01.13. Disobedience

DISOBEDIENCE Lesson Text:Hebrews 2:1-18.

Memory Verses:Matthew 7:24-27.

Definition: "Neglect or refusal to obey; violation of a command or a prohibition; the omission of that which is commanded to be done, or the doing of that which is forbidden; breach of duty prescribed by authority. Non-compliance."—Webster.

WAYS OF DISOBEYING

• (1) Rebellion. Refusing to obey God. In an important sense all disobedience is refusing to do what God says, but there is a kind of disobedience that openly rebels at God’s authority and makes no pretense to doing his will. To this class belong the infidels and the irreligious of all classes, as well as some who profess certain forms of religion. In fact, more or less rebellion is in all classes. God said concerning his own people, "But this people hath a revolting and rebellious heart; they are revolting and gone" (Jeremiah 5:23). Concerning his own people God said again, "For it is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of Jehovah; that say to the seers, See not; and to the prophets, Prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophesy deceits" (Isaiah 30:9-10). Such people rule God out of their lives, and will none of him

Example. Rebelliousness of heart was the cause of Israel’s being carried into captivity. This spirit often manifested itself as they journeyed through the wilderness. One example in particular is quite striking. They had reached the lower borders of Canaan. Twelve spies were sent to view out the land. The report of ten of the spies was not very encouraging to the people, and the people rebelled at going on, and spoke against God. The full account of this is given in Numbers, thirteenth and fourteenth chapters, which you should read in this connection. In Deuteronomy 1:20-46, Moses rehearsed these matters before the people. Because they refused to go Moses said, "Yet ye would not go up, but rebelled against the commandment of Jehovah your God." Moses attempted to allay their fears by reminding them of how Jehovah had always cared for them, "Yet," said he, "in this thing ye did not believe Jehovah your God." They were then reminded that they would have to wander in the wilderness till all but the younger people, excepting Caleb and Joshua, would perish. They were so grieved at this that they decided over Jehovah’s protest to make the attempt. Concerning this Moses said to them. "Ye rebelled against the commandment of Jehovah, and were presumptuous." The latter part of the sin illustrates the sin mentioned in the next paragraph.

• (2) Doing What God, Prohibits. Adam and Eve were guilty of doing the very thing God forbade. So far as we know they had fully complied with God’s requirements to dress the garden and keep it. But God had also given them one prohibition. They deliberately did what Jehovah prohibited. "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" was a prohibitory commandment broken by the Hebrews on many occasions.

Example 1. The Prophet Sent to Bethel (1 Kings 13:1-34). A prohibitive command was broken by the prophet who came out of Judah to Bethel to prophesy against Jeroboam’s altar. The prohibition was: "Thou shalt eat no bread, nor drink water, neither return by the way that thou earnest." As this prophet was returning by another route, an old prophet, having heard of him, overtook and brought him back; and by lying to him, succeeded in inducing him to eat. While at the table, the man God had honored by sending him to cry against the altar erected at Bethel, heard these words, "Forasmuch as thou hast been disobedient unto the mouth of Jehovah, and hast not kept the commandment which Jehovah thy God commanded thee, but earnest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place of which he said to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy body shall not come unto the sepulcher of thy father." He paid the penalty for his disobedience with his life.

Example II. Sabbath Breaking. (Numbers 15:33-36). God forbade work on the sabbath. A man was found gathering a supply of wood on the sabbath. He was brought to Moses and Aaron, and the congregation. "And they put him in ward, because it had not been declared what should be done unto him." No penalty had yet been declared concerning such case. However, now at God’s command they stoned him to death. (Let it be remembered that Christians were never commanded to keep the sabbath—it was a commandment of the Jewish dispensation, and given to the Jews only. The Sabbath question will be fully discussed in a subsequent lesson).

• (3)Substituting. Substituting is disobedience. It is especially easy for religious people to disobey God by substituting something for what God has commanded. The idea that something else will do as well seems to be a fatal idea with some otherwise good people. They have not a very high regard for the sanctity and dignity of God’s law. In a desperate case of sickness, if attending them was a skilled physician in whom they had confidence, they would not presume to substitute for the medicine he prescribed something which they thought would do as well, or better.

Cain and Abel each made sacrifices; Cain of the first fruits of the ground (Genesis 4:3) ; Abel, of the firstlings of his flock (Genesis 4:4). The fact that God accepted Abel’s offering and rejected Cain’s shows that Abel brought the sacrifice God commanded. Cain brought a substitute. God rejected the substitute.

Many now substitute sprinkling for immersion. (This will be fully discussed in a lesson to follow in this series).

God commanded the baptism of believers, and some now substitute infant baptism, the baptism of those who cannot believe. (See lesson Infant Baptism to follow in this series).

• (4)Adding to God’s Requirements. Many are not satisfied with the simplicity of God’s requirements. They revel in religious ostentation—they want a religion that is elaborate and showy. The Pharisees added an endless number of things to the law of Moses (Matthew 15:1-9). These added things made their whole worship vain, and by them they made void the word of God. (Read Mark 7:1-9). They added to God’s commandments, though he had charged them, "What thing soever I command you, that shall ye observe to do: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it" (Deuteronomy 12:32). The same in substance is found in the New Testament (Revelation 22:18-19). Presumption is at the bottom of all additions to God’s word; for the one who does it presumes that God did not give us what we needed.

