The Man Of God From Judah.

The Man Of God From Judah 

I Kings 13:1-3 NKJV

[1] And behold, a man of God went from Judah to Bethel by the word of the Lord, and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn incense. [2] Then he cried out against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said, “O altar, altar! Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a child, Josiah by name, shall be born to the house of David; and on you he shall sacrifice the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and men’s bones shall be burned on you.’ ” [3] And he gave a sign the same day, saying, “This is the sign which the Lord has spoken: Surely the altar shall split apart, and the ashes on it shall be poured out.”

There's a bit of argument as to who this man of God was. He is called a prohet by the Chaldee, Arabic and Syriac versions.  David Guzik explains that  the man was imported fom Judah because, " Apparently, there were no qualified messengers within the northern kingdom of Israel" This is a sad commentary on the spiritual state of Jeroboam’s kingdom". Then he adds a crucial lesson that this "anonymous man of God was used in an important way to demonstrate a lesson that one does not need to be famous to be significantly used by God". The man of God prophesied against the altar. This was a hard one. He wasn't going to receive an offering. He faced a possible execution. But Israel was one in the sight of God. God used the man to prophesy the restoration of the Kingdom. God declares before He acts. The king was to come from the house of David. That was bold. No wonder Jeroboam wanted him arrested, but God was on scene to confirm His words. That altar was split and Jeroboam had to pray for help. Carrying a prophetic word may cause you some trouble, but if the word came from God, He will defend His word. While you carry the word, be careful how you walk. The words came to pass. Good morning.