What other scriptures emphasize consequences for disobedience like Ezekiel 5:2? Setting the Scene with Ezekiel 5:2 “ When the days of the siege are over, burn a third of the hair inside the city. Take a third and strike it with the sword all around the city, and scatter a third to the wind, for I will unleash a sword behind them.” ( Ezekiel 5:2 ) Consequences Foretold in the Law • Leviticus 26:14-17 — “But if you will not listen to Me… I will bring upon you sudden terror… You will sow your seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it. I will set My face against you, and you will be defeated by your enemies.” • Deuteronomy 28:15, 49-52 — “If you do not obey the LORD your God… all these curses will come upon you… The LORD will bring a nation against you from afar… They will besiege all the cities throughout your land until your high fortified walls… come down.” Historical Illustrations • 1 Samuel 15:22-23 — “Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice… Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.” • 2 Kings 17:18-23 — “So the LORD was very angry with Israel, and He removed them from His presence… until the LORD removed them from His presence, as He had declared through all His servants the prophets.” Prophetic Echoes after Ezekiel • Jeremiah 25:7-9 — “Because you have not obeyed My words… I will summon… Nebuchadnezzar… I will devote them to destruction and make them an object of horror and scorn.” • Hosea 9:17 — “My God will reject them because they have not obeyed Him, and they will be wanderers among the nations.” • Zechariah 7:12-14 — “As I called and they would not listen, so when they called, I would not listen… I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations… They turned the pleasant land into a desolation.” New Testament Reinforcement • Acts 5:3-5 — Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit; “On hearing these words, Ananias fell down and died. Great fear came over all who heard.” • 1 Corinthians 10:5-6 — “God was not pleased with most of them, for they were struck down in the wilderness. These things took place as examples to keep us from craving evil things.” • Galatians 6:7-8 — “Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked. Whatever a man sows, he will reap in return… The one who sows to please the flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction.” • Hebrews 2:2-3 — “Every transgression and disobedience received its just punishment; how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?” • Hebrews 10:26-27, 30-31 — “If we deliberately go on sinning… only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire… ‘The Lord will judge His people.’ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” • 2 Thessalonians 1:8-9 — “In flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the penalty of eternal destruction, separated from the presence of the Lord.” Key Takeaways for Today • Disobedience is never a light matter; Scripture consistently ties it to real, often severe, consequences. • From the Law through the Prophets and into the New Testament, God’s warnings remain unified and literal—He means what He says. • The sober examples urge us toward wholehearted obedience, trusting that the same God who disciplines also delights to bless those who heed His voice. |
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