What scriptural examples show consequences of rejecting God like in Daniel 11:37? Daniel 11:37—A Portrait of Open Defiance “He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers … but will exalt himself above them all.” • The verse pictures a ruler who sets aside every allegiance—even cultural and familial ones—to enthrone himself. • Scripture repeatedly records what happens when people or nations walk that same path of rejection. Pharaoh of the Exodus—Hardened Heart, National Collapse • Exodus 5–14: Ten plagues dismantle Egypt’s economy, religion, and military. • “Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he would not listen.” (Exodus 7:13) • Consequences: loss of firstborn, destroyed army at the Red Sea, and a devastated land. King Saul—Rebellion Costs a Crown • 1 Samuel 13:13–14; 15:22–23: “Rebellion is like the sin of divination… Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.” • Consequences: kingdom torn away, tormenting spirit, death in battle, dynasty extinguished. Jeroboam—Invented Religion, Lasting Judgment • 1 Kings 12:26–33; 14:7–10: golden calves set up at Bethel and Dan. • Consequences: prophetic curse, violent end for his house, precedent of sin that doomed every northern king. Nebuchadnezzar—Pride Brought Low • Daniel 4:30–33: “Is this not Babylon I have built… by my mighty power and for the glory of my majesty?” • Consequences: driven from mankind, lived like an animal until he “raised [his] eyes toward heaven.” Belshazzar—Blasphemy Meets Swift Doom • Daniel 5:1–30: drank from temple vessels and praised idols. • Consequences: handwriting on the wall, kingdom conquered that night, life taken (v. 30). Wilderness Generation—Unbelief Blocks the Promise • Numbers 14:22–23: “Not one of the men who have seen My glory… yet have tested Me these ten times shall see the land.” • Consequences: forty years of wandering, adult generation buried in the desert. Northern Kingdom Israel—Century of Idolatry Ends in Exile • 2 Kings 17:7–18 summarizes: “They rejected His statutes… so the LORD was very angry…and removed them from His presence.” • Consequences: Samaria falls to Assyria, people deported, land resettled by foreigners. New Testament Echo—The Man of Lawlessness • 2 Thessalonians 2:3–4: “He sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” • Future fulfillment mirrors Daniel 11:37 and carries the ultimate consequence: the Lord Jesus “will consume him with the breath of His mouth” (v. 8). Key Takeaways • Rejecting God leads to personal ruin, national disaster, or both. • Pride and self-exaltation invite decisive, often sudden judgment. • God’s patience has limits; His holiness guarantees consequences. • Turning back in humility—like Nebuchadnezzar—brings restoration, but persistent defiance seals destruction. |
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