1Cor 11:1 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. KJV
The young prophet in 1Kings 13:11-25 received specific instructions from the Lord not to eat and drink in Bethel.Also, God gave him a message to deliver concerning the king that would be born and against the idolatrous altar.This man came from Judah; I perceive the description used for him indicated that he was young in the prophetic ministry but it was evident that God's hands was upon him. In the same town God sent him to, there was another prophet that was called "old prophet". I perceive that he was older than the prophet that came from Judah. The first thing I discovered was that God bypassed him(old prophet) and gave another prophet from a different city a message concerning the idolatrous worship in his domain. I suspect something was out of place. The case is similar to the case of Samuel and Eli. Young Samuel was in tune with God. The instruction that Eli should have received, God gave it to Samuel.
However, what made the story of the young and old prophet different was that the young prophet jettisoned the instruction of the Lord for the deception of the old prophet. He respected his age and years of ministerial experience but he failed to recognize that this old prophet was no longer in tune with God. I came to that conclusion for two reasons. First, he didn't rebuke the idolatrous worship under Jeroboam. If he did, probably God may not bypass him to send the young prophet to prophesy against the altar in Bethel. Second, he was a liar. How did I know? In 1Kings13:18, "He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, Bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. BUT HE LIED unto him.". The young prophet ate and drank in deviance to God's instruction and he was devoured by a lion thereafter.
It is not bad to have spiritual fathers and counselors but we must be discerning not to align with men like the old prophet. There are men that may want you to surrender the instructions God gave you to their scrutiny. No man has the right to change or twist the instructions you received from the Lord, true fathers will only guide you on how to go about it so that you don't miss out on details. It is not everyone who parades himself as a father that is in touch with heaven. We may respect men for their age and kingdom exploits, but we should not follow men that are no longer walking with God. Old prophets may have name and reputation with men but that is enough to satisfy the demands of heaven. Beware of those trying to talk down the vision God gave you, beware of those that see nothingness in the instruction you received from the Lord, beware of those that want to impose themselves on you for manipulative purposes. Beware of men like the old prophet.
Father, may I not fall victim of men like the old prophet in Jesus name.