1King 13:18-19, 18 He said to him, “I too am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘Bring him back with you to your house, that he may eat bread and drink water.’” (He was lying to him.) 19 So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house, and drank water.
As the man of God journeyed back, there met him an old prophet who heard of his dealings with Jeroboam. This man had declined the old prophet’s invitation to his house to eat and drink knowing clearly how that would violate God’s instruction (vs. 16-17) but not until the old prophet added a twist to his message, “vs …18 I also am a prophet as you are, and an angel spoke to me by the word of the LORD”. He wickedly pretended that he had an order from heaven to fetch him back and the man of God listened.
One area that plagues our churches is lack of discernment. Many choose not to receive from the wicked king but sit, eat and drink with the old lying prophets claiming to be speaking for the Lord but only governed by self-interest. These so called prophets claim to have heard from Gods and have a message while in reality they are lying using God’s name. God’s people are more in danger of being drawn from their duty by the pretenses of divinity. We therefore have need to beware of false prophets, and not believe every spirit.