THE SIN OF REBELLION (GEN. 28)

1) One of the sites available on the internet is rebelliousteens.com

2) If you were to look at this web page (and I only did so to prepare for this sermon),

3) You would find that the following items are listed:

4) Help for rebellious teens; schools for rebellious teens; camps for rebellious teens;

5) Treatment for rebellious teens; military schools for rebellious teens; boarding schools

6) For rebellious teens; help for rebellious teen boys, and help or rebellious teen girls.

7) With the young and the old there is a problem called rebellion.

8) When people are asked to do something they refuse.

9) Many times they not only refuse they do the very opposite of what is asked.

10) The problem of rebellion is found in the Bible.

11) Let’s take another look at Isaac and his sons.

12) We know that Isaac was old (Gen. 27:1). He was thinking about death.

13) One of his concerns at this time in his life involved his children.

14) Isaac explicitly expressed a desire to his son Jacob in Gen. 28:1.

15) Dad said to his son, “Do not marry a Canaanite girl.”

16) By implication this desire must have been true for Esau as well.

17) Isaac wanted his sons to marry a young lady who had the right religious faith.

18) In the church warnings are sometimes given to those who are single. It is said:

19) Be careful who you pick for a mate. Select someone who has the same religious conv.

20) Seek out a mate who is a New Testament Christian.

21) This is consistent with the information in Gen. 28.

22) Isaac believed that this was so important that he sent Jacob away (verse 5).

23) He sent his son to a place where he could get a wife who would share his son’s faith.

24) This may have been done because of what Isaac’s other son had done.

25) I am going to (for a moment) skip back to Gen. 26:34.

26) Even though Gen. 28 says that Esau married a woman, this was not his first wife.

27) Here is the text from Gen. 26:34-35.

A) In light of Gen. 28 (Isaac didn’t want Jacob to marry women from a certain culture),

B) And Gen. 26 (Esau married two women that his parents didn’t approve of),

C) I am inferring that Gen. 26 describes rebellion on the part of Esau.

D) Mom and dad didn’t want Esau to marry a wife who was an idolater.

E) Marrying more than one woman was contrary to the plan God had given.

F) Nevertheless, Esau did what he wanted. He willfully rebelled.

G) He not only married more than one woman (this was certainly rebellion against God),

H) He married women were from an idolatrous nation. Esau was openly defiant.

28) What Esau did is by no means the only example of rebellion in the Bible.

29) In 1^st Samuel 15 Saul was given specific instructions concerning a military victory.

30) Saul was not only an adult he was a king (a leader). He had instructions from God.

31) Saul didn’t obey. After being disobedient Saul tried to justify what he had done.

32) He said, “I saved the best things to present to God in worship.”

33) A prophet of God said that Saul had been rebellious. Saul had defied the will of god.

34) God had told him what to do and he had not done it.

35) How did God view Saul’s rebellion? The answer is in 1 Sam. 15:22-23.

36) Rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft.

37) This is a hard truth for some to accept.

38) To some rebellion does not seem to be that bad. In fact, it is often excused.

39) Some say that it is a part of growing up. It is nothing more than freedom of expression.

40) Rebellion is little more than a matter of personal choice.

41) According to the OT this is not God’s view of rebellion.
In the New Testament the message about rebellion is unchanged.

42) There is a parable in Lk. 19 that I want to highlight and then read part of the text.

43) Jesus spoke of Himself. He compared Himself to a nobleman (a prince).

44) As a prince Jesus went to another place (heaven) to receive a kingdom.

45) The country Jesus went to was a far country according to Lk. 19.

46) In heaven Jesus received a “kingdom” and was crowned king.

47) The Lord also said in this parable that He would one day return.

A) In the Nobleman’s absence 10 servants were given some money.

B) These servants were told to trade (make use of this money).

C) Verse 14 says that some citizens didn’t like the nobleman – read.

D) These citizens decided to rebel against the prince.

E) They sent a delegation after Him with this message: we will not obey you.

F) This was defiance. The citizens refused to have the nobleman reign over them.

G) Recall if you will from 1 Sam. 15 that rebellion is as bad as witchcraft.

H) Does Lk. 19 continue to indicate that rebellion is very serious?

I) Here is how Jesus Himself describes rebellion (verse 27).

J) What was to happen to the citizens who rebelled? Jesus said, “Bring them here.”

K) Once the enemies (rebellious citizens) were brought forward they were slain.

48) REBELLION IS A SIN THAT ANGERS GOD. IN THE WORLD REBELLION IS SOMETIMES VIEWED SO SERIOUSLY THAT PEOPLE HAVE DEDICATED A LOT OF TIME AND RESOURCES TO TREATING IT; AT LEAST ONE SITE ON THE INTERNET IS COMPLETELY DEVOTED TO THIS SUBJECT.

