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.