What other biblical instances show consequences of disobeying God's instructions? Setting the Stage: 1 Chronicles 21:6 “Joab did not number Levi and Benjamin, because the king’s command was detestable to him.” The Immediate Lesson from David’s Census • David ignored God’s pattern for census-taking (Exodus 30:12–16). • God sent a plague that killed 70,000 Israelites (1 Chronicles 21:14). • Even partial refusal—Joab’s omission of two tribes—couldn’t cancel the national consequence. Echoes of Disobedience Throughout Scripture • Adam & Eve – Genesis 3:6–19 – Ate the forbidden fruit; death, toil, and expulsion entered the world. • Cain – Genesis 4:6–12 – “You will be a restless wanderer on the earth.” (v. 12) • Lot’s wife – Genesis 19:26 – Looked back; turned into a pillar of salt. • Nadab & Abihu – Leviticus 10:1–2 – Offered “unauthorized fire”; fire from the LORD consumed them. • Israel & the Golden Calf – Exodus 32:7–35 – Three thousand fell by the sword; a plague followed (v. 28, 35). • Moses striking the rock – Numbers 20:7–12 – Forbidden to enter the Promised Land: “You shall not bring this assembly into the land I have given them.” (v. 12) • Achan – Joshua 7:1–26 – Coveted Jericho’s spoil; stoned and burned, Israel temporarily defeated. • Saul sparing Amalek – 1 Samuel 15:22–23 – “Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.” • Uzzah touching the ark – 2 Samuel 6:6–7 – Struck dead for irreverence. • Solomon’s foreign wives – 1 Kings 11:1–13 – Kingdom torn apart after his death: “I will tear the kingdom away from you.” (v. 11) • Jonah fleeing – Jonah 1:1–17 – Storm, near-shipwreck, and time in the fish until obedience. • Ananias & Sapphira – Acts 5:1–11 – Lied to the Holy Spirit; fell dead, great fear seized the church. Threads That Tie These Accounts Together • God’s instructions are specific; altering them invites judgment. • Consequences vary—personal loss, national crisis, spiritual separation—but all underscore God’s holiness. • Mercy often follows repentance (David, Jonah, Israel after the calf), yet the original penalty still teaches future generations. Takeaways for Today • Obedience is not negotiable; even “small” deviations matter. • God’s warnings are acts of love, steering us away from harm. • Learning from these accounts spares us from repeating their pain and draws us into deeper trust in God’s perfect word. |
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