49) God has also given some attention to this area.

50) Do we remember what Paul said to children in Eph. 6:1?

51) The first part of that verse says, children obey your parents.

52) Why should children obey Paul? The end of the verse says, for this is right.

53) Obedience is right and rebellion is wrong.

54) Yet, we live in a time when a large number of children are rebellious.

55) Who here has not been a public place (grocery store, post office, the mall),

56) And witnessed a child defiantly rebel against a parent or guardian?

A) A child is asked or told to do something but the child refuses.

B) Maybe a mother said to her son, “Put down the toy”; I will not was the reply.

C) Maybe a child was told to not go to a certain place; the child went anyway.

D) The parent may have been told, “I don’t care what you say.”

57) Rebellion is popular. It is even seen in our schools. Some drop out of school.

58) Others decide to skip school and this done on a regular basis.

59) There is not only rebellion against one’s parents but the school system.

60) Rebellion is not limited to youth. As we saw from 1 Sam. 15 it is also found in adults.

61) It is seen in the workplace. A company may at times make certain changes.

62) There are employees who rebel and refuse to conform to the new policies.

63) Statements like, “I will not do that” are made.

64) There are things throughout life that all of us are not going to like.

65) There are going to be times when all of us are tempted to rebel.

66) More often than not rebellion is a bad thing.

67) Listen to some other passages that can be related to defiance and disobedience.

68) The next one comes from Col. 3:22.

A) In the first century there were many slaves. Some of these slaves became Christians.

B) To these Christian slaves and slave owners Paul penned some instructions.

C) Here are some of those guidelines – read Col. 3:22.

D) Servants were to obey their masters. There were surely slaves that rebelled.

E) Some slaves most certainly were insolent and disrespectful to their owners.

F) I think the New Zealanders and Australians would use the word cheeky.

G) I heard New Zealanders use this word to describe a little boy time and time again.

H) It didn’t take too long to see what they meant.

I) Paul said to slaves, obey. Do not be defiant and rebellious.

J) This must have been a brand new concept for many who were slaves.

K) Though we do not have a master slave relationship in the United States,

L) We do have a relationship between employers and employees.

M) If there are people in the work place who are frequently rebellious and defiant,

N) Those individuals should not be someone who wears the name Christian.

O) While there may be sinful things from time to time that we need to oppose,

P) Generally speaking rebellion should not be part of a Christian’s life.

69) This truth even extends to our government.

70) Some seem to delight in opposing many of the laws laid down by the government.

71) Even though the law says we are to do things a certain there are those who rebel.

72) Defiance is the attitude that not a few pick.

73) Listen to what God has to say about the government and rebellion.

74) This comes from Rom. 13:1-2.

75) DO WE NOT HAVE THE FORMATION OF A PATTERN IN THE VERSES THAT HAVE BEEN READ?

76) Children are to obey and not rebel, Eph. 6:1.

77) Slaves and by implication employees are to obey and not rebel, Col. 3:22.

78) Christians are to be subject (obey) the government and not rebel, Rom. 13.

79) Another passage we can introduce is Heb. 13:17.

80) In the final chapter of this book the writer made a quick comment about elders.

81) He said, read Heb. 13:17.

82) There have been cases where Christians in a local congregation have rebelled.

83) In some cases God’s people have been defiant and insubordinate towards an e.ship.

84) God said, to obey those who are elders. Why? Rebellion is like the sin of witchcraft.

85) Rebellion is so bad that according to Lk. 19 it is justification for capital punishment.

86) We may also relate rebellion to our worship and service to God.

A) The Bible tells Christians to do certain things and to avoid other activities.

B) Yet, some say in their heart or openly: I will not do what is commanded.

C) Or, I will do what is forbidden. I will do what I want no matter what God says.

D) This is rebellion and it is as bad as practicing witchcraft.

E) This same attitude exists in worship.

F) Although God has specified how He is to be worshipped some rebel.

G) Have we not found someone who knows that God says to sing in worship,

H) But this person said “I will sing with an organ.”

I) Even though the addition of an organ to worship violates the pattern for NT worship…

J) Many still say, I will do that anyway. This is outright rebellion.

K) When someone changes the plan God has given for salvation, this is rebellion.

L) This action (if done willfully) says to God: We will offer our own plan of S. to people.

87) CONCLUSION:

88) From the time we are very young to the time we die we may be tempted to rebel.

89) Defiance is a temptation for most at some time or another.

90) If we are a Christian (and most here are), we now know what the Bible says about def.

91) Whether we are dealing with an employer, the elders, God’s word, or we are growing up,

92) Rebellion is a sin to avoid.

93) If we know how to become a Christian but we have not done it, that’s rebellion.

94) If anyone here is following a course of rebellion isn’t it time to change directions?