INTRODUCTION

Rebellion is a willing and conscious decision to refuse the instruction of another. The Lord describes this in Zechariah 7:11But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.
See All... when He said, "they refused to hearken and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear." What a picture! When men should open their ears to the words of the Lord, they instead turn their shoulder away, showing Him their backs and closing their ears to His instruction. The Lord states this in Jeremiah 32:33And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction.
See All... when He said, "they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction."

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS

• (For smaller children) Through the prophet Ahijah, God made His instructions clear to Jeroboam (1 Kings 11:29-38 [29] And it came to pass at that time when Jeroboam went out of Jerusalem, that the prophet Ahijah the Shilonite found him in the way; and he had clad himself with a new garment; and they two were alone in the field: [30] And Ahijah caught the new garment that was on him, and rent it in twelve pieces: [31] And he said to Jeroboam, Take thee ten pieces: for thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee: [32] (But he shall have one tribe for my servant David's sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, the city which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel:) [33] Because that they have forsaken me, and have worshipped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the children of Ammon, and have not walked in my ways, to do that which is right in mine eyes, and to keep my statutes and my judgments, as did David his father. [34] Howbeit I will not take the whole kingdom out of his hand: but I will make him prince all the days of his life for David my servant's sake, whom I chose, because he kept my commandments and my statutes: [35] But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand, and will give it unto thee, even ten tribes. [36] And unto his son will I give one tribe, that David my servant may have a light alway before me in Jerusalem, the city which I have chosen me to put my name there. [37] And I will take thee, and thou shalt reign according to all that thy soul desireth, and shalt be king over Israel. [38] And it shall be, if thou wilt hearken unto all that I command thee, and wilt walk in my ways, and do that is right in my sight, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as David my servant did; that I will be with thee, and build thee a sure house, as I built for David, and will give Israel unto thee.
  See All...). However, Jeroboam made a conscious decision to refuse to do it (1 Kings 12:26-30 [26] And Jeroboam said in his heart, Now shall the kingdom return to the house of David: [27] If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me, and go again to Rehoboam king of Judah. [28] Whereupon the king took counsel, and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. [29] And he set the one in Bethel, and the other put he in Dan. [30] And this thing became a sin: for the people went to worship before the one, even unto Dan.
  See All...). He definitely turned his back on the Lord (1 Kings 14:7-10 [7] Go, tell Jeroboam, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Forasmuch as I exalted thee from among the people, and made thee prince over my people Israel, [8] And rent the kingdom away from the house of David, and gave it thee: and yet thou hast not been as my servant David, who kept my commandments, and who followed me with all his heart, to do that only which was right in mine eyes; [9] But hast done evil above all that were before thee: for thou hast gone and made thee other gods, and molten images, to provoke me to anger, and hast cast me behind thy back: [10] Therefore, behold, I will bring evil upon the house of Jeroboam, and will cut off from Jeroboam him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, and will take away the remnant of the house of Jeroboam, as a man taketh away dung, till it be all gone.
  See All...a).
• Try to picture the illustration presented for rebellion, demonstrating if necessary. How would you feel if someone pulled away his or her shoulder while you were trying to give instruction? How does your rebellion offend the Lord?
• How did the Lord Jesus demonstrate submission to His Father’s will (Isaiah 50:5The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back.
  See All...)? How could you demonstrate submission?

PRAYER NEEDS

• Ask the Lord to give you the heart and mind of His Son.
• Ask God to help you show Him your face rather than your back.

HYMN

Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing

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