1 Kings 13

1Ki 13:22
'but you came back, ate bread, and drank water in the place of which the LORD said to you, "Eat no bread and drink no water," your corpse shall not come to the tomb of your fathers.'"

Aiyah, eat bread and drink water only. Why make such a big fuss over it? Hungry leh...

Why did God command the man of God not to eat bread and drink water at Bethel? Why did God pass such a harsh judgment on him when he failed to obey His commandments?

We know that after Jeroboam became king over Israel, he led the people to worship idols. One golden calf was set up in Bethel and sacrifices were made at the altar there. God commanded the man of God, who came from Judah, not to eat bread nor drink water at Bethel perhaps because He does not wish for him to have any kind of fellowship with the people there, who had turned away from God to idolatry. It was a simple, straightforward request - do not eat or drink there. But we saw later that he could not keep it.

I believe, at the end of the day, God was testing the man's obedience. God wants to see if the man can obey God in the smallest things, as basic as eating and drinking. If one desires to do great things for God, he should start with the small things and make sure they are done well first. For if even the small matters are not taken care of properly and responsibly, how can one do big things?

Now, why such a harsh punishment? Being buried away from the tomb of one's fathers and among strangers instead is one of the greatest humiliation one can suffer. Why was God so harsh on a man of God? After all, he did the work of God. The only thing that was done wrong was to believe in the old prophet and went to eat and drink at his place.

But the man of God should have remembered that the word of the LORD is not contradictory. How could he have been told of one thing, but the prophet of another, if God has indeed spoken to both? He should have faith in the word that was given to him directly by God!

We must also remember that judgment begins in the house of God (1Pe 4:17). God might be harsher on us because we, being children of God, have already come to know of His Word and Truth. So, all the more there is no excuse for our disobedience!