The Tupelo journal., 1904-04-22

not now treading the pathway of obedi-
ence and truth. WHO hindered you
that We should not obey the truth? This
persuasion came not of Him that calleth
you"
IN the thirteenth chapter of the first
| book OF Kings We find a striking
illustration of our text. Read it, for
we shall use the story to illustrate our
text 1t tells of a prophet of God who
did run well, but who was turned aside
and met disaster and death. We do not
know his name or the particulars of
his life. We only know that, intrusted
with a most important mission by God,
he did splendidly for a time, but fell
short of complete obedience and suf-
fered a sad and bitter end. The facts
in the story are these: Jeroboam, the
son of Nebat, the first king over Israel
after the disruption of the kingdom
under Rehoboam, had with wicked
cunning established two places of sac
rifice and worship-one at Dan and the
other at Bethel-so that the children of
ldC "obtlu IOl ~ - up "
Jerusalem to make their offerings.
7 And, regardless of the sacredness Of
the office, and the fact that the sons Of
Levi were the Divinely-appointed
priests, he formed a priesthood of his
own and he himself became the high
priest. as we'll as king. He established
regular feast days, and upon one of
these occasions, while he was %oficiat-
ing at the altar at Bethel and burning
incense, God sent His prophet from
Judah to utter the Divine judgment
against the altar. And in passing we
must note the fact that this is one of
the most remarkable prophecies in the
Scriptures. and, Gin its clearness, cir
cumstantial minuteness, and exact
prediction of an event that took place
$50 years after, it stands in striking
contrast to the obscure and ambiguous
oracles of the heather"
LAYING spoken the word which God
i had commanded him. and having it
confirmed by the rending of the altar by
invisible hand, the man of God start
tu OOCdlCAtiy " lSNoih ~ ObdoA ny q
different way from that by which he
had come. Jeroboam, who had felt the
whitening power of Divine Judgment
upon his arm. and had then been gra-
ciously restored in answer to the prayer
of the prophet, sought to stay him, and
invited him to the royal palace to dine.
But the man of God had his explicit di-
rections, and plainly told the king that,
if he should offer him half of his king
dom. he could not tarry, for God had
told him to neither eat nor drink until
he had returned to his own home. And
so. mounting his ass, he started. Thus
far he had run well. He had obeyed.
But he loitered upon the way. He allowed
termination to overtake him in the form
of a man who came to him with sancti-
monious face and r~everential manner
and told him that he had had a revela-
ton from God, which countermanded
the first orders of God. In short, that
the man of God was to return to his
house. and eat and drink with him. And
because he wanted to believe this false
prophet-this wicked man who was
nrobably one of the appointed priests of
Ieroboam-he turned aside from the
course God had marked out for him.
And while eating in the forbidden place
Gods worst judgment against him
came. and he went out to perish before
the fierce attack of a great lion. 1t is a
sad story, but it has its lesson and its
warning for you and for me. "Ye were
running well; who hindered you that
We should not obey the truth? This
persuasion came not OF Him that call
eth YOU Let us not be harsh in our
judgments upon the prophet of judah
who failed just when he was about to
round out a splendid service with sue