1 Kings. I found myself thinking today about the danger of co-opting one's values for political expedience. The people of Israel joined Jeroboam's revolt against Rehoboam because they wanted nothing to do with a tyrant king. What they got in his place was a pagan king. Surely there were some followers of the true God who shouted, "Down with Rehoboam; long live Israel!" Then they suffered through the results of their choice. It reminds me of a woman who voted for a particular president because of his religious affiliation, then watched his administration repeatedly demolish the values she held dear.
I have spent years trying to understand the old prophet who tricked the prophet of God into eating and -- thereby -- losing his life. The best I have so far is that the old man was not fully serving God only. Duplicity had become common in Israel in this days and it's possible that the old man listened to whatever spirit he chose at any given time. His grief at the death of the other was because they shared a certain bond since both were prophets.
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