Consequences Of Disobedience To God?
“The Lord said the following to the Edomites in the book of Obadiah. “All your evil deeds will fall back on your own heads.” I wonder what the consequences of disobedience to God look like.
The people of Israel will be a raging fire and Edom a field of dry stubble. The descendants of Joseph will be a flame roaring across the field, devouring everything. There will be no survivors in Edom. I, the Lord, have spoken! Obadiah 1:18
One of my friends, a farmer, raises corn, soybeans, and some cattle, but his main crops are hay and straw. He spends his summer bailing them and filling at least two large barns.
Straw, a very soft substance, is useful for bedding. Animals love it. And humans can lie on it comfortably because of its softness.
One of the things it is not suitable for is burning. It burns very well, but it burns too fast. One second, it is here. The next, it is gone.
It’s hard to use as a fire starter because it doesn’t burn long enough to ignite the kindling. Because of the low density of straw, the ashes blow away when it burns, leaving nothing behind.
The Consequences of Disobedience
That is precisely what God was saying about the house of Edom. They would burn up quickly and thoroughly, leaving absolutely nothing behind.
Why would the Lord do such a thing to a nation who were close relatives to the Israelites? The answer was written earlier in this chapter.
The Edomites not only refused to help the Israelites when they were taken into captivity, but they boasted and rejoiced because of it. Their decision resulted in disobedience to God.
They then went into Israel and plundered the land, taking all of their wealth. In verse 15, the Lord says, “All your evil deeds will fall back on your own heads.”
The Lord says the same thing to us, only differently. Edom received judgment because of what they did. Now, in the New Testament, our judgment comes because of what we don’t do.
Our consequences arise when we fail to follow the Lord’s guidelines and live in disobedience to Him. Obadiah made a list of things they did, but shouldn’t have.
What the Edomites Shouldn’t Have Done
- He said, you shouldn’t have . . .
- gloated when they exiled your relatives.
- rejoiced when the people of Judah suffered.
- spoken arrogantly in that terrible time of trouble.
- plundered the land of Israel.
- gloated over their destruction.
- seized their wealth when they were suffering.
- stood at the crossroads, killing those who tried to escape.
- captured the survivors and handed them over. Obadiah 1:12-14
The Results of Obedience
Jesus died and rose again as the ultimate sacrifice. He made salvation available to all who will accept that for themselves. If a person does not accept, this salvation will face eternal judgment.
In the book of Galatians, chapter 6 says, “Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.” 6:7
As a young person, I learned that verse worded like this, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.”
Just a side note on the wording of that translation. Satan will do everything he can to deceive people from believing that salvation is as easy as receiving Jesus.
Our verse for today talks about the total destruction of Edom. The Edomites thought they were getting away with something, but they weren’t.
We won’t get anything past the Lord, either! Obedience to the Word will keep us from seeing the consequences of disobedience to God.
Lord, help us sow love, hope and joy, not selfishness or discord, for we want to reap a life you favor.
Check out these other posts related to obedience to God.
- Live A Unique Life Of Obedience To The Lord
- Love And Obedience, The Basic Requirements Of God
- Obedience To God Is Important
Check out this related post on temptation which could lead to disobedience to God
Also this other related post called How To Reach Lost People For The Kingdom Of God.
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