*** How does God regard
obedience to His word?
“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.” 1 Samuel 1:23.
*** What excuse did
Saul make for his disobedience?
“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 aught 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?
“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.” 1 Kings 13:8, 9.
*** Who also dwelt at
Bethel?
“Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel.” 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?
“Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou has 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 w which the Lord did say to thee, Eat no bread, and drink
no water; thy carcass shall not come unto the sepulcher 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.” Lev. 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.” Lev. 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.” Lev. 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 Cor. 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 everyone 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.” Matt. 7:21.
*** To whom does Christ
liken the man who obeys the word of God?
“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.” Matt. 7:24, 25.
*** To whom does He
liken him who hears, but does not obey?
“And everyone 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.” Matt. 7:26, 27.