Exploring disobedience in the Bible and its consequences for the modern-day Christian
God, where do I get the time, resources, and energy? These were my questions to God when He kept tugging on my heart to start the very blog that you’re reading.
I was in residency at the time and those 80-hour work weeks along with studying to become proficient in my specialty were no joke. So I procrastinated and felt justified in doing so.
When God would lay it on my heart to start researching how to start a blog and to write, I found myself doing other things…taking a nap, watching TV, shopping…anything but that.
However, I don’t want you to make the same mistake that I did. My actions of procrastination and ignoring what God wanted from me were acts of disobedience. Instead of asking God how he wanted me to go about it, I ran. And when He “caught up to me,” I developed spiritual amnesia.
I often look at my analytics and see this very blog fulfilling its purpose of encouraging and inspiring people all over the world and pointing them to Jesus. My heart is full when I get emails.
I don’t want to think about what I would’ve missed out on had I continued down the path of disobedience. When I make it to heaven, I don’t want to stand before God and have to explain why I chose not to do what He said. I don’t want to see all the people I was supposed to help and didn’t. I don’t want to see generations paying the consequences of my disobedience.
I’m sure you don’t either. So, what has God been tugging on your heart about?
I want to tell you that disobedience does have consequences and the cost is one that none of us can afford. God is patient with us. But the quicker we give Him our yes, the quicker we can defeat the enemy, discard his distractions, and learn to walk in our purpose.
So in this article, we’re going to allow the characters of the Bible to teach us about disobedience and its consequences. It’s a message that echoes through time and one you don’t want to miss.
What is spiritual disobedience to God?
Merriam-Webster defines disobedience as the refusal or neglect to obey. Spiritual disobedience, simply put, is when we refuse or neglect to obey God’s commands. It’s oftentimes the result of a lack of spiritual self-discipline and biblical patience, valuable gifts from the Holy Spirit.
Why are we disobedient to God
A righteous and holy God and a loving and eternal parent has provided us with rules and a standard for living. These rules and standards are not in place for His benefit. It’s for ours.
The enemy’s goal is to deceive the masses about the opposite. He works behind the scenes, convincing people that God has too many rules and people should be able to do what they want.
There is some truth in that. People can do what they want as God gives them free will. But, is it what’s best for them?
When sin entered the Earth and the hearts of humans in the Garden of Eden, it birthed the fallen world that we currently live in today. Without God, this world would quickly descend into darkness and chaos and its inhabitants left to the will of Satan.
It’s only by God’s grace and mercy that we do not see the full effects of sin. So, to completely answer the question of why we are disobedient to God, it’s because of sin.
Sin tugs at the heart wanting us to give in to it. It makes itself desirable. However, like a bad contract with really fine print, what isn’t obvious is its high cost.
So while we have the choice of doing the opposite of what God says, it’s important to realize that there will be adverse effects.
God can see the past, present, and future all at the same time. We cannot. It all boils down to trusting God and His timing as He is the loving Father who has our best interests at heart. But, too often we fall into the trap of thinking that we know best and land into the hands of the enemy who would love to see our downfall.
He wants to use your disobedience to sabotage your gifts, your calling and if you allow it, your bloodline. Just take a look at the examples of disobedience from the Bible below.
Examples of disobedience in the Bible
The Bible is filled with God’s instructions, promises, and love letters to us. In studying the stories and lives of those who came before us, we can use wisdom to avoid falling into the same traps of the enemy that they did.
Because let’s be honest, as Solomon said, there is nothing new under the sun. It’s the same script, just a different cast.
The Israelites and their disobedience to God.
The good deeds of Joseph were forgotten and the Israelites found themselves in slavery in Egypt. They cried to God in their suffering. God heard them and sent Moses.
They watched God strike Egypt with multiple plagues. In their deliverance, God parted the Red Sea, allowing them safe passage out of bondage while simultaneously destroying their enemies. And when they had made it across, He personally led them in the wilderness, fire by night and cloud by day.
Then they came upon one of their first tests from God. They had no food or water so they complained to Moses about being brought into the wilderness to die when they had plenty of food in Egypt.
This was a test in and of itself. If God had done all of the above, what would make them think that He would not continue to provide for them? But this was just the beginning.
God answered by providing manna and quail with the following instructions. They were to go out and gather food just enough for the day, but on the sixth day, they would gather twice as much so that they could honor the sabbath on the seventh day.
They disobeyed God and were left with maggots and a foul smell that went throughout the camp. In addition, on the seventh day, some of them still went out to find bread although God had asked them not to.
