Forthright Magazine

Rebellion now in vogue

People are rebelling against national and local authorities. They are even rebelling against extending common courtesy to others. Rebellion is certainly in fashion now. There have always been rebels. They rebel against national and local authority.

Some think that rebellion against authority is fun. Some don’t want to observe the laws written down to help us live peaceful, productive lives.

Is this trend new? It might seem that it is in vogue but rebellion isn’t new and it has been tried before, often with tragic mistakes.

Jeremiah, the prophet of God, was sent to warn Judah to repent and turn from their sins or go into captivity. The people of Judah refused to listen. God characterized them as a people who had forgotten. Jeremiah wrote,

“Yet my people have forgotten me and offered sacrifices to worthless idols! This makes them stumble along in the way they live and leave the old reliable path of their fathers. They have left them to walk in bypaths, in roads that are not smooth and level,” (Jeremiah 18:15).

At one time, Israel was one nation under God’s leadership. He either fought or helped them fight their battles. He fed them and gave them water. He encouraged them when they were tired and led them to the Promised Land. Instead of returning God’s love with devotion and worship, Israel rebelled. They stopped worshiping God and turned aside to worthless, silent idols. God lamented his people had forgotten him.

There are terrible consequences when people decide to rebel. There were grave repercussions for both Israel and Judah. Because they made the God who loved them their enemy, they would suffer captivity at the hands of the Babylonians and the capital city of Jerusalem would be destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C. Those who rebelled against God would leave their beloved capital city and spend 70 years in captivity.

Israel had sown the seed of rebellion against God and paid the price for their foolishness. No one should want for an enemy the Creator of heaven and earth!

But, people are always the same. Even in our day there are those who have decided not to listen to God’s word in the Bible and are carving out their own path.

There is something that many forget: when they decide to make God their enemy, they are turning away from the only one who truly loves them and wants to help them.

Being a rebel may seem fashionable, but it isn’t. Becoming an enemy of God is the worst possible existence.

Let us turn from rebellion and obey God’s word! We don’t need to have God as an enemy. Let’s keep life simple!

Why should we insist on living our way instead of obeying the gospel and living the way God wants? His way is better. His way leads to eternal life.


 

John Henson
Latest posts by John Henson (see all)