Example. "Teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs" (Colossians 3:16). That God here commands singing, is not questioned; but some add to the command instrumental music. (Instrumental Music in the worship of the church will be discussed fully in a lesson to follow in this series).

• (5)Leaving Off Something God Commands. It suits man’s taste sometimes to leave off some things God commands. One of the striking examples of this in the Old Testament is found in 1 Samuel 15:1-24. God’s command to Saul was plain: "Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman," and cattle. Saul with his army went against the Amalekites, and utterly destroyed them, excepting Agag and the best of the sheep and oxen. He did not come up to the full measure of God’s requirements. It was not a failure growing out of misunderstanding or inability to reach an ideal, but he failed knowingly, failed when he could have obeyed, easily. Before Saul returned, God appeared to Samuel and said to him concerning Saul, "He is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments." But Saul, not knowing God’s pronouncement to Samuel, returned to Gilgal in full confidence of duty well done, and announced to Samuel, "I have performed the commandment of Jehovah." But Samuel said, "What meanest then this bleating of the sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear"? Saul tried to justify himself and insisted, "Yet, I have obeyed the voice of Jehovah." When he saw that argument was useless, he confessed, "I have sinned; for I have transgressed the commandment of Jehovah, and thy word, because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice." It must have been humiliating for brave King Saul to confess that he feared the people. He possessed a sufficiency of physical courage; he did not fear the people would do him physical harm; but they were his people, his beloved army, and he could not go against them—their wishes became the law for him. It was moral cowardice on Saul’s part, and God rejected him. Nothing, perhaps is more needed now on the part of God’s servants than moral courage—courage to serve him when others scoff, courage to preach when enemies persecute, courage to preach the truth when by so doing we lose the favor and support of some who are members of the church, courage not to suppress the truth to gain the favor of the people. Some have not this courage.

OLD TESTAMENT EXAMPLES Are you conversant with Old Testament history? "Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted." (1 Corinthians 10:6). "Now these things happened unto them by way of examples; and they were written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the ages are come" (1 Corinthians 10:11). In this chapter Paul mentions a number of sins committed by the Israelites and how, for their disobedience, they were destroyed, warning us not to be like them, and concludes, "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." These examples can be of no value to us unless we acquaint ourselves with them.

Moses and Aaron. (Numbers 20:2-12). There was no water for the congregation. They complained bitterly of their lot. "And Jehovah spake unto Moses, saying, Take the rod, and assemble the congregation, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and speak ye unto the rock before their eyes, that it give forth its water; and thou shalt bring forth to them water out of the rock; so thou shalt give the congregation and their cattle drink. And Moses took the rod from before Jehovah, as he commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock, and he said unto them, Hear now, ye rebels; shall we bring you forth water out of this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand, and smote the rock with his rod twice; and water came forth abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their cattle" (Numbers 20:7-11). But Jehovah was not pleased with Moses and Aaron. They took too much glory to themselves. Moses said. "Hear now, ye rebels; shall we bring water out of this rock?" He also smote the rock twice. They took credit to themselves and did not do as Jehovah commanded; and Jehovah said, "Because ye believed not in me, to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have given them." Moses certainly believed in the existence of God, for God had just spoken to him, but for the time being his confidence, his trust, was in self more than in God, and God said, "Ye believed not in me." The only reason for any one’s departing from God’s way, knowingly, is lack of confidence in God.

Nadab and Abihu. (Leviticus 10:1-2). They were priests, and it was their duty to offer sacrifices and to burn incense. But on this occasion they went beyond what God said, "and offered strange fire before Jehovah, which he had not commanded them. And there come forth fire from before Jehovah, and devoured them, and they died before Jehovah." It is a dangerous thing to do in religion that which God has not commanded.

Washing Hands May Be Sinful. Jesus shows us that so essential a thing as washing hands, if imposed as a religious ceremony, becomes an act of disobedience (Mark 7:1-37).

MUST BE A THING PROHIBITED

Some think they are at liberty to introduce anything into God’s worship, providing God has not, in so many words, prohibited it. This is evidently a mistake. Such a plan of procedure would open the flood gates for innumerable innovations. On this principle every kind of food and drink might be brought into the Lord’s supper, and the offering of animal sacrifices and burning of incense might be added to the worship. We must remember that law is inclusive and exclusive, including the things commanded and excluding all things else. This principle is too well known to need argument. Besides in religious matters God alone has the right to guide man, and when man undertakes to add forms of service or worship not authorized by God’s law, he assumes prerogatives which belong exclusively to God. He is presuming to take the office of God, and one who has proper reverence for God so regards him.