If we fast forward a little later in the story to Numbers 13, we see the Israelites scouting out the land of Canaan, a fertile land that God was going to give them. 10 of the 12 spies chose to infect the community with ungodly fear, reporting that the people and the walls of the cities were too strong for them.
Thus, the people grumbled against Moses (and God). It was at that point that they wanted to choose a new leader and go back to Egypt. God showed up when things got too heated as the people threatened to stone Moses and Aaron.
Because of their actions, God decided to wipe them from the whole Earth, but Moses pleaded on their behalf. So God relented and stated that none of them, except Joshua and Caleb who believed, would enter the Promised Land. The others would roam the desert for forty years and die there.
When they realized their mistake, they then found the courage to take the land. But, Moses again warned that they’re plan would not work as the Lord was not with them. They went anyway and were defeated by the Amalekites and Canaanites.
In the above summary, we see several acts of disobedience. It may seem easy to judge them. They saw firsthand all the miraculous things that God had done and still complained and disobeyed. But, are we so different?
God has also made ways for us out of nowhere. He’s shielded and protected us from things seen and unseen. Yet, when the next adversity comes, we see it and not Him. This leads to discouragement and complaining to God about our circumstances.
Learn from the Israelites. I know I would rather take obedience and the eight-day package as opposed to disobedience and the 40-year subscription. How about you?
King Saul and his disobedience in the Bible
You may have seen Saul’s name come up in some of my other articles on the spirit of pride, the sin of jealousy, and the importance of godly stewardship. I’m not picking on the guy. I just think that we have a lot to learn from his mistakes. Here’s why.
The people made the mistake of crying out for a king, not realizing that the Lord was their king. God chose Saul to be the first king of Israel. However, as his journey continued, Saul grew ambitious and disobedient to the word of God.
If we go to 1 Samuel 13, we see the Israelites at war with the Philistines. The sight of the large Philistine army instilled fear into the Israelites. In the latter verses, we see Saul’s disobedience to God on full display.
He waited seven days, the time set by Samuel; but Samuel did not come to Gilgal, and Saul’s men began to scatter. So he said, “Bring me the burnt offering and the fellowship offerings.” And Saul offered up the burnt offering. Just as he finished making the offering, Samuel arrived, and Saul went out to greet him.
1 Samuel 13:8-10
Instead of waiting, Saul took matters into his own hands, choosing to perform a duty that God had only specified for His priests. The consequences of his actions are in the next few verses.
“You have done a foolish thing,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.”
1 Samuel 13:13-14
King David and his disobedience in the Bible
The man after God’s heart that Samuel was talking about is none other than King David. However, though esteemed by God, he too would fall to temptation, leading to sin and disobedience to God’s word. The difference in his story is his response to God’s correction.
The problem started in 1 Samuel 11:1. David was supposed to be off to war, but instead he sent Joab and his army while he remained in Jerusalem. Complacency had entered David’s arena and this allowed temptation to as well.
While walking on his roof, he saw Bathsheba bathing. He sent for her and they slept together.
Bathsheba was married to Uriah, an elite soldier in David’s army, which David was aware of as he was told when he sent messengers to find out who she was. He had a few chances to turn away, but he ignored the caution lights and it cost him.
When Bathsheba sent word that she had become pregnant, David fell deeper into sin and disobedience as he tried to cover up what he had done. At first, he sent for Uriah, wanting him to go home and sleep with his wife. However, Uriah showed more honor than David.
He stated that he couldn’t go home when the other men were still fighting and the ark and Israel and Judah were in tents. So David sent word to Joab to put Uriah on the frontline where he knew he would be killed. After the time of mourning, David married Bathsheba and had a son.
David would later meet the consequence of his actions when God sent Nathan with His response.
Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’
“This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’”
2 Samuel 12:10-12
And David’s house would indeed be in chaos with the rape of his daughter Tamar by her half-brother Amnon. Tamar’s full brother, Absalom, would kill Amnon for revenge. This anger and rebellion would continue as Absalom would seek to dethrone David, sending him on the run.
This led to further bloodshed with Absalom’s death and another son of David dead.
Truths to remember about disobedience in the Bible.
I cannot talk about the consequences of disobedience without giving you some critical truths to remember as you walk your journey with God. Here are a few key things to be aware of.
The enemy is terrified of your obedience to God
Being obedient to the Lord will open doors and allow you to do great things in God’s name. This makes you a threat to the kingdom of Hell.
Satan doesn’t care about you reading your Bible as long as you don’t apply what you read. He doesn’t care about you listening to sermons, as long as you forget what you heard the next day. He doesn’t care how loudly you sing in worship as long as you return to your old ways when you’re done.
