Consequences of Obedience and Disobedience – SS2 Christian Religious Studies Lesson Note (Second Term)

Obedience means keeping the instructions of God and of the society, and it brings reward and progress. Disobedience brings God’s anger and punishment. King Saul and the young prophet from Judah suffered for disobeying God, while Joseph, David and the three Hebrews were rewarded for obeying him.

Behavioural objectives

By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:

1. Explain how King Saul disobeyed God and state the consequences.
2. Narrate the story of the young prophet who disobeyed God in 1 Kings 13.
3. Define obedience and state its benefits to society.
4. Describe how Joseph, David and the three Hebrews were rewarded for obeying God.

What were the consequences of disobedience?

Saul’s disobedience (1 Sam. 15:20-26)

Soon after Saul was made king of Israel, God gave him an assignment against Amalek. He was to destroy the people completely, because they opposed the Israelites when they left Egypt. This meant that nobody, young or old, was to be spared.

Saul organised the soldiers, went to the Amalekites and defeated them, but not in the way he was instructed. The Israelites destroyed everything but spared the goats, sheep and other valuables. Above all, King Agag of Amalek was spared and taken captive. This was Saul’s sin, and God was not happy with him.

When Samuel confronted him, Saul lied. God had revealed everything to Samuel. When Samuel asked about the bleating of sheep and other animals, Saul claimed that the people brought those things for sacrifice to the Lord. Saul did not admit his fault. Rather, he shifted the blame to the people.

Saul rejected as king (1 Sam. 16:14-23)

As a result of his disobedience, God rejected Saul as king. The Spirit of God left him, and an evil spirit from the Lord tormented him. Whenever he was tormented, he was relieved only when he listened to music. David was called to the palace because he was very skilful in playing the lyre.

Saul and his three sons died the same day (1 Sam. 31:1-13)

The Philistines had a long battle with the Israelites. However, the Philistines gained the upper hand at Mount Gilboa. Saul and his three sons, Jonathan, Malchishua and Abinadab, were killed. The Philistines cut off his head and stripped off his armour. They put the armour in the temple of Ashtaroth and fastened his body to the wall of Beth Shan.

Disobedience of the young prophet (1 Kgs. 13:11-24)

God sent a prophet from Judah to prophesy in Bethel. King Jeroboam was at the altar, burning incense. The prophet declared that God would raise Josiah to reform the religious situation of the land.

This angered Jeroboam, and he stretched out his hand to command that the prophet be captured. Immediately, his hand dried up. Jeroboam begged the prophet to ask God to restore his hand, and it was restored. The king was pleased and asked the prophet to come and refresh himself and receive a reward. The prophet refused because God had told him not to eat or drink anything there.

An old prophet was informed of this and went after the young prophet on his ass. He met him sitting under an oak tree and asked if he was the prophet, and the young prophet confirmed it. The old prophet told him to come and eat, but the young prophet told him what God had said to him. However, the old prophet lied that an angel of God had told him to bring the young prophet back so that he could refresh himself.

While they were eating, God told the old prophet to tell the young prophet that his body would not be laid in his fathers’ tomb. On his way back, the young prophet was killed by a lion.

What are the rewards for obedience?

Obedience means to adhere to the laid down instructions of any given society, which enables the smooth running of that society. To obey the laws of the land helps the society to progress socially, morally, economically and politically. Obedience can be individual or corporate. Some people obeyed instructions given to them by God and were rewarded for it.

Joseph (Gen. 39:7-12)

Joseph was a slave in the house of Potiphar, the captain of the guard of Pharaoh. Joseph behaved himself and was meticulous in his dealings. This made his master entrust everything he had into Joseph’s hands, except his wife.

The house of Potiphar prospered because God was with Joseph. However, Potiphar’s wife liked Joseph and wanted him to have a sexual relationship with her. She pestered him for several days, but she did not succeed.

On a particular day, Joseph was going about his duties in the house and there was nobody else in it. Potiphar’s wife grabbed him by his garment and told him to lie with her. Joseph left his garment with her and fled. When she realised what had happened, she cried out to the men and accused Joseph of attempted rape.

She told her side of the event when her husband came, and Potiphar was angry with Joseph and put him in prison. From there, Joseph met the cupbearer, who later introduced him to Pharaoh, and he became the Prime Minister of Egypt.

David (1 Sam. 26:1-12)

David had an opportunity to kill Saul when they got to the wilderness of Ziph. Saul had pitched his camp on the hill of Hachilah. David arose and came to the place where Saul had pitched, and saw that Saul and Abner, the captain of his host, were asleep with all the other people.

David was with Abishai when they found Saul and Abner asleep. Abishai told David to seize the opportunity, because the Lord had delivered his enemy into his hands. David took the spear and the cruse of water from Saul and went away. He refused to lay his hands on the Lord’s anointed, this second time.

Thereafter, David made Saul and Abner realise that he had had the opportunity to kill Saul, but refused because Saul was the Lord’s anointed. Saul apologised to David and said that he had sinned. Saul went on his way, and David also went on his way. Later, David became king of Israel.

The three Hebrews (Dan. 3:1-30)

King Nebuchadnezzar erected a golden image and wanted everybody to bow to it. He instructed that everybody should bow at the sound of musical instruments. However, three Hebrew men, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, who were officials in Babylon, refused to bow.

When the news got to Nebuchadnezzar, he summoned them to his court and asked them if what was told about them was true. He told them to obey at the sound of the musical instruments, or he would throw them into the burning fiery furnace. He asked who that God was that could save them out of his hands. They replied that their God would deliver them from the furnace and from his hands. They added that even if he did not, they would not serve his gods.

King Nebuchadnezzar was furious and ordered that the furnace be heated seven times more. He ordered his mighty men in the army to bind the Hebrew men and throw them into the furnace. The heat of the fire consumed the mighty men of Babylon, but the Hebrew men were walking inside the fire unhurt.

Nebuchadnezzar was surprised because he saw four men instead of three. He ordered the three men to come out, and the people were astonished when they saw that the fire had not affected them. The king ordered that their God should be the only one served, and he promoted them to higher offices.

Evaluation

1. How did King Saul disobey God in the battle against the Amalekites?
2. State the consequences of Saul’s disobedience.
3. Why was the young prophet from Judah killed by a lion?
4. Explain how Joseph was rewarded for obeying God.

Assignment

1. Describe the persecution of the three Hebrews.
2. Describe the personality of David.