1 Kings 13:1-8

1 Now behold, there came a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of the Lord, while Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense............................................. ........................................................................... ....................................................................................... .............................................................................................. 8 But the man of God said to the king, “If you were to give me half your house I would not go with > you, nor would I eat bread or drink water in this place. 9 For so [h]it was commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘You shall eat no bread, nor drink water, nor return by the way which you came.’” 10 So he went another way and did not return by the way which he came to Bethel.

1 Kings 13:11-19

11 Now an old prophet was living in Bethel; and his [i]sons came and told him all the deeds which the man of God had > done that day in Bethel; the words which he had spoken to the king, these also they related to their father........ .................................................................................................................................................................................. ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 14 So he went after the man of God and found him sitting under [l]an oak; and he said to him, “Are you the man of God > who came from Judah?” And he said, “I am.” 15 Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.” 16 He said, > “I cannot return with you, nor go with you, nor will I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. 17 For a command > came to me by the word of the Lord, ‘You shall eat no bread, nor drink water there; do not return by going the way which you came.’” 18 He said to him, “I also am a prophet like you, 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.’” But he lied to him. 19 So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house and drank water........................................................................................................................ ........................................................................................................... 21 and he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have [m]disobeyed >>the [n]command of the Lord, and have not observed the commandment which the Lord your God commanded you, 22 but have returned and eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which He said to you, “Eat no bread and drink no water”; your body shall not come to the grave of your fathers.’” ............................................................................................................................................................ 23 It came about after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, for the prophet > whom he had brought back. 24 Now when he had gone, a lion met him on the way and killed him, and his body was thrown on the road, with the donkey standing beside it; the lion also was standing beside the body. 25 And behold, men > passed by and saw the body thrown on the road, and the lion standing beside the body; so they came and told it in the > > city where the old prophet lived.

The complexities associated with the story of the Unnamed prophet from Judah is quite immense. Based on this GotQuestions.org Christian webpage resource ( https://www.gotquestions.org/man-of-God-lying-prophet.html ), we can come to the conclusion that:

-Unbeliever/person who strays away from God ( i.e. King Jeroboam of Israel )

-Believer/Prophet ( i.e Unnamed Prophet from Judah and also the old prophet who lived in Bethel )

are all susceptible to sinning, and in turn facing judgement and disciplining for aforementioned sinning.

The bible clearly states:

2 Corinthians 4:7

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from > ourselves;

Many other messengers/prophets of God like King David, Judges Samson, etc., were flawed men( i.e, earthen vessels ) but at the same time anointed by God for some purpose.

Lets make note of the fact that the Unnamed Prophet from Judah emphasized God's command to him two times:

-First in

( 1 Kings 13:8-9 )

........... nor would I eat bread or drink water in this place. 9 For so it was commanded me by the word of the Lord, > saying, ‘You shall eat no bread, nor drink water, nor return by the way which you came.’”

-Second in

( 1 Kings 13:16-17 )

16 He said, “I cannot return with you, nor go with you, nor will I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. 17 For a command came to me by the word of the Lord, ‘You shall eat no bread, nor drink water there; do not return by going the way which you came.’”

Would it be a reasonable to view the God's aforementioned command to be symbolic of telling the Unnamed Prophet from Judah that he should Not go back to his personal sinful past?

Let me elaborate, other messengers/prophets of God like King David, Judges Samson, etc., were flawed men( i.e, earthen vessels  ) who obviously had a sinful past.

However, after God used said flawed men to deliver/warn the Israelites then would it Not be reasonable for God to have warned messengers/prophets of God like King David, Judges Samson, etc., that they themselves should Not go back to their personal sinful past that they indulged in during their early days in life?

Thus, when God commanded the Unnamed Prophet from Judah to

-Not "eat no bread, Nor drink water, nor return by the way which you came"

  then could it be symbolic/metaphorical/figurative way of God commanding the Unnamed Prophet from Judah Not to return to indulging in the sins of his early life?

