“Woe to the rebellious children, saith the LORD, that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin…”
Isaiah 30:1 KJV
In this verse, God is referring to Israel; but it applies just as much to the Gentile church today. You see…
- God loves His children. I John 3:16 says, “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
- He cares for His children. I Peter 5:7 says, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”
- He provides wise counsel for His children. Psalm 73:24 says, “Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.”
- He guards His children with His Holy Spirit. John 14:16 says, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever…”
He does all these things for us. How do we show our appreciation?
Rebellion is a choice that we revel in. How often have we heard someone say, “Rules were made to be broken.” If rules were made to be broken, why were they made in the first place? No parent makes rules just for their child to break them. They create rules for the health and well-being of their children and fully intend for those rules to be obeyed. And if those rules are deliberately broken, good parents dish out appropriate consequences.
God is our good and loving Heavenly Father. We were made in the His image (Genesis 1:27), so we are like God in a lot of ways. And just like God establishes rules for His children, we make rules for our children. As God disciples His children, we discipline our children. We want our children to obey just like God wants His children to obey.
As believers, we are God’s children. And if we defy His authority by disregarding His Word and disobeying His rules, we are behaving just as rebellious as a two-year-old who says, “NO!” or a teenager who stays out past curfew. And we will suffer the consequences of our rebellion.
Listen to what God says to Israel: “Woe to the rebellious children… that take counsel, but not of me; and that cover with a covering, but not of my spirit, that they may add sin to sin…”
- Woe (misfortune or calamity)
- to the rebellious (those who defy authority) children…
- that take counsel (who seek advice), but not of me;
- and that cover with a covering (who hide themselves), but not of my spirit,
- that they may add sin to sin (who compounds one sin upon another).
Does this apply to His children today? Do we defy God’s authority by neglecting His Word, whereby we disobey Him in everything we do? Do we follow ungodly advice and hide ourselves from the truth of God’s Word while piling sin upon sin?
In Isaiah 65:2, God says, “I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts…”
To disobey God in anything makes you rebellious. And if you are living in rebellion, doing only what you think is right and not consulting God in anything, whichever way you go and whatever you do is not good.
Let’s remember how much God loves and cares for us. He wants us to walk in the right way and will guide us in that path if we let him. It’s well past time for God’s children to put away rebellious thoughts and acts and learn to trust and obey their Savior – the One Who loved them so much that He sacrificed His life on Calvary for them.