You don’t seem to understand how God is sovereign and how He can operate. Nothing in life happens by accident. Although, the Jews misused God’s instructions involving the serpent on the pole later on, that situation was written for future generations of believers and their instruction not to go down a similar pathway. Remember. All Scripture is profitable for doctrine and instruction in righteousness so that the man of God may be perfect unto all good works (Including the story involving the serpent on the pole that was later turned into an idol wrongfully).
In the book of Genesis: What Joseph’s brothers intended for evil against Joseph, God intended it for a great good in the end. Joseph’s brothers ended up reconciling with their brother in the end. So God is one step ahead of us always. What looks like a bad situation, God is able to turn it around for good. For all things work together for good to those who love God.
I am aware of the story. But you missed a major lesson from it. The man of God died because He disobeyed God’s words. He chose to believe words that were not from God over what God said. So he did not fully trust God’s words. This is why the man of God died. It was because he did not fully trust God’s words. It’s not that God’s words are not powerful and effective. They most certainly are. As I said before, God’s words can either have a positive or negative affect upon an individual. God’s words became a stumbling stone to him, and he died because He did not trust God’s words. Jesus says if we do not receive His words, those words will judge us on the last day (John 12:48).
But the point is this: The story is written for OUR LEARNING and instruction. Where the man of God failed, it was written because all Scripture is given by inspiration of God is profitable for doctrine and instruction in righteousness so that the man of God may be perfect unto all good works (See: 2 Timothy 3:16-17). So this real life story recorded in Scripture was not for nothing. It no doubt helped tons of believers to stay the course in trusting God’s words even when they don’t make rational sense. You want to make rational carnal sense out of how God’s words because you think His words are spiritual only when God intervenes to make that happen but the Bible does not explain this kind of thing at all. God’s Word simply says His words are spiritual, and they are life, and they are like a hammer, and they are like fire. You simply don’t believe what God’s word says like the man of God who did not believe God’s words in 1 Kings 13. You are trying to rationalize things with carnal thinking rather than just believing what God said. Sorry. That’s just how I see it, brother.
Yes. That’s because God’s Word does not return void.
How many people on the planet do you think exists? How many of them own a Bible or memorized many parts of Scripture? To assume that there are moments that a person is not studying the Bible or meditating on God’s words is pretty silly. The Bible is one of the top sellers. So you think the Bible remains closed and unread on our planet. While people sleep on one side of the planet, others are awake on the other side of the globe. Men gain comfort and hope from the Bible. Maybe they don’t all get it, right. This is true, but the Word of God is working in their life in some way. For example: A person can be saved hearing a prosperity preacher inviting them to accept Jesus as their Savior. So while the preacher may not be saved, the words that the preacher is using can work life in that person. So again, God’s words do not return void.
We are not the only believers on the planet. The body of Christ is made up many believers that span the globe. They most undoubtedly are living out the words of God or meditating upon the Word.
Oh, and by the way. Christ was in the heart of the Earth as the second person of the Trinity. Christ can still give life even without His physical body. For he that has the Son has life, and he that does not have the Son does not have life. Christ lives in believers because Christ is the source of a persons’ everlasting life. Without Christ in you (the hope of glory), there is no life. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus was not stopped and dead and gone by death. The body was just a shell. The words in our Bible is not like a dead shell (like the dead body of Christ) until Christ makes them alive for a person. That’s nonsense. The Bible does not teach such a thing at all. That’s your own personal teaching that runs contrary to what the Bible says, my friend. I can only encourage you to again believe what the Bible says on this matter. Jesus says his words are spirit and they are life. Peter says that Jesus had the words of everlasting life. There are no conditions placed upon God’s words as you say.