1 Kings 13:1-8

¹ Now behold, there came a man of God from Judah to Bethel by the word of the Lord, while Jeroboam was standing by the altar to burn incense  ... ⁸ But the man of God said to the king, “If you were to give me half your house I would not go with you, nor would I eat bread or drink water in this place. ⁹ For so it was commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘You shall eat no bread, nor drink water, nor return by the way which you came.’” ¹⁰ So he went another way and did not return by the way which he came to Bethel.

1 Kings 13:11-19

¹¹ Now an old prophet was living in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the deeds which the man of God had done that day in Bethel; the words which he had spoken to the king, these also they related to their father  ... ¹⁴ So he went after the man of God and found him sitting under an oak; and he said to him, “Are you the man of God who came from Judah?” And he said, “I am.” ¹⁵ Then he said to him, “Come home with me and eat bread.” ¹⁶ He said, “I cannot return with you, nor go with you, nor will I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. ¹⁷ For a command came to me by the word of the Lord, ‘You shall eat no bread, nor drink water there; do not return by going the way which you came.’” ¹⁸ He said to him, “I also am a prophet like you, 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.’” But he lied to him. ¹⁹ So he went back with him, and ate bread in his house and drank water  ... ²¹ and he cried to the man of God who came from Judah, saying, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have disobeyed >>the command of the Lord, and have not observed the commandment which the Lord your God commanded you, ²² but have returned and eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which He said to you, “Eat no bread and drink no water”; your body shall not come to the grave of your fathers.’” ²³ It came about after he had eaten bread and after he had drunk, that he saddled the donkey for him, for the prophet whom he had brought back. ²⁴ Now when he had gone, a lion met him on the way and killed him, and his body was thrown on the road, with the donkey standing beside it; the lion also was standing beside the body. ²⁵ And behold, men passed by and saw the body thrown on the road, and the lion standing beside the body; so they came and told it in the city where the old prophet lived.

The complexities associated with the story of the Unnamed prophet from Judah is quite immense. Based on the GotQuestions.org Christian webpage resource "What can we learn from the man of God and the lying prophet?", we can come to the conclusion that:

• Unbeliever/person who strays away from God (i.e. King Jeroboam of Israel)
• Believer/Prophet (i.e Unnamed Prophet from Judah and also the old prophet who lived in Bethel)

are all susceptible to sinning, and in turn facing judgment and disciplining for aforementioned sinning.

The Bible clearly states:

2 Corinthians 4:7

But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;

Many other messengers/prophets of God like King David, Judges Samson, etc., were flawed men(i.e., earthen vessels ) but at the same time anointed by God for some purpose.

Let's make note of the fact that the Unnamed Prophet from Judah emphasized God's command to him two times:

First in 1 Kings 13:8-9

⁸ ... nor would I eat bread or drink water in this place. ⁹ For so it was commanded me by the word of the Lord, saying, ‘You shall eat no bread, nor drink water, nor return by the way which you came.’”

Second in 1 Kings 13:16-17

¹⁶ He said, “I cannot return with you, nor go with you, nor will I eat bread or drink water with you in this place. ¹⁷ For a command came to me by the word of the Lord, ‘You shall eat no bread, nor drink water there; do not return by going the way which you came.’”

Would it be a reason to view God's aforementioned command to be symbolic of telling the Unnamed Prophet from Judah that he should not go back to his personal sinful past?

Let me elaborate, other messengers/prophets of God like King David, Judges Samson, etc., were flawed men  (i.e., earthen vessels) who obviously had a sinful past.

However, after God used said flawed men to deliver/warn the Israelites then would it not be reasonable for God to have warned messengers/prophets of God like King David, Judges Samson, etc., that they themselves should not go back to their personal sinful past that they indulged in during their early days in life?

Thus, when God commanded the Unnamed Prophet from Judah to not "eat no bread, Nor drink water, nor return by the way which you came" then could it be a symbolic/metaphorical/figurative way of God commanding the Unnamed Prophet from Judah not to return to indulge in the sins of his early life?