May We Fiercely Rebel

Written by Jon Spargo

II Kings 18:1-7          

I have four children and I hope they all end up as rebels. Actually, let me amend that: I’m praying they do.

Before you label me as not only the worst pastor ever but also a sorry excuse for a Christian dad, let me explain. A rebel is someone who goes against the flow. They refuse to bow to the cultural expectations and fall in line even if everyone seems to be doing it. They may even be willing to remove symbols and monuments to those ideals and burn them to the ground.

Generally speaking, of course, rebellion isn’t a good thing. But on occasion, rebellion is not only a good thing—It’s a godly thing.

Consider with me for a moment, a twenty-five year old king by the name of Hezekiah. In II Kings 18, we see him described as a man who stepped onto the stage of history with a vibrant relationship with God and a passionate adherence to His word.

Then he begins breaking stuff.

He removes, breaks, and cuts down all the high places and pagan altars Israel had been using to worship false deities. He went against the flow of what was acceptable. The air had been filled with incense offered to idols for many years, but that made no difference to Hezekiah. He had a fire to do what was right.

I particularly love verse 7: And the Lord was with him…he prospered….and he rebelled against the king of Assyria and served him not.

The Assyrians at this time were an extremely powerful force on earth. They were a brutal people and morally vile in the eyes of God. It was largely due to their influence that Israel had adopted the pagan ways that led them astray from the fellowship they once enjoyed with Jehovah. When Hezekiah takes the throne, these evils were normal, expected, and commonplace. It was where society was. It was what everyone was doing. 

But he said “enough is enough” and began to remove the symbols and monuments to those ideals and burned them to the ground. He rebelled against all of it.

Yeah, God calls His people to be rebels, but rebels in a right and godly manner. He expects us to rebel against the ways of this world and the power of darkness in high places that attempts to ruin us at every turn. He calls us to rebel against a culture that runs so contrary to Scripture. We go against the flow of “the world is doing it” and instead speak truth into the darkness, knowing we are not of this world.

I wonder what areas in our lives could use some rebel passion? What sin needs to be dragged out into the street and set on fire? What lies do we need to break down? Make no mistake, Christians are a people of peace- but when it comes to the evils in our lives that so easily overtake us, may we fiercely rebel.