How does God regard
obedience to His word?
"And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt
offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to
obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of
rams." 1 Samuel 15:22.
To what are
rebellion and stubbornness likened?
"For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and
stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast
rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from being
king." 1 Samuel 15:23.
What excuse did
Saul make for his disobedience?
"And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have
transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I
feared the people, and obeyed their voice." 1 Samuel 15:24.
How strictly does
God require His commandments to be kept?
"Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither
shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of
the LORD your God which I command you." Deuteronomy 4:2.
Who was sent from
Judah to Bethel with a message from God?
"And, behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the
word of the LORD unto Bethel: and Jeroboam stood by the altar to burn
incense." 1 Kings 13:1.
What did king
Jeroboam invite the man to do?
"And the king said unto the man of God, Come home with me, and
refresh thyself, and I will give thee a reward." 1 Kings 13:7.
What reply did he
return to the king?
"And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half
thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor
drink water in this place: For so was it charged me by the word of the
LORD, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the
same way that thou camest." 1 Kings 13:8,9.
Who also dwelt at
Bethel?
"Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons
came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in
Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also
to their father." 1 Kings 13:11.
What did this old
prophet say to the man of God?
"Then he said unto him, Come home with me, and eat bread." 1
Kings 13:15.
After hearing his
refusal, and the reason for it, what did he say to the man of God?
"He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an
angel spake unto me by the word of the LORD, saying, Bring him back
with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he
lied unto him." 1 Kings 13:18.
What effect did
this persuasive statement have upon him?
"So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and
drank water." 1 Kings 13:19.
What was the result
of his yielding to the lying importunities of the prophet?
"And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying,
Thus saith the LORD, Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the
LORD, and hast not kept the commandment which the LORD thy God commanded
thee, But camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place,
of the which the LORD did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink no water; thy
carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers." 1
Kings 13:21,22.
Where was the
priest to obtain the fire with which he offered incense in the sanctuary?
"And he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from
off the altar before the LORD, and his hands full of sweet incense
beaten small, and bring it within the veil:" Leviticus 16:12.
What two priests
ventured to disobey this instruction?
"And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his
censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered
strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not."
Leviticus 10:1.
And what came of
their disobedience?
"And there went out fire from the LORD, and devoured them,
and they died before the LORD." Leviticus 10:2.
For what purpose
were these Old Testament examples written?
"Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they
are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are
come." 1 Corinthians 10:11.
In view of these
examples, what ought all to do?
"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only,
deceiving your own selves." James 1:22.
Who only will enter
the kingdom of heaven?
"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord,
Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the
will of my Father which is in heaven." Matthew 7:21.
To whom does Christ
liken the man who obeys the word of God?
"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings
of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built
his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came,
and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was
founded upon a rock." Matthew 7:24,25.
To whom does He
liken him who hears, but does not obey?
"And every one that heareth these sayings
of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which
built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods
came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great
was the fall of it." Matthew 7:26,27.