God is faithful and good. God is sovereign. God is our redeemer.
This week, our summary wasn't just written by me! Arlee Pearlswig, who attends our study on Tuesday mornings, has contributed the majority of what you'll read below. Thanks for your input this week, Arlee!
How did this nation rebel?
Act Three: REbellion, Week 8
When God set up His conditional covenant with Israel, the nation was presented with a seemingly simple choice: obedience and love for the God of all creation, or rebellion. With as direct and visible as God’s Word and miracles were to the Jewish people, we might consider it strange that they would choose rebellion over obedience. After all, He sent them angelic messengers and spoke to their leaders with some frequency (i.e., Judges 2:1-5)! However, evidence of Israel’s rebellion can be seen throughout the historical and prophetic books of the Bible. The choice to rebel or obey was presented to His people daily, just as it is to us today.
Rebellion is more than stepping out of the lines; it is a heart-state that reflects our distance from our Creator. As we see the pieces of God's story come together, we witness how mankind chose rebellion in the garden, God set up covenants to draw His people closer to Him again, and His people chose rebellion again and again. Through this cycle of rebellion and grace, God graciously offered Israel a chance to draw closer to Him just as many times as they failed. "If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best of the land. But if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword" (Isaiah 1:19-20).
So, how did this nation rebel?
Despite God's good promises and God's faithfulness, Israel intermingled with other people and began to serve their gods. They did not obey God's voice or His commandments. They did not love their God, nor did they walk in His ways.
“Now the angel of the LORD went up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, 'I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land that I had promised to your fathers, and I said, "I will never break My covenant with you, and you are not to make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall tear down their altars." Yet you have not obeyed My voice. What is this you have done?'” (Judges 2:1-2).
While Israel’s rebellion may seem so distant from us, the truth of God’s unchanging nature and the consequences of rebellion still ring true. Just like the nation of Israel, we live in a nation said to have been built on the principles of the Bible, yet our nation is steeped in rebellion. As often as we see God offering the choice to obey or rebel to the Israelites, He offers us the same choice every day. Will we walk in obedience, or will we choose rebellion?
1 Peter 1:13-16 gives us some instructions for today: "Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, 'You shall be holy, for I am holy.'"
What a difference between what Joshua told the Israelites (Joshua 24:19–20) and what Peter is telling the early church!
If you are looking in the mirror of conviction and seeing your rebellious ways, know this: the Israelites were not able to serve a Holy God, but we are! Repent and believe that you are forgiven. With the blood of Jesus covering us and His Spirit in us, we are able to serve the Lord. He has redeemed us, forgiven our transgressions, and He is still a holy and sovereign God. He has not changed, but He has changed His people, those who choose to believe by faith.
♥️ Arlee Pearlswig & Meghan
Up next: Act Three, Week 9 — How did this Priest rebel?
The Rebellion Teaching from our Women's Worship on the 4th has been posted on the website. If you missed it and want to listen, click here.
