JANUARY 09, 2026
Topic: “BEWARE OF REBELLION“
Text: Genesis 7:17-24
Memory Verse: “Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in their nostrils died” – Genesis 7:22.
It is a biblical saying that whatever a man sows he will reap (Gal 6:7). It is like the ancient law of retribution reflected in biblical law, aiming to ensure that the wrongdoer receives a fitting consequence for their actions, while the one who did good also got rewarded appropriately. According to the biblical account, the people of Noah’s generation did indeed persist in their extreme wickedness and violence until the very moment the flood came upon them, at which point, they were caught unawares. The judgement of God visited their rebellion and condemned them.
The Bible in Genesis 6:5 states that God “saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually”. The earth was described as “corrupt” and “filled with violence” due to the actions of humanity.
Despite being a “preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5) who, by faith, built the Ark and warned others for potentially as long as 120 years, Noah’s message was ignored by the vast majority of people. Jesus, in the New Testament, points to this general heedlessness: people were going about their normal daily activities—eating, drinking, marrying—unaware of the impending judgment until the flood “came and took them all away”, Matt 24:37-39.
Thus, the people did not repent or change their ways before the flood, and only Noah and his family (eight people in total) were saved in the Ark. Everyone got a just outcome for their choices.
It is important that we be reminded that our God is just, His standards have not changed, and He cannot violate His character. His call to us for alignment is a show of His love for us, not wanting any evil for any of us. He wants us, like Noah to enjoy His covering and blessings throughout this year and beyond; but if you rebel against Him and choose to do life by and for yourself, you must also be prepared for the attendant consequences of your choice. If He did not condone the rebellion of the people in Noah’s generation, be sure you cannot escape, except you repent before the “Flood”. See Isa 48:22; Ezekiel 18:4; Rom 6:23.
PRAYER: Ask God for grace to focus on Him and to shun all the fantasies of this life as you journey with Him this year.