OBEDIENCE -- CONTINUE

The Benefits of Obedience: What Can We Expect From YHVH When We Obey Him?

Obedience to YHVH is Pleasing to Him:
[Study this Book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed.] -- Joshua 1:8. Many people think that prosperity and success come from having power, influential personal contacts and a relentless desire to get ahead. But the strategy for gaining prosperity that YHVH taught Joshua goes against such criteria. He said that to succeed Joshua must: 1 -- be strong and courageous, because the task ahead would not be easy: 2 -- obey YHVH’s Law and: 3 -- constantly read and study the Book of the Law; YHVH’s Word. To be successful, follow YHVH’s Words to Joshua. You may not succeed by the world’s standards, but you will be a success in YHVH’s Eyes and His opinion lasts forever.

Obedience to YHVH Often Leads to Peace:
[When Abijah died, he was buried in the City of David. Then his son Asa became the next king. There was peace in the land for ten years, for Asa did what was pleasing and good in the sight of ADONAI his YHVH.] -- 2 Chronicles 14:1-2. Asa’s reign was marked by peace because he [did what was pleasing and good in the sight of ADONAI his YHVH.] This refrain is often repeated in Chronicles; obedience to YHVH leads to peace with YHVH and others. In the case of Judah’s kings, obedience to YHVH led to national peace, just as YHVH had promised centuries earlier. In our case, obedience may not always bring peace with our enemies, but it will bring peace with YHVH and complete peace in His Kingdom. Obeying YHVH is the first step on the path to peace.

The Challenge of Obedience: How is Obedience Challenged?

Obedience is Often Challenged by Difficulties:
[Load them down with more work. Make them sweat! That will teach them to listen to these liars!] -- Exodus 5:9. Moses and Aaron took their message to Pharaoh just as YHVH directed. The unhappy result was harder work and more oppression for the Hebrews. Sometimes hardship comes as a result of obeying YHVH. Are you following YHVH, but still suffering or suffering even worse than before? If your life is miserable, do not assume you have fallen out of YHVH’s favour. You may be suffering for doing good in an evil world.

Obedience is Often Challenged by Deception:
[When they arrived at the camp of Israel at Gilgal, they told Joshua and the men of Israel, ‘We have come from a distant land to ask you to make a peace treaty with us.’] -- Joshua 9:6. As the news about their victory became widespread, the Israelites experienced opposition in two forms: 1 – directly: kings in the area began to unite against them and 2 – indirect: the Gibeonites resorted to deception. We can expect similar opposition as we obey YHVH’s Commands. To guard against these pressures, we must rely on YHVH and communicate daily with Him. He will give us strength to endure the direct pressures and wisdom to see through the trickery.

How Does Obedience Challenge Us?

Obedience Challenges Us To GO Beyond Mere Understanding:
[If you break the smallest Commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys YHVH’s Laws and teaches them will be great in the Kingdom of Heaven.] -- Matthew 5:19. Some of those in the crowd were experts at telling others what to do, but they missed the central point of YHVH’s Laws themselves. Yeshua made it clear however, that obeying YHVH’s Law is more important than explaining it. It is much easier to study YHVH’s Laws and tell others to obey them than to put them into practice. How are you doing at obeying YHVH yourself?

Obedience Challenges Us To Go Beyond Mere Outward Conformity:
The Pharisees were exacting and scrupulous in their attempts to follow their Laws. So how could Yeshua reasonably call us to a greater righteousness than theirs? The Pharisees’ weakness was that they were content to obey the Laws outwardly without allowing YHVH to change their hearts or attitudes. Yeshua was saying therefore, that the quality of our goodness should be greater than that of the Pharisees. They looked pious, but they were far from the Kingdom of YHVH. YHVH judges our hearts as well as our deeds, for it is in the heart that our real allegiance lies. Be just as concerned about your attitudes that people do not see as about your actions that are seen by all.

Obedience Challenges Us To Act Out Of Love For YHVH:
Yeshua was saying that His listeners needed a different kind of righteousness altogether -- love and obedience --, not just a more intense version of the Pharisees’ righteousness -- legal compliance. Our righteousness must: 1 -- come from what YHVH does in us, not what we can do by ourselves: 2 -- be YHVH-centred, not self-centred: 3 -- be based on reverence for YHVH, not approval from people and: 4 -- go beyond keeping the Law to living by the principles behind the Law.