- What does defiance mean? (Allow students to give their own definition. Help students understand the meaning as a refusal to obey.)
- Can you give me some examples of what defiance looks like? (Answers may include: disobeying parents; talking back; breaking the rules, etc.)
Defiance means a refusal to obey; you might also say it is bold disobedience or open resistance.
- Have you ever refused to obey someone? Why? What were the circumstances? (Answers will vary but may include: I refused to apologize to my brother after we got into a fight; my friends and I wouldn’t listen to our substitute teacher because we wanted to fool around for the day—we got into big trouble, etc.)
- What kind of punishment did you receive for disobeying? (Answers may include: grounded; my phone taken away; extra chores, etc.)
Rules are important! They’re made to keep us safe. When we choose to disobey, things can get chaotic.
Over the past several years, the tiny country of North Korea has chosen to disobey rules they agreed to follow. North Korea—a communist nation—has repeatedly tested nuclear weapons despite the fact that they have received “sanctions” from other nations. A sanction is a kind of punishment. In January of this year, North Korea defiantly announced they were conducting “underwater nuclear weapons system” tests. Essentially, they were telling the whole world that they were breaking the rules and didn’t care.
- Why do you think North Korea has decided they don’t have to follow the rules except when they want to? (Answers: They don’t care what the rules say; they only care about power; they want to do things their way; etc.)
We’ve all witnessed acts of defiance, whether in our homes or on the news. Defiance always leads to an unhappy ending, with someone being punished for their disobedience. Wouldn’t it just be easier to obey in the first place?
In today’s lesson we’re going to read about a king who had no intention of acknowledging or obeying God or His ways. In fact, this king openly and arrogantly mocked and defied God in front of thousands of people. He had no idea Who he was dealing with, until it was too late. Let’s find out how God dealt with this king’s disobedience.
