did or what happened to the young ‘man of God’. The young man was led astray by someone who should have been a mentor but turned out to be a traitor.

Within churches today such characters move with cunning, deceit and apparent immunity. These faithless and compromising ministers and priests have lost touch with the Lord Jesus and His word. Sad to say they cause spiritual and ministerial death to many bright and faithful men and women of God. Society views the behaviour and its devastating impact and curses God and rejects His scriptures and grace.

Another question seeks an answer. How were the Fossilized Prophet’s family affected by his betrayal of the Law’s doctrine and duty? Would they have had any interest in the things of Yahweh? If they bothered to go to any form of worship how genuine could it have been? To cap it all, would his treatment of the ‘man of God’ be a stumbling block too high for them to climb? Did he care? There is such a high price to pay with wide ranging consequences when a man or woman betrays God, scripture and God’s sacred calling.

Such ‘fossilized’ fools will be called to account before the judgement seat of God one day. They might expect favourable and merciful treatment from a sentimental God. How wrong they are. God will be just but also true to His holy character and render to them as their deeds deserve. Fossils may hold pride of place in museums, but in Heaven they have no place. We should always heed the description of our Lord in Hebrews 12:29. He is a consuming fire. Unless we are true to Him and know Jesus as our Lord and Saviour we will not escape condemnation and rejection.

Don’t be a fool or try and play God as if He is one. Be true to Christ Jesus and you will find Him eternally true to you. Now that is the wise thing to do!

Fools, from a Bible's viewpoint. #1

A stand up comedian in the U.K. has helped establish the godless church. That’s no joke. He is expecting many other such assemblies to spring up in the course of time. He was quoted in ‘My Christian Daily’ as saying: ‘We are born from nothing and go to nothing. Let’s enjoy it together.’

That intrigued me and saddened me at the same time. What have they to celebrate? Nothing! What, apart from ego and trying to prove nothing, can possibly hold a diverse group of people together? Nothing! Will it last? Time will tell.

Looking up my concordance on the subject of ‘fool’ I was informed that in the Old Testament 5 Hebrew words are so translated. In the New Testament the Greek uses four different words. In Psalms 14:1 and 53:1 such people as the comedian are defined as an ‘empty person.’ Why? Because they say there is no God. In what way would the Psalmist consider them ‘empty headed?’

In both psalms the writer contrasts them with those who he sees as wise. The wise are those who seek to find and know the God of Creation and of the people of Israel.

To make mindless chance and at the same time presume billions of years as the creator of the universe is beyond belief. Nothing can only beget nothing. How much greater is the Psalmist’s words from psalm 19:1 ‘The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.’ It is this Creator the Bible reveals. Paul uses a similar argument in Romans 1:18f. The word he uses for such thinkers is ‘moraino’ which means ‘to make foolish.’ It is their lack of a seeking heart and a seeing mind which has emptied their head and made them foolish.

Those who deny the reality of God say ‘Where did He come from, who created Him?’ That doesn’t demolish God’s existence. It merely brings us to the realm of the unknown. The same can be applied to ‘chance’ as the cause of creation. We are brought before the unanswerable. Both are faith matters. By faith the ‘fool’ says ‘Nothing’ created all that there is’ and by faith Christians state ‘it is by the power and word of the Lord God.’ He has also made Himself knowable in His Word and in the person of His Son, Jesus the Christ.

The Psalmist also says such ‘fools’ are very aggressive against God’s people. He implies that these ‘empty headed ones’ want to make null and void the Scriptures God’s people treasure. Why? For it was by the creation of this particular people that God would work with to give us all His word and commandments (check Psalm 147:19–20). His plan of salvation required His Son, the Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ to come to earth. We call it Christmas which culminated at Easter (Passover) and the resurrection. The ‘fool’ not only rejects both premises they want them banned. This is being pursued in law courts and media especially in Christian countries. In the graphic words of the Psalmist ‘they eat up my people as they eat bread.’

In Psalm 53:5 we are given an insight into the sadness awaiting those who imagine they are on the way to ‘nowhere’ and into ‘nothingness.’ They are actually on a date with the One they don’t believe in. It will not be a picnic. It will be a time of terror and they will be put to shame.’

The Bible is Christ Jesus’ gift to us all so as to prevent any and all from being ‘Empty Headed’ towards Him. What He offers is better than ‘nothing’ it is defined as ‘abundant life’ in time and eternity.