Disobedience

Dictionary definition of disobedience is “lack of obedience, neglect or refusal to obey”.

The ‘Book of all Books’ (The Bible) introduced us to the beginning of the creation in the Garden of Eden. After God had completed the planting and decoration of the garden, (Gen. 2:8-9,15) He handed it over to the man, Adam, “to dress and keep it” with one command and a penalty if he disobeyed it: “Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shall surely die” (Gen. 2:16-17). We all know very well what went on between the man, the woman and the serpent; how the serpent deceived them and encouraged them to disobey their Creator (Gen.2 & 3).

Our Maker pronounced all the creation as “Very good” (Gen. 1:31). All was ruined by our first parents, who refused to keep the command He gave them. The conditions the human race find themselves in, are as the result of disobedience. What a joyful place this earth would have been if man had kept the commandment his Creator gave him (Gen. 1:28-29; 2:8,9).

The generation of Noah was destroyed by flood as a result of wickedness and evil (Gen. 6,7,8).

Naaman would have been cured instantly had he obeyed the words of prophet Elisha, though he later did after persuasions from his servants (2 Kings 5: 1-14).

The kingship was taken away from Saul because, firstly, he hurriedly offered a burnt offering meant for Samuel to offer on behalf of the nation thereby disobeying God’s commandment which later brought him death (1 Sam. 10:8; 13: 8-14, I Chron. 10:13). He also refused to destroy the Amalekites utterly as God instructed him through Samuel (I Samuel 15).

Achan perished with all his family and everything he had as a result of his disobedience in coveting the accursed thing (Joshua 7).

The Isrealites wandered in the wilderness for forty years as a result of their refusal to keep the commandments of God through Moses. This could have been a journey of four days from Egypt to the promised Land. (Caanan).

Pharaoh and his army all perished in the Red sea for his refusal to honour God’s call and allow the Israelites to go (Exodus 14).

God commanded the Israelites saying, “Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them (idols of the nations) nor serve them, for I the Lord thy God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children…of them that hate me” Ex. 20:5-6. “And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments” Ex. 20:6. These scriptures speak of both the curses and blessings depending on disobedience and obedience respectively.

This truth followed Israel wherever they went or whatever they did, either in their fatherland or in the Land of their captivity. They were facing these curses (troubles) not because of what they did in the present time but also for the disobedience of their fathers centuries ago.

Are we today to follow the daily desires of the flesh and perish as did the fathers or are we to listen to the words of advice as we read them in this everyday life “encyclopeadia” and amend our lives and live to His glory ?

Disobedience brought about disagreements in the family, children refusing to listen to their parents (2 Tim. 3:2; Rom. 1:30); even today telling their parents and seniors that they must tolerate their views for they are best. The evils and sufferings in the present dispensation are the result of disobedience. The works of the flesh as we know are a result of disobedient (Gal. 5:19-21). But we thank our Father that without looking on our sinfulness and disobedience to His words, “He commended His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:8).

Fellow brethren and sisters, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments; for this is the whole duty of man.”

(Eccl. 12:13).

Bro James Ogbah (Aba, Nigeria)