38 Bible Verses about Rebellion, Of Israel
Most Relevant Verses
How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness! How often they caused him grief in the desert!
They should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not prepare its heart and whose spirit was not faithful to God.
I know how rebellious you are. You are impossible to deal with. While I am alive and still with you, you are rebelling against Jehovah. How much more rebellious will you be after I die?
He sent darkness and made their land dark. They did not rebel against his orders.
Our fathers in Egypt did not understand your wonders. They did not remember your abundant kindnesses. But they rebelled by the Red Sea.
They had rebelled against God's words and had despised the advice given by the Most High.
But they rebelled and grieved (offended and hurt) his Holy Spirit. So he turned against them as their enemy. He fought against them.
They defied me and refused to listen. They did not throw away their disgusting idols or give up the Egyptian gods. I was ready to let them feel the full force of my anger there in Egypt.
When they had rest, they did evil again before you: so you gave them into the hands of their enemies who ruled over them. When they came back and prayed to you, you listened to them from heaven; again and again, in your mercy, you gave them salvation.
But they and our fathers, in their pride, made their necks stiff, and paid no attention to your orders. They would not obey you and gave no thought to the wonders you did among them. They became stubborn and turning away from you. They appointed a leader over themselves to take them back to their prison in Egypt. However, you are a God of forgiveness, full of grace and pity, slow to wrath and great in mercy, and you did not give them up. Even when they made for themselves a bull out of metal, and said: 'This is your God who took you up out of Egypt, and had done so much to make you angry.'read more.
Even then, in your great mercy, you did not give them up in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud still went before them by day, guiding them on their way, and the pillar of fire by night, to give them light, and make clear the way they were to go. You gave your good Spirit to be their teacher. You did not hold back your manna from their mouths. You gave them water when they had need of it. Truly, for forty years you were their support in the wilderness. They needed nothing. Their clothing did not get old or their feet become tired. You gave them kingdoms and peoples, making distribution to them in every part of the land. They took for their heritage the land of Sihon, even the land of the king of Heshbon, and the land of Og, king of Bashan. You made their children as great in number as the stars of heaven. You took them into the land, of which you had said to their fathers that they were to go in and take it for themselves. So the children went in and took the land. You overcame before them the people of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them up into their hands, with their kings and the people of the land, so that they might do with them whatever it was their pleasure to do. And they took walled towns and a fat land. They became the owners of houses full of all good things, water-holes cut in the rock, vine-gardens and olive-gardens and a wealth of fruit-trees. They had food enough and became fat, and had joy in the good you gave them. But they were hard-hearted, and went against your authority. They turned their backs on your law, and murdered your prophets. These prophets gave witness against them with the purpose of turning them back again to you. They did much to make you angry. So you gave them up into the hands of their enemies who were cruel to them. In the time of their trouble, when they prayed to you, you listened to them from heaven. In your great mercy you gave them saviors, who made them free from the hands of their enemies. When they had rest, they did evil again before you: so you gave them into the hands of their enemies who ruled over them. When they came back and prayed to you, you listened to them from heaven; again and again, in your mercy, you gave them salvation. You admonished them so that you might make them come back again to your law. Their hearts were lifted up, and they paid no attention to your orders. They went against your life giving decisions and turned their backs on you. They were stubborn and did not listen. You put up with them for years. You admonished them by your Spirit through your prophets. Still they did not listen. So you gave them up into the hands of the peoples of the lands. Even then, in your great mercy, you did not put an end to them completely, or give them up; for you are a God of grace (loving-kindness) and mercy.
He rescued them many times, but they continued to plot rebellion against him and to sink deeper because of their sin.
Even so they were not willing to go. They rebelled against the command of Jehovah your God:
Never forget how you made Jehovah your God angry in the desert. You rebelled against Jehovah from the day you left Egypt until you came here.
Woe to them, for they have strayed from me! Destruction is theirs, for they have rebelled against me! I would redeem them, but they speak lies against me.
Woe to the oppressive city for she is rebellious and polluted (defiled)!
Listen, heaven, and pay attention, earth! Jehovah (YHWH) has spoken: I raised my children and helped them grow, but they have rebelled against me. The bull knows its owner, and donkey knows where its master feeds it. But Israel does not know. My people do not understand! Woe to the sinful nation, people heavy with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, sons who are corrupt! They have forsaken Jehovah! They have despised the Holy One of Israel. They have turned away from him.read more.
Why do you still want to be beaten? Why do you continue to rebel? Your whole head is infected. Your whole heart is sick.
Suffer you unwilling children, says Jehovah. You pursue a purpose that is not mine. You make a covenant sacrifice without my Spirit. You add sin to sin.
You have never heard about them. You have never known about them. Your ears have never been open to hear them before. I know that you have acted very treacherously and that you have been called a rebel since you were born.
All day long I held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations (thoughts), a people who continually provoke me to my very face, offering sacrifices in gardens and burning incense on altars of brick.
All of them are stubborn rebels. They go about telling false stories. They are copper and iron. They are all corrupt, all of them!
Why do you complain about me? You have rebelled against me, proclaims Jehovah.
Admit that you have done wrong! You have rebelled against Jehovah your God. You have given yourself to foreign gods under every large tree. You have not obeyed me,' says Jehovah.
They surround Judah like men guarding a field, because Judah has rebelled against me, declares Jehovah.
These people are stubborn and rebellious. They have turned aside and departed from me.
