It looks like just another scandal. You know the pattern: someone begins well in ministry. God uses them. They seem sincere. They resist temptation in one area, but then succumb to catastrophic sin and lose everything. Their one failure speaks louder than their previous faithfulness.
Sadly, we’ve heard this story many times.
In this case, as usual, the man started well. He heard God’s voice and took a stand. His message got attention, and so did his refusal to compromise his moral standards. Everything seemed to be going his way.
Sadly, his ruin came right on the heels of his biggest ministry success.
He passed a big test, but then failed a small one. As one man (Charles Simeon) observed, it’s common that “they who are enabled to maintain their steadfastness in more arduous circumstances, are surprised and overcome in situations of less difficulty.” We pass the big tests but fail the small ones, and it destroys us.
We could try to make excuses for his failure. He was influenced by someone, a colleague in ministry. Maybe he was tired. Maybe he was just misled. You could even say that he was quick to recognize his mistake.
But the excuses don’t matter. His single mistake led to his ruin. It ended up costing his ministry and his life.
He became a warning to others. Never underestimate the consequences of sin. Never take God’s commands lightly. One moment of disobedience is enough to erase the good we’ve done with our lives.
As I said, it sounds like just another scandal. The difference: this one happened some three thousand years ago, near the start of the divided kingdoms. It’s found in 1 Kings 13 in the story of a prophet who confronted a king, but then disobeyed God’s word in a seemingly small matter and ended up mauled by a lion. It’s a jarring story, but it’s helpful to consider what it teaches us about when a servant of God fails.
There are no small matters of disobedience when it comes to God’s commands. We’re all vulnerable. Our greatest failure may come on the heels of our greatest success. We must pass not only big tests, but smaller ones too. Excuses don’t matter. The consequences of sin are devastating.
I’ve seen so many like him. I’ve learned that extraordinary gifts and a powerful ministry are no guarantee of future faithfulness. We can serve God with passion, take a courageous stand, and see results in our ministry, but we’re still in danger of failing. In fact, ministry may even set us up for greater temptation.
We’ve heard this story so many times: a great leader who starts out well, but ends up destroying everything in a single moment of weakness. This story reminds us of the danger of disqualification and the seriousness of sin.
Even though this story happened thousands of years ago, Satan hasn’t changed his tactics, and sin is just as catastrophic for us today. Perhaps we can learn from this story, and with God’s help, determine not to repeat it.