Topical Bible: Rebellion Against God: Provokes Christ

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Rebellion against God is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, illustrating humanity's tendency to resist divine authority and commandments. This rebellion not only disrupts the relationship between God and humanity but also provokes Christ, who embodies God's ultimate revelation and redemptive plan.

Old Testament Context

The Old Testament is replete with instances of rebellion against God, beginning with Adam and Eve's disobedience in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). This initial act of rebellion set the stage for humanity's ongoing struggle with sin and defiance. The Israelites' repeated disobedience during their wilderness journey (Exodus 32; Numbers 14) and their eventual idolatry in the Promised Land (Judges 2:11-19) further exemplify this pattern. These acts of rebellion provoked God's anger and led to various judgments, yet they also highlighted the need for a savior who could restore the broken relationship between God and His people.

Christ's Response to Rebellion

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is presented as the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan. His life, death, and resurrection offer a path to reconciliation for a rebellious humanity. However, rebellion against God continues to provoke Christ, as seen in His interactions with the religious leaders of His time. In Matthew 23, Jesus condemns the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy and resistance to God's truth, illustrating how their rebellion provokes His righteous indignation.

Jesus' lament over Jerusalem in Matthew 23:37-39 further underscores His grief over persistent rebellion: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!" . This passage reveals Christ's deep desire for reconciliation and the pain caused by humanity's rejection of His offer.

The Apostolic Witness

The apostles continue to address the issue of rebellion against God in their writings. The Apostle Paul, in Romans 1:18-32, describes the consequences of humanity's rebellion, highlighting how it leads to a depraved mind and a host of sinful behaviors. Paul warns that such rebellion provokes God's wrath, yet he also emphasizes the availability of grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Romans 5:8-10).

The author of Hebrews warns against hardening one's heart in rebellion, using the Israelites' wilderness experience as a cautionary tale (Hebrews 3:7-19). This exhortation serves as a reminder that rebellion against God not only provokes Christ but also endangers one's spiritual well-being.

Rebellion in Eschatological Context

The Book of Revelation provides a vivid depiction of rebellion against God in the end times. Despite witnessing God's judgments and the proclamation of the gospel, many will persist in their rebellion, provoking Christ's final and decisive intervention (Revelation 16:9, 11). The ultimate rebellion, led by Satan, culminates in the battle of Armageddon, where Christ triumphs over all forces of evil (Revelation 19:11-21).

Conclusion

Rebellion against God is a serious matter that provokes Christ, who desires reconciliation and offers redemption. The biblical narrative consistently calls individuals to repentance and faith, warning of the consequences of continued defiance while extending the hope of restoration through Jesus Christ.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Exodus 23:20,21
Behold, I send an Angel before you, to keep you in the way, and to bring you into the place which I have prepared.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

1 Corinthians 10:9
Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Homilies on Galatians and Ephesians.
... and of holiness, [531]106; especially provokes God's anger"like the sin of those
who mangled Christ's Body, [532 ... of the sin of rebellion against parents, [562 ...
/.../homilies on galatians and ephesians.htm

Gifts Received for the Rebellious
... is folly; and His love provokes their enmity ... Can the spirit of rebellion rise higher,
than when ... the Scripture declares, that enmity against God, a disaffection ...
/...//christianbookshelf.org/newton/messiah vol 2/sermon xxix gifts received for.htm

The First and Great Commandment
... and lift the puny hand of your rebellion against the God ... Hast thou any question to
bring against me? ... not reject the work of the substitute, for God accepted it ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 3 1857/the first and great commandment.htm

A Word for the Persecuted
... is nothing better than varnished rebellion against God, a mockery ... and holiness: they
long to speak against you, but ... any one who has persecuted God's saints in ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 20 1874/a word for the persecuted.htm

The Lord Coming to his Temple
... It charges them all with treason and rebellion against the great ... malicious, for many
of them acted against the light ... of the law and holiness of God, and that ...
//christianbookshelf.org/newton/messiah vol 1/sermon iv the lord coming.htm

Earnest Expostulation
... inference from your gentleness to encourage him in his rebellion? ... themselves saved;
but foolishly, madly, hold out against the mercy of God which leads ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 29 1883/earnest expostulation.htm

A Discourse of the Building, Nature, Excellency, and Government of ...
... man: But we are told there's no rebellion can Prevent ... Suppose he shall against thee
shut the door, Knock thou ... the devil; This bids defiance unto God and grace ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/a discourse of the building.htm

Sin: Its Spring-Head, Stream, and Sea
... and found them bitter, "they murmured against Moses, saying ... begat forgetfulness,
and forgetfulness brought forth rebellion. ... Many a sin God has endured patiently ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/sin its spring-head stream and.htm

The Reaction against Egypt
... ce and Jensen to determine the nature of the god. ... Majesty: 'The vile Shausu have
plotted rebellion; the chiefs ... It is built against, and partly excavated in, a ...
/.../chapter iithe reaction against egypt.htm

The Influence of the King James Version on English Literature
... It is literature which provokes literature ... Bible, even though he was in the spirit
of rebellion against much of ... but that Shelley felt the drawing of God in the ...
/.../mcafee/study of the king james bible/lecture iv the influence of.htm