UNMASKING REBELLION Part 2
UNMASKING REBELLION
The Way of Obedience 2b
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.
-1 SAMUEL 15:22-23
The importance in the text lies not in the label but in the result of witchcraft.
This text should read, “For rebellion is witchcraft.” This clarifies the context of this scripture.
A true Christian would never practice witchcraft knowingly. But how many are under its influence because of the deception of rebellion?
Witchcraft in any form has the same result: it directly opens one up to the demonic realm. Its goal is to control circumstances, situations, or people.
The goal of witchcraft is to control, but inevitably the controller becomes the controlled due to involvement with the demonic realm.
REBELLION OPENS THE DOOR TO CONTROLLING POWERS
By rebelling against the laws of God, their parents, and their society, the participants either knowingly or unknowingly grant legal access to the controlling demonic realm. Why? Rebellion is witchcraft.
Disobedience to God’s authority, whether direct or delegated, moves a person out of spiritual light and into spiritual darkness where the enemy has legal access. (1 Thessalonians 5:5 and Matthew 6:24.)
There is no freedom in rebellion.
They proudly boast about their sins and conquests, and, using lust as their bait, they lure [by saying]… “Do what you like, be free.” But these very teachers who offer this “freedom” from the law are themselves slaves to sin and destruction. For a man is a slave to whatever controls him. -2 PETER 2:18-19, TLB
Don’t you realize that you can choose your own master? You can choose sin (with death) or else obedience (with acquittal). The one to whom you offer yourself-he will take you and be your master and you will be his slave. -ROMANS 6:16, TLB
RESIST THROUGH SUBMISSION
Cain had the choice to honor God’s will and close the door to sin’s demonic control (witchcraft), or he could honor his own will in rebellion and welcome the crouching form of sin that sought to master (control) him (Gen. 4:7).
How was Cain to close the door? The New Testament tells us: God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. -JAMES 4:6-7
The first commandment in the Satanic bible is: “Do what thou will.” - This is a direct perversion of the life of Jesus. He said, “I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me” (John 5:30).
THE MYSTERY OF LAWLESSNESS AT WORK TODAY
For the mystery of lawlessness (that hidden principle of rebellion against constituted authority) is already at work in the world. -2 THES. 2:7, AMP
Those who love the truth will not be deceived by this mystery of lawlessness (2 Thess. 2:10).
Overcomers will embrace obedience and shun a self-serving life, for their delight is seeing God’s will and purpose accomplished.
When a person walks in the WAY of obedience to God, witchcraft has no power over him. Satan is confined to darkness (Jude 6), so he has no access to us when we are joined with God, in whom is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5).
A BLESSING RATHER THAN A CURSE
NUMBERS 23:21-23
21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob, neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel: the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt; he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.
23 Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought!
They were a forgiven and cleansed nation, baptized as they passed through the Red Sea. Therefore God said He observed no iniquity in them.
Proverbs 26:2 says, “Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse does not come to rest”
”HOW CAN I CURSE WHOM GOD HAS NOT CURSED?”
PSALM 64:2-4
2 Hide me from the secret counsel of the wicked; from the insurrection of the workers of iniquity:
3 Who whet their tongue like a sword, and bend their bows to shoot their arrows, even bitter words:
4 That they may shoot in secret at the perfect: suddenly do they shoot at him, and fear not.
PSALM 64:7-8
7 But God shall shoot at them with an arrow; suddenly shall they be wounded.
8 So they shall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves: all that see them shall flee away.
Ps. 57:6
6 They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.
Deut. 23:4-5
4 Because they met you not with bread and with water in the way, when ye came forth out of Egypt; and because they hired against thee Balaam the son of Beor of Pethor of Mesopotamia, to curse thee.
5 Nevertheless the Lord thy God would not hearken unto Balaam; but the Lord thy God turned the curse into a blessing unto thee, because the Lord thy God loved thee.
Curses may be released against the righteous, but they will not rest upon him.
BALAAM’S COUNSEL
Num. 24:10-11
10 And Balak’s anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together: and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.
11 Therefore now flee thou to thy place: I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the Lord hath kept thee back from honour.
NUMBERS 25:1-3
And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab.
2 And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods.
3 And Israel joined himself unto Baalpeor: and the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel.
Rev. 2:14
14 But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication.
Num. 31:16
16 Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord.
Israel’s disobedience caused a nation that could not be cursed to come under a severe plague.
Num. 25:3, 9 – This was the greatest single loss Israel experienced in the wilderness, and it was all a result of their rebellion. Radical disobedience opened the door to a radical plague.
What stopped the plague? -radical obedience! – NUMBERS 25:7-8
A NEW TESTAMENT EXAMPLE – GALATIANS 3:1
We come under bewitchment when we disobey what God has made clear to us-not when we disobey what has not been revealed to us.
THE BLESSING COMES
Joel 2:13-14
13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.
14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the Lord your God?
1 CORINTHIANS 15:56
56 The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law.
Rom. 7:5
5 For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death.
NO LAW = NO REBELLION
WHY DO YOU NEED TO PRAY ABOUT IT? (Num. 22:8-22)
There are some things we don’t need to pray about. When presented with an opportunity that benefits us while compromising God’s will or the safety or benefit of others, we should not need to ask God, a counselor, our pastor, or another minister!
YOU WILL GET WHAT YOU ARE DETERMINED TO HAVE
NUMBERS 11:4-6
4 And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat?
5 We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick:
6 But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.
Ps. 78:29-30
29 So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;
30 They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,
Num. 11:33
33 And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague.
The reason was much deeper than eating. God had looked beyond their request and into their hearts. What He found was rebellion, a people with their hearts set on what they craved.
It seems this new diet fed their flesh but depleted their souls. -PSALM 106:15
Yes, God will give you what you want, but at what
”I HAVE SINNED!” – Num. 22:34
His sorrow was not godly but self-serving and left him open to fall deeper into deception. “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death” (2 Cor. 7:10)
Both sorrows apologize; both say, “I have sinned”; both can shed tears. However, only one leads to life. What’s the difference? The sorrow of the world focuses on the consequences of disobedience. Godly sorrow focuses on the fact it has grieved the heart of God, the very One who loves us.
GOD’S WORD-LAW OR LIFE?
Rebellion is exposed by our
When the serpent twisted God’s word in Eve’s mind, it became law instead of life, and she disobeyed. Rebellion was aroused, and she died spiritually.
Moses’ attitude toward God set him apart from the children of Israel. Moses hungered for God. He delighted in His way and Word.
God was the focus of Moses’ heart whether God met him on the mountain or in the tabernacle of meeting. In contrast, the children of Israel were only interested in what God could do for them. They did not hunger to know or please Him.
In each place you find rebellion you will observe that the Word of God was viewed as