“And he went and found the body thrown on the road, and the donkey and the lion standing beside the body; the lion [miraculously] had not eaten the body or attacked the donkey. Then the prophet picked up the body of the man of God and laid it on the donkey and brought it back, and he came into the city (Bethel) of the old prophet to mourn and to bury him. And he laid the body in his own grave, and they mourned over him, saying, “Alas, my brother!” 1 Kings 13: 28 -30

The story of the old and young prophets whose names were not given is a classic example of the power of influence in the life of the believer. Influence can be positive or negative. We all influence one another to some extent in life. The young prophet, after a successful missionary journey on his way back home, was convinced by an old prophet claiming to have heard another voice from God. A few verses earlier, God had sent the young prophet from Juda to Bethel to the wicked king Jeroboam; this was the days where the kingdom was split into two. There was a great old prophet who had backslid; he was a puppet of king Jeroboam, bought with the king’s meals and gifts. In verse 7 of 1 King 13, the Bible reveals the trap used by the king to ensnare the prophets “Come home with me and refresh yourself, and I will give you a reward.” The young prophet resisted the King but gave way to the old prophet.

Two sobering questions to ask: why would the old prophet lie? And why would the young prophet be convinced by the old prophet despite all the signs and wonders that had happened that day? I believe the old prophet was once powerfully used by God, until he got ensnared by king Jeroboam. It is possible, despite our years in the faith, that if we do not remain in Jesus Christ, to miss the mark. As for the young prophet, most probably the cultural background and perhaps the rare opportunity to be mentored by this great old prophet got into his head and ruined a very promising career.

Please beware that what you see and hear will surely influence you either positively or negatively. And one day we shall all give an account before God on how we have used the power of influence either positively or negatively