What other biblical examples show the importance of following God's instructions? Saul’s Missed Legacy—1 Samuel 13:13 “You have acted foolishly,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command that the LORD your God gave you; if you had, the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time.” • One hurried sacrifice cost Saul a dynasty. • The verse frames every other example: great gain is forfeited when God’s clear word is set aside. The Garden Reminder—Genesis 2–3 • God’s single restriction: “you must not eat” (2:17). • Adam and Eve “took…and ate” (3:6). • Result: exile, death, and a fallen world—showing how one act of disobedience reshapes history. Shipbuilder’s Exactness—Genesis 6–7 • “Noah did everything precisely as God had commanded him.” (6:22) • Because he followed the blueprint, the ark floated, his family lived, and a new beginning was possible. Deliverance by Detailed Blood—Exodus 12 • Every household had to apply lamb’s blood to the doorframe exactly as instructed (12:7, 13). • “The Israelites went and did just as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron.” (12:28) • Obedience marked them for protection when judgment passed over Egypt. A Rock-Struck Disappointment—Numbers 20 • God said, “Speak to the rock” (20:8). • Moses struck it twice; water flowed, but God said, “you will not bring this assembly into the land” (20:12). • Even a trusted leader’s partial obedience brings lasting loss. Walls Fall for the Obedient—Joshua 6 • March once daily for six days, seven times on the seventh, then shout (6:3-5). • “When the rams’ horns sounded…the wall collapsed” (6:20). • Precise, persistent obedience led to a miraculous victory. Handling the Holy—2 Samuel 6 • The ark was to be carried on poles by Levites (Numbers 4:15). • Uzzah touched it; “God struck him dead on the spot” (6:7). • Good intentions never override God’s stated method. Incense Out of Bounds—2 Chronicles 26 • King Uzziah, empowered by success, entered the temple to burn incense—reserved for priests. • He was confronted and struck with leprosy (26:16-21). • Authority ends where God’s boundaries begin. Prophet Overboard—Jonah 1–3 • Jonah fled “from the presence of the LORD” (1:3). • Storm, fish, three days of distress; then he obeyed, and Nineveh repented. • God’s purposes advance, but the disobedient prophet learns obedience the hard way. Half-Truth Offering—Acts 5 • Ananias and Sapphira lied about their gift (5:1-11). • Peter: “You have not lied to men, but to God.” • Both fell dead, and “great fear seized the whole church.” • Integrity in following God’s instructions remains vital under the New Covenant. Lessons for Today • God’s commands are not suggestions; they are life-giving boundaries. • Blessing, protection, and legacy flow from doing exactly what He says. • The pattern is consistent from Eden to the early church: obedience honors God and secures His favor, while deviation—no matter how small—carries serious consequences. |
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