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Have you ever thought, “It’s not supposed to be this way“? I have on many occasions. There have been times when life has gone sideways and dealt me what felt like a nearly fatal outcome. Every time life went sideways, it was preceded by false words—misleading words that shaped my thoughts, guided my decisions, and pulled me off course.

Sometimes, those misleading words didn’t come from others—they came from me.
I spoke them to myself in moments of decision or uncertainty, especially when the choices were difficult. More often than not, my own unwise words were reinforced by the voices around me—the counsel and opinions of others that sounded wise, even spiritual, but weren’t God’s truth.

A Kingdom divided

Today, I read a story from 1 Kings 13, a tale of two prophets (not to be confused with the famous book, “A Tale of Two Kings”). The lives of these two men intersected during the early reigns of King Jeroboam of Israel and King Rehoboam of Judah. The Kingdom of Israel was divided shortly after the death of King Solomon (see 1 Kings 11 and 12), who had a long and prosperous rule.

Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, succeeded his father as king. However, his unwise leadership early in his reign led to the division of the kingdom. Rehoboam ruled over Judah and Benjamin—the Southern Kingdom—with Jerusalem as its capital. Meanwhile, Jeroboam, a trusted servant of Solomon, became king over the other ten tribes, known as the Northern Kingdom, with Shechem as its initial capital (see 1 Kings 12:25).

Now the man Jeroboam was a valiant warrior, and when Solomon saw that the young man was industrious, he appointed him over all the forced labor of the house of Joseph.

1 Kings 11:28 NKJV

A tale of 2 prophets unfolds

After the kingdom was divided, God sent a young prophet to deliver a message to King Jeroboam (see 1 Kings 13:1-10). This prophet prophesied the coming of a future king named Josiah, who would one day reign and bring judgment on Jeroboam’s idolatry (see 2 Kings 23:15–16). To confirm that this prophecy was truly from God, the prophet declared that the altar at Bethel would be miraculously split, and its ashes would spill out.

When Jeroboam ordered the prophet to be seized, his hand was suddenly struck and became “withered.” His hand was paralyzed and powerless, as a direct sign of God’s judgment (see 1 Kings 13:4–5). This miraculous event was meant to demonstrate God’s authority over all earthly kingdoms and to warn Jeroboam of the consequences of his rebellion.

Unexpected collision

Next, the story takes a somewhat surprising turn as the lives of two prophets—one young, the other old—unexpectedly collide.

When the older prophet was told about the young man’s bold word to King Jeroboam and the miraculous signs that followed by his sons, he immediately set out to find him. But why? The Bible doesn’t tell us. Was God sending him, or was he acting on his own? Was he genuinely curious, maybe even inspired? Or was he motivated by something more sinister—perhaps a desire to reclaim relevance or elevate his own status by associating with a prophet who had just shaken a king?

False words

A clue to the condition of the older prophet’s heart is found in 1 Kings 13:20-22 (NASB):

Now it came about, as they were sitting down at the table, that the word of the Lord came to the prophet who had brought him back; and he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, "Thus says the Lord, 'Because you have disobeyed the command of the Lord, and have not observed the commandment which the Lord your God commanded you, but have returned and eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which He said to you, "Eat no bread and drink no water"; your body shall not come to the grave of your fathers."'

Up to this moment in the story, Scripture does not indicate that the older prophet had heard from God. All the evidence points to him being a man acting on his impulses. He approached the younger prophet and—claiming prophetic authority—declared, “I too am a prophet like you, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD: ‘Bring him back with you to your house so that he may eat bread and drink water.’” Then the verse ends with the alarming footnote: “But he was lying to him.” (1 Kings 13:18, NASB).

In other words, the older prophet leveraged his title and a fabricated “word of the Lord” to override the explicit instruction God had already given. His deception exploited the younger prophet’s respect for prophetic authority, reminding us how persuasive “spiritual language” can be when it is detached from obedience to God’s actual command.

Where he went wrong

I wonder what the younger prophet felt in that moment when he heard the words of the older prophet. Did his heart sink with the weight of realization? Did he cry out for mercy or wish he could rewind time and choose differently? The Scripture doesn’t say one way or the other. But it’s safe to say this: he knew where he went wrong. God had given him a direct word. A clear and unmistakable command to deliver His Word and return the way he came.

Did he feel flattered by the presence of the older prophet? Did he blindly trust him because he was an older, perhaps well-known, prophet? For whatever reason, he listened to the “new revelation” of the older prophet and turned away from his assignment.

A fatal outcome

The words of the older prophet proved true. Not long after the younger prophet departed, he was killed by a lion along the road. Strangely, the lion did not eat his body or attack the donkey he was riding—a sign that this was no ordinary encounter, but a divine judgment.

When the older prophet heard the news, he went to retrieve the younger prophet’s body. He mourned him deeply. As I write this, I wonder why? Why did he feel so deeply? Did he experience remorse for misleading the young prophet? Equally unusual was how he expressed his deep sorrow. He gave the young man a proper burial in his tomb. He even gave instructions on his own burial, saying that when he died, he was to be buried beside the younger prophet.

False words from others

My heart is stirred every time I read this account. It’s an eerie story, not just because of what happened, but because of how familiar it feels.

On one hand, how often have we succumbed to the “logic” (false words) of others? Well-meaning friends or respected voices—people we trust—whose counsel sounds wise, even spiritual, yet subtly pulls us away from what God has clearly spoken?

Why were we so easily swayed from our assignment? Was it fear? Uncertainty? The desire to please? Or was it simply more comfortable to follow the voice that agreed with our doubts rather than the One who called us?

False words from me

And on the other side, how often have we offered advice to someone else on a mission from God, reasoning from our own perspective rather than seeking God’s heart for their situation? Sometimes our counsel is well-intentioned, even compassionate, offered in hopes of helping them avoid pain or heartache.

But other times, if we’re honest, our advice may be rooted in something less noble: a desire to maintain our own comfort, reputation, or image. Maybe we fear being associated with their bold obedience, especially if it challenges norms or draws criticism.

Whatever the motive, this story reminds us of the danger of speaking false words that God has not spoken or of influencing someone away from the path God has called them to follow.

What can we learn?

What can we learn from these two men who both wore the title of “prophet”?

It’s easy to fall into the category of either if we aren’t careful to point others and ourselves to Jesus, Who is a Faithful Prophet:

If we are faithless, He remains faithful...

2 Timothy 2:13a NASB

Jesus is faithful, and His leading in our lives is never to be doubted. His instructions may sometimes seem unreasonable to the natural ear, but He is always working for our good. He has never led His people astray, He never utters false words. But when we choose to rely on our own understanding or the voices of others over His, we risk ending up like the younger prophet, whose life and ministry were tragically cut short by disobedience.

Let’s land this plane

Our obedience to God must be unwavering, even when the voice of man sounds spiritual, familiar, or convincing. God’s Word is never to be second-guessed or overwritten, no matter who challenges it. In a world filled with conflicting opinions and “prophetic” voices, or false words, our safety lies in staying anchored to what God has spoken.

The cost of disobedience is high, but the reward of steadfast obedience is God’s favor and faithful guidance, even when the road ahead is dark and winding.

Lea Peters