Daily Bible Study

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Day 23 – Obedience and Rebellion 2 Chronicles 24 When are you obedient and when do you rebel? Why do you rebel? What causes you to remain obedient? Inside everyone is a divided nature to obey and rebel depending on likes and dislikes. Most of you would not go out and do anything harmful to your neighbor, co-workers, or strangers, yet we read or watch the news every day and hear about people who do just that, bringing harm to those around them. Why? Most often their beliefs differ from the person they harm. Joash was seven years old when he began his reign in Judah and he was obedient to the Law of Moses and the Lord all the days of Jehoida the chief priest. While Jehoiada lived, he took care to repair the temple of the Lord, and kept the peace. However, as soon as Jehoiada died, Joash rebelled against God, killing His prophet and becoming a person unseen during the days of Jehoiada, even killing Jehoiada’s son. God sent Syria against Joash because of his rebellion and killed the princes of the people, and took the spoil to Damascus. Joash became ill at that time and his servants conspired and killed him for killing Jehoiada’s son. Actions lead to other actions often snowballing when nations bring evil to those around them. Wars escalate, when its leaders conspire against other nations. Peace is thought about but unseen. How do you turn the tide of rebellion and war? Jesus told us to turn the other cheek. Solomon said that when you don’t add fuel to the fire, the fire dies out. How do you walk away from a fight? When is it profitable to stand your ground and fight for what you believe in? Consider the life of Jesus. We don’t think of Him as a rebel because He’s God. He taught the people the ways of God and what God required of them. Yet, if you look at what He did in light of what the Pharisees and scribes taught the people, He was a rebel. He rebelled against the code they had written into the law that took away from the Law of God. Matthew 7:28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: 29 For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. (KJV) Jesus had just concluded the Sermon on the Mount when we read the above verses. We know Jesus taught the people how much God loved them and what He required of them from the Law of Moses, something the people were unfamiliar with because the scribes had changed the law to suit them. Matthew 23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. 14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation. 15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves. 16 Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor! (KJV) It was because Jesus taught the people the Word of God that they conspired against Him to kill Him. There are times when it is good to rebel and there are times when it brings harm. Joash brought harm to the people with his rebellion against God. As Christians we need to consider the teachings of Jesus, and be obedient to the Word of God, just as He taught the people and God will fight for us, and not against us as He did to Joash when he killed Jehoiada’s son. Let’s pray: Father, help me remain faithful to You and not rebel against Your Word. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen. Copyright © 4 January 2016 by Valerie Jean Routhieaux All scripture is King James Version, edited by me into common English. Image courtesy of Pixabay