OLD TESTAMENT TEACHING In the law of Moses (Deuteronomy 28:1-68), God sets before the Hebrews a long list of the awful consequences of disobedience—failure of crops and fruits because of drouths and pests, destruction of the sacredness of the home by moral corruption, sickness and physical ailments of all sorts, poverty and want, destruction, and oppression at home by their enemies, and final carrying away by their enemies into captivity where no rest would be found; "so thou shalt be mad"—crazed—"for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see." These are the consequences of disobedience to God’s law to them, and the after history shows that God will not clear the guilty (Numbers 14:18), he will not be mocked, and that his threats of punishment are carried out faithfully, as are his promises of reward.

NEW TESTAMENT TEACHING In Hebrews 1:1-14 Paul refers to angels through whom the former law was made known, and in the second chapter, raises the question, "For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; how shall we escape, if we neglect so great a salvation? which having at the first been spoken through the Lord, was confirmed unto us by them that heard." Thus it appears that the chance of escaping punishment for disobedience now is less than it was then. "A man that hath set at naught Moses’ law died without compassion on the word of two or three witnesses; of how much sorer punishment think ye shall be judged worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant wherewith he was sanctified an unholy thing, and hath done despite to the spirit of grace? For we know him that said, Vengeance belongeth to me, I will recompense. And again, The Lord shall judge his people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10:28-31). It is still true under the gospel dispensation that vengeance belongs to God, and it is still "a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." The disobedient died without mercy then: the disobedient in this dispensation will receive a "sorer" punishment.

DISPENSATION OF GRACE

Some think that because we live under the dispensation of grace, we will not be held to as strict account as were the Israelites. Know, my brother, that grace to forgive the penitent, and to help him do right, is not license permitting him to trample under foot the Son of God and to count his covenant an unholy thing. They despised Moses’ law when they disobeyed it as if it was not a worthy rule of conduct, and we trample under foot the Son, of God when we refuse his rule in our hearts. Paul says, "To you that are afflicted, rest with us, at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with the angels of his power in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to them that know not God, and to them that obey not the gospel of the Lord Jesus" (2 Thessalonians 1:7-8). Again, "But unto them that are factious, and obey not the truth, but obey unrighteousness, shall be wrath and indignation, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that worketh evil" (Romans 8:9). Jesus says: "Every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon, the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof" (Matthew 7:26-27).

SOME SOURCES OF DISOBEDIENCE

Infidelity. Of course, if Satan can plant the seed of infidelity in one’s heart, he has gained him. "He that cometh to God must believe that he is" (Hebrews 11:6).

Doctrine of Unconditional Salvation. Those who hold this theory teach that man cannot obey God till he is regenerated by a direct operation of the Holy Spirit. Those who believe this theory, of course, will make no effort to obey God till some such time, as they think God has regenerated them. Though God says, "Now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation" (2 Corinthians 6:2), they will not heed, and by their actions, they tell him, "No, my time has not come yet." They disobey because they think they cannot obey, and because they do not believe God rewards diligent obedience (Hebrews 11:6).

Just So You Are Honest. How many people do you find who will say, "It makes no difference what you believe, just so you are honest." Of course, such people think it makes no difference whether one believes right or wrong, and they will, of course, make no effort to know the truth that they may obey it—thereby obeying the Lord. By this deception Satan has lulled many disobedient souls to sleep with a feeling of security. People will not adopt such a foolish theory in anything but religion. (Galatians 1:13; Galatians 1:23; Acts 26:9-11; Acts 23:1).

Indifference. The indifference of otherwise good people is alarming. Many people seem not to care whether God exists or whether there is a Bible. God and the Bible have no place in their lives. When they chance to hear preaching it makes no impression on them, they do not regard it as intended for them, and Satan easily takes the word out of their hearts (Luke 8:12).

Moral Cowards. Some will halt, wondering what the people will say. They cannot stand criticism or unfavorable opinion. "What will the people think" is more important with them than "What has God said?" These are the "stony ground hearers" (Luke 8:13). Even preachers sometimes fail to teach some much needed lessons, or declare themselves clearly on some point, fearing it might interfere with their popularity. Brethren at times contribute to such cowardice by making it hard on the preacher who on all occasions dares to preach the truth. They do not realize it, but all such brethren prefer a cringing coward to a man who has the courage to preach his convictions. God give us men of courage, and a spirit of crying for the truth.

Worldliness. In the parable of the Sower, Jesus describes it as the cares, riches and pleasures of this life; such chokes out the word. The world has always had its cares—some become overwhelmed with them. They know not that in Jesus they may find rest. That which should impel them to come to Jesus for relief weighs so heavily that their whole thought is given to carrying the load. The greed for riches and craze for pleasure perpetuates the disobedience of countless thousands. Some care for money only as it enables them to have fun and entertainment; others care not for fun and entertainment so greedy are they for money. All these things contribute mightily towards making us a disobedient race.

TOPICS FOR INVESTIGATION AND DISCUSSION Moral and Physical Courage, and Moral and Physical Cowardice.

Causes of the Downfall of the Kingdoms of Israel and Judah.

Wherein Christians May Disobey, and the Results. The Spirit of Disobedience.

QUESTIONS

Tell of the prophet sent to Bethel, and his disobedience— the manner and cause of his disobedience.