Obedience is your spiritual key to growing closer to God and being victorious in spiritual warfare.
There are no “small” acts of disobedience
Nothing is insignificant to God. He cares about every detail of your life, from the tiniest strand of hair on your head to the deepest purpose He’s placed in your heart.
With that being said, if He asks you to do something, it’s for good reason. It may seem that you are hitting some valleys along the way, but He expected and welcomed them for you.
This is because He will use them to strengthen you for the journey ahead. Who knows what ripple effect my disobedience could have if I didn’t do what He asked and start this blog. Who knows what ripple effect your disobedience could have if you keep ignoring His calling to you.
It’s not enough to partially obey God.
Incomplete obedience to God doesn’t cut it either. Saul made this mistake in the Bible. One of his acts of disobedience that wasn’t discussed above was when God told him to destroy the Amalekites in 1 Samuel 15.
Saul disobeyed God when he imprisoned King Agag, the Amalekite king whom he was supposed to kill. He also kept valuables and the best of the animals, which he was supposed to destroy.
‘I regret that I made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me, and has not carried out my commands.’ Samuel was angry; and he cried out to the Lord all night.
1 Samuel 15:11
Saul’s response was that the people would use the spoils of war as a sacrifice to God. This led Samuel to speak one of the most infamous statements about obeying God- obedience is better than sacrifice.
Disobedience is the result of a lack of faith.
When you don’t trust that someone is capable or has the intention of doing something, you will feel obligated to take matters into your own hands. And this is when you enter dangerous territory.
We see this in the Bible with Saul and Sarah, the wife of Abraham, to give a few examples. And both of their actions led to more headaches. Your faith is the key to every great thing that you will do on this earth. If we look back through the gospels, it’s the only thing that impressed Jesus, not money, talent, or associations. Your faith and obedience will take you places that worldly assets cannot.
Consequences of biblical disobedience
Disobedience can lead to forsaken blessings
As we can see in the examples above, spiritual disobedience can result in blessings missed. As in, some people leave this world without discovering all of who God created them to be.
For some, God says move and they are overcome by fear, feelings of inadequacy, or the words of people speaking the opposite of what God says. As result, they don’t move at all and life passes them by.
For others, God says move, and the spirit of pride takes over. They think they know best and God’s plan “takes too long” or “doesn’t make sense.” As a result, they go left when He says right and end up in a pit of despair.
This is why FAITH, spiritual discipline, the gift of biblical patience, and obedience to God are all important if you want to see the life God has for you realized. Don’t worry, it’s not solely your job the develop these on your own. God will work with you on it transforming your heart and mind to be more like Him. But, your obedience is required.
Disobedience can affect generations to come
One of the biggest consequences of spiritual disobedience is its compounding effects. Meaning it may not only affect you, but also affect generations to come. The Bible warns us of this.
For example, Adam and Eve disobeyed God, which opened the doors for sin, suffering, and destruction to penetrate the Earth. Saul’s disobedience led to the death of his legacy. The Israelites wandering in the desert for 40 years meant that their children also had to.
This is what is called generational curses. And they can be broken by you and your obedience to God.
Disobedience invites sin and its consequences
As we can see from David’s story discussed above, David’s disobedience invited the sins of adultery and murder into his life. And once they invaded, they wreaked havoc on David and his children.
Sin will always bring terrible consequences, whether they are realized immediately or later in life.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life inChrist Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23
Disobedience leads to distance from God
The more someone engages in sin and rebellion, the further and further they move away from God. And this is just how the enemy wants it.
When you’re disobedient to God, allowing sin to infiltrate your life, you’re feeding your flesh. Thus, it becomes harder and harder to hear the voice of God. This is what ended up happening to Saul.
When his disobedience led to distance from God, He continued to fall deeper and deeper into sin as opposed to repenting as David did when God called out his sin.
Disobedience keeps you in the wilderness
The Israelite story above is the perfect example. An 8-day trip ended up taking 40 years because of disobedience. Their failures are our lessons to learn.
Don’t let what God meant for you to accomplish in days compound to years as a result of disobedience. God has great things prepared for you, but your obedience is required. Your obedience shows God that you can handle and be a godly steward of what will come next.
Final Thoughts on Disobedience in the Bible
I hope these stories of disobedience in the Bible and the examples of the fruits of biblical disobedience serve as a cautionary light to you in your journey with God.
Our obedience to God allows us to do amazing things here on earth. On the other hand, our disobedience can lead to consequences beyond our understanding. God has given the choice to us. May we choose wisely.
Until next time,
-Dr. Jay
