The only condition of man's abiding in the Garden of Eden, the one thing the creator required of him, was obedience to His command. In Genesis 2:16 it is noted, "And the Lord God commanded the man." And in Genesis 3:11 God questions him, "Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?"

As long as man continued within the guidelines of God's instructions, he enjoyed a paradise. There were no misery or hard times. He was in perfect communion with God. Nothing was said of faith or love. It was obedience that determined his destiny.

Obedience always reaps the reward. Disobedience pays the penalty:

Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God…And a curse, if you will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God…
(Deut. 11:26-28)

The Price of Disobedience
Adam paid for his disobedience to God by a lifetime of toil and regret, remembering the way it used to be before his fall. The only uniting force between Adam and his seed is disobedience. The seal of union between Christ and His seed is obedience.

Romans 5:19 states, "For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous." The redemption which Jesus bought consists of restoring obedience to its place.

Those who continually live contrary to the laws of God, not accepting His goodness, reap a harvest based on their rejection of His Word.

Examples In The Word Of Disobedience
In Exodus 4:24-26 we see where Moses was almost struck dead because of his failure to circumcise his son as God had commanded. Thank God for a perceptive wife whose quick action saved the day.

Because of King Saul's rebellion, stubbornness and rejection of the Word of God, he lost his kingdom (see 1 Sam. 15:23). When David committed adultery, he lost the son born of disobedience (see 2 Sam. 12:13-19).

The prophet Jonah's disobedience brought him into some extreme hardships. The people of Ninevah were enemies of God's people. But because of His great love, God did not want them destroyed. He knew that the way they were living would bring them certain ruin, so He sent a prophet to deliver them from the pending disaster.

But Jonah was not so compassionate. He ran from God because he knew God had commanded him to go to Ninevah and proclaim His mercy if they would repent. Jonah didn't really want to see these people saved, so he ran away. He thought that if he refused the assignment it would mean the destruction of the city.

This type of ignorance can create terrible problems. When Jonah launched out to sea, headed as far away from Ninevah as he could go, he soon found himself faced with disaster.

Jonah's Willingness To Repent
The thing that separates Jonah from so many people today is his willingness to repent and accept the Word and will of God.

When he was thrown into the sea, swallowed by a fish, and tied up with seaweed, Jonah did not complain to God. He did not even cry out to Him for mercy; rather he simply laid hold upon God's promise to redemption.

Then I said, I am cast out of thy sight; yet I will look again toward thy holy temple. The waters compressed me about, even to the soul: the depth closed me round about, the weeds were wrapped about my head. I went down to bottoms of the mountains; the earth with her bars was about me for ever: yet hast thou brought up my life from corruption, O Lord my God.
(Jonah 2:4-6)

Jonah continued to trust his life to God when all he could see around him was fish and seaweed. He knew enough about God to know that he had to look up. He looked toward God and said, "Thou brought up my life from corruption."

When you look up as Jonah did, God will get you out. Many just remain in the "belly of the fish" through continuing in the attitude of disobedience that got them there. But when Jonah began to speak the Word of the Lord, God spoke to the fish and commanded it to put him on dry ground. God's message resulted in the deliverance of 120,000 residents of Ninevah.

It is unfortunate that many times we wait until everything looks hopeless before we turn to God and ask Him to pick up the shattered pieces. We would avoid so many pitfalls if we would become more sensitive to God and, in child-like faith, trust and obey the voice of our Father.

It is quite clear that disobedience is the root of misery. Through the obedience of Jesus, man has returned to his original destiny—a life of obedience. Your choice to obey God is one way in which your relationship to God and to righteousness can be maintained.

Source: A Guide to Successfully Attaining Your God-Given Goals
by Dennis Burke.
Excerpt permission granted by Dennis Burke Publications