Whether these rebellious people listen or not, they will realize that a prophet has been among them. Son of man, do not be afraid of them or the things they say. Do not be afraid, even though thorns and thistles are around you and you live among scorpions. Do not let the things they say frighten you. Do not be terrified in their presence even though they are rebellious people. Speak my words to them whether they listen or not, because they are rebellious.read more.
But you, son of man, listen to what I say. Do not be rebellious like those rebellious people. Open your mouth and eat what I give you.
I will make you as hard as a diamond, harder than flint stone. Do not be afraid of them. Do not be terrified in their presence, even though they are rebellious people.
Son of man, you are living among rebellious people. They have eyes, but they cannot see. They have ears, but they cannot hear because they are rebellious people. Son of man, pack your bags as if you were going into exile. Let the people see you leave in the daylight. March like a captive from your place to another place as they watch. Maybe they will understand, even though they are a rebellious people (house).
Say now to the rebellious house: Do you not know what these things mean? Say, Behold, the king of Babylon came to Jerusalem, took its king and princes and brought them to him in Babylon.
Speak a parable to the rebellious house. Say to them: The Lord Jehovah says, Put on the cooking pot, put it on and also pour water in it.
Tell the rebellious people of Israel: 'This is what the Lord Jehovah says: I have had enough of all the disgusting things that you have done, people of Israel.
Listen to another illustration. A master of a house made a vineyard, and put a wall around it. He made a wine press and built a tower. Then he rented it to workers and traveled to another country. When the time for the fruit came near, he sent his servants to the workmen, to get the fruit. The workmen attacked his servants, striking one with a stone and killing the other.read more.
He sent other servants more in number than the first. They did the same to them. Finally he sent his son to them, saying, 'Certainly they will respect my son.' When the workmen saw the son, they said, 'Let us put him to death and take his heritage, for someday he will own this property.' They took him out of the vineyard and killed him. When the lord of the vineyard returns, what will he do to the workmen? They all said: He will put those cruel men to death. Then he will find other workmen who are worthy and who will give him fruit when it is ready. Jesus said to them: Have you read the Scriptures, 'The stone the builders rejected has been made the chief cornerstone of the building. This was Jehovah's doing, and it is wonderful in our eyes.' (Isaiah 28:16) For this reason I tell you, The kingdom of God will be taken away from you. It will be given to a nation producing fruit. Any man falling on this stone will be broken. Any man having this stone fall on him will be crushed to dust.
He taught them with illustrations: A man had a vineyard planted. He built a wall around it. He prepared a place for crushing out the wine and put up a tower. Then he rented it out to field workers, and went into another country. During the season he sent a servant to the field workers that he might receive the fruits of the vineyard. They beat him and sent him away empty.read more.
Again he sent another servant and they treated him shamefully and wounded him in the head. He sent another and they killed him. He sent many others and some were beaten and some were killed. Last of all he sent his son saying: 'They will respect my son.' But those field workers said among themselves: This is the heir let us kill him and the inheritance shall be ours. They captured him and killed him. Then they cast his body out of the vineyard. What will the lord of the vineyard do? He will destroy the field workers and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this Scripture: 'The stone the builders rejected was made the chief corner stone.' (Psalm 118:22, 23) This was from Jehovah and it is marvelous in our eyes? (Psalm 118:23)
He told the people an illustration: A man planted a vineyard. He rented it to tenants and went to another country for a long time. At harvest time he sent a servant to the renters to collect fruit of the vineyard. The renters beat him, and sent him away empty. He sent another servant who was also treated shamefully, beaten and sent away empty.read more.
A third servant was sent. They wounded him and threw him out. The owner of the vineyard said, what should I do? I will send my beloved son. Maybe they will respect him. When the renters saw him they reasoned that this is the heir, let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours. They threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy the renters and will give the vineyard to others. When they heard it, they said, God forbid! He looked at them and asked what does the scripture mean: The stone that the builders rejected the same was made the head of the corner? Every one that falls on that stone shall be broken to pieces. Every one the stone falls on will be scattered as dust.
Jesus told them an illustration: There was a man who had a fig tree growing in his vineyard. He looked for figs on it but found none. So he told his gardener, I have been coming here looking for figs on this tree for three years. I have not found any. So cut it down! Why should it continue using the soil? But the gardener said: Just give it one more year, sir. I will dig around it, fertilize it and leave it alone.read more.
If the tree bears figs next year it will be good. If it does not you can have it cut down.
Now these things were examples for us. They teach us not to lust after evil things like they did.
Brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant about how all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea. They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea. They all ate the same spiritual meal.read more.
They all drank the same spiritual drink, for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them. That Rock was (represented) (symbolic of) Christ! (Exodus 7:6) (Numbers 20:11) God was not pleased with most of them. And their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things were examples for us. They teach us not to lust after evil things like they did. Do not be idolaters like some of them. It is written: The people sat down to eat and drink, and stood up to play. Do not commit fornication like some of them committed. Twenty three thousand of them died in one day. Do not test Jehovah like some of them also did and were destroyed by serpents. Do not grumble like some of them grumbled. Venomous snakes killed them. These things happened for examples, and they are written for our instruction, upon whom the end of the ages has come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.
For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. Today hear His voice! Do not harden your hearts, as in the day of strife, as in the day of testing in the wilderness. Your fathers tempted me, tested me, and saw my work.read more.
For forty years I was grieved with this generation. I said: It is a people who go astray in their hearts, and they have not known my ways. I swore to them in my anger that they should not enter into my rest.
