Topical Bible: Disobedience to God: Warnings Against

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Disobedience to God is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, where it is consistently portrayed as a serious offense with significant consequences. The Scriptures provide numerous warnings against disobedience, emphasizing the importance of adhering to God's commandments and the repercussions of failing to do so.

Old Testament Warnings

In the Old Testament, disobedience is often linked to the covenant relationship between God and His people. The Israelites were repeatedly warned to obey God's laws to maintain His favor and avoid His wrath. In Deuteronomy 28:15, the Lord warns, "But if you do not obey the LORD your God by carefully following all His commandments and statutes I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you." This passage outlines the blessings of obedience and the curses of disobedience, serving as a stark reminder of the consequences of turning away from God's commands.

The account of King Saul in 1 Samuel 15 illustrates the seriousness of disobedience. Saul's failure to completely destroy the Amalekites as commanded by God led to his rejection as king. Samuel rebukes Saul, saying, "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams" (1 Samuel 15:22). This highlights that God values obedience over ritualistic offerings.

Prophetic Warnings

The prophets frequently warned Israel and Judah about the dangers of disobedience. Jeremiah 7:23-24 records God's plea: "But this is what I commanded them: 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you.' Yet they did not listen or incline their ear, but they followed the stubborn inclinations of their own evil hearts." The prophets consistently called the people to repentance, urging them to return to God's ways to avoid impending judgment.

New Testament Warnings

In the New Testament, the theme of obedience continues, with Jesus and the apostles emphasizing the importance of following God's commands. Jesus Himself states in John 14:15, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." This underscores the connection between love for Christ and obedience to His teachings.

The apostle Paul warns against disobedience in Romans 1:18-21, where he describes the wrath of God against those who suppress the truth through unrighteousness. He writes, "For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened." Disobedience is portrayed as a willful rejection of God's truth, leading to spiritual darkness.

Consequences of Disobedience

The Bible is clear that disobedience leads to separation from God and His blessings. In Hebrews 3:18-19, the author reflects on the Israelites' disobedience in the wilderness, stating, "And to whom did He swear that they would never enter His rest? Was it not to those who disobeyed? So we see that it was because of their unbelief that they were unable to enter." Disobedience is equated with unbelief, resulting in the loss of God's promised rest.

Call to Obedience

Throughout Scripture, the call to obedience is a call to life and blessing. In James 1:22, believers are exhorted, "Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." Obedience is not merely an external act but a reflection of a heart aligned with God's will. The Bible consistently warns against the dangers of disobedience, urging believers to live in faithful adherence to God's commands.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Samuel 12:15
But if you will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Jeremiah 12:17
But if they will not obey, I will utterly pluck up and destroy that nation, said the LORD.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

A Dialogue with God
... that here and hereafter, 'Every transgression and disobedience shall receive ... of life
that men oppose themselves to God's merciful warnings that all ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture a/a dialogue with god 2.htm

The Blessing of God on Filial Piety.
... The prophet then proceeded to remind them of the warnings which had ... injunctions,
he might have no power to punish their disobedience; but the God of Israel ...
/.../lee/sermons on various important subjects/sermon xxiii the blessing of.htm

God's Barriers against Man's Sin
... said, we could scarcely find such a disobedience as that ... think it a little thing
to sin against God's ambassador ... every time we sin against the warnings we have ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 4 1858/gods barriers against mans sin.htm

A Treatise against the Heretic Novatian by an Anonymous Bishop.
... ye admit no light from spiritual and saving warnings; as Isaiah says ... for because
of these things the wrath of God cometh upon the children of disobedience. ...
/.../a treatise against the heretic.htm

Characters Will be Disclosed, and Justice Awarded.
... fear, is preferable, in divine estimation, to allowed disobedience. ... to destruction"
listen to counsels and warnings"do things which God requires, and ...
/.../lee/sermons on various important subjects/sermon xvi characters will be.htm

The Epistle of Judas
... Remember the terrible warnings against such a sinful course in ... past history of the
People of God (5-7). ... notorious instance of punishment for disobedience; 6 it ...
/.../moffat/the general epistles james peter and judas/the epistle of judas.htm

To Charles ii.
... as the devil rules in the children of disobedience; I was ... how hateful the oppressor
is both to God and man: If after all these warnings and advertisements ...
/.../to charles ii.htm

"Destroyed for Lack of Knowledge"
... Plain and decided were the warnings that had been given ... tribes of Israel was one
of similar disobedience and of ... God's law was counted as a thing of nought, and ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 24 destroyed for lack.htm

The Pastoral Epistles
... definite Gnostic heresy with a fundamentally false view of God. ... Warnings against
disobedience towards masters, vain disputations, covetousness, and a wrong use ...
/.../pullan/the books of the new testament/chapter xvii the pastoral epistles.htm

God Willing that all Men Should be Saved.
... of the threatening in case of disobedience, and expressed ... God doth not soon enter
into judgment with ... suffering; repeats his calls and warnings; urges sinners ...
/.../lee/sermons on various important subjects/sermon xvii god willing that.htm