OBEDIENCE, IMPORTANCE OF
Definitions
Hebrew
shama to hear, give attention
Greek
hupakoe to listen, to attend, and so to submit
Old Testament
Examples
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Genesis
12:1-5 “Now the Lord God had said unto
Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and
from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that
I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great
nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou
shalt be a blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee, and
curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of
the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the Lord
had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram
was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and
all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that
they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the
land of Canaan they came.”
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Exodus
23:20-22 “Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to
keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I
have prepared. Beware of him, and obey his voice,
provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for
my name is in him. But if thou shalt indeed obey his
voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an
enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine
adversaries.”
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Numbers
20:7-12 “And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, take
the rod, and gather thou the assembly together, thou, the
assembly together, thou, and Aaron thy brother, and
speak ye unto the rock before their eyes;
and it shall give forth his water, and thou shalt bring forth to
them water out of the rock: so thou shall give the congregation
and their beasts drink. And Moses took the rod from before the
Lord, as he commanded him. And Moses and Aaron gathered the
congregation together before the rock, and he said unto them,
Hear now, ye rebels; must we fetch you water out of this rock?
And Moses lifted up his hand, and with his rod
he smote the rock twice; and the water came
out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts
also. And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron, Because
ye believed me not, to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children
of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into
the land which I have given them.”
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I Samuel
15:22-23 “And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great
delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in
obeying the voice of the Lord? For behold,
to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than
the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of
witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity
and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected
the Word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from
being king (Saul).”
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I Chronicles
13:3-14 “David: And
let us bring again the ark of our God to us:
for we inquired not at it in the days of Saul. And
all the congregation said that they would do so: for the thing
was right in the eyes of all the people. So David gathered all
Israel together, from Shihor of Egypt even unto the entering of
Hemath, to bring the ark of God from Kirjathjearim, which
belonged to Judah, to bring up thence the ark of God the Lord,
that dwelleth between the cherubims, whose name is called on it.
And they carried the ark of God in a new cart
out of the house of Abinudab: and Uzza and Ahio drave the cart.
And David and all Israel played before God with all their might,
and with singing, and with harps, and with psalteries, and with
timbrels, and with cymbals, and with trumpets. And when they
came unto the threshing floor of Chidon, Uzza put
forth his hand to hold the ark; and the oxen stumbled.
And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzza,
and he smote him, because he put his hand to the ark: and there
he died before God. And David was
displeased, because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzza:
wherefore that place is called Perezuzza to this day. And
David was afraid of God that day, saying, How shall I
bring the ark of God come to me? So David brought not the ark
home to himself to the city of David, but carried it aside into
the house of Obedeom the Gitite. And the
ark of God remained with the family of Obededom in his house
three months. And the Lord blessed the house of
Obededom, and all that he had.”
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I Chronicles
15:11-16, 28 “And David called for Zadok and Abiathar
the priests, and for the Levites, for Uriel, Asalah, and Joel,
Shemaiah, and Eliel, and Amminadab, and said unto them, Ye are
the chief of the fathers of the Levites: sanctify yourselves,
both ye and your brethren, that ye may bring up the ark of the
Lord God of Israel unto the place that I have prepared.
For because ye did it not at the first, the Lord our God made
a breach upon us, for that we sought Him not after the due order.
So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves
to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel.
And the children of the Levites bare the ark of God upon
their shoulders with the staves thereon, as
Moses commanded according to the Word of the Lord.
And David spake to the chief of the Levites to appoint their
brethren to be the singers with instruments of music, psalteries
and harps and cymbals, sounding, by lifting up the voice of joy.
Thus all Israel brought up the ark of the covenant of
the Lord with shouting, and with sound of the cornet,
and with trumpets, and with cymbals, making a noise with
psalteries and harps.”
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I Chronicles
21:1-4, 7-8 “And Satan stood up against Israel, and
provoked David to number Israel. And David said to Joab and to
the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beersheba even
to Dan: and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it.
And Joab answered, The Lord make his people an hundred times so
many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my
lord’s servants? Why then doth my lord require this thing? Why
will he be a cause of trespass to Israel? Nevertheless the
king’s word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and
went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem. And God was
displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel. And David
said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this
thing: but now, I beseech Thee, do away the iniquity of thy
servant; for I have done foolishly.”
New Testament
Examples
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John 14:15
“If you love me keep my commandments.”
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I Corinthians
11:27-32 “Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread,
and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of
the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself,
and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he
that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh
condemnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. For
this cause many are weak and sickly and many sleep.”
-
II
Corinthians 10:5 “For the weapons of our warfare are
not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong
holds; casting down imaginations, and every high thing that
exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into
captivity every thought to the obedience of
Christ. Casting down imaginations and every high thing that
exalteth itself against the knowledge of God. Bring into
captivity every thought to the obedience of
Christ.”
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Ephesians
6:1-3 “Children obey your
parents in the Lord for this is right.”
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Philippians
2:8 “Jesus being found in fashion as a man, humbled
himself, and became obedient unto death,
even the death of the cross.”
-
Colossians
3:22 “Servants obey in all
things your masters according to the flesh: not with eye
service, as men pleasers; but in singleness of heart, fearing
God.”
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II
Thessalonians 1:7-10 “And to you who are troubled,
rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven
with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them
that know not God, and that obey not the
gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with
everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from
the glory of His power; when He shall come to be glorified in
His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe because
our testimony among you was believed in that day.”
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II
Thessalonians 3:14 “If any man obey
not our word by this Epistle, note that man, and have no company
that he may be ashamed.”
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Titus 2:3-5
“The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as becometh
holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers
of good things; that they may teach the young women to be sober,
to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet,
chaste, keepers at home, good and obedient
to their own husbands, that the Word of God be not blasphemed.”
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Hebrews 5:5-8
“So also Christ glorified not Himself to be made an high priest;
but He that said unto Him, Thou art My Son today have I begotten
Thee. As He saith also in another place, Thou art a priest
forever after the order of Melchisedec. Who in the days of His
flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications with
strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him from
death, and was heard in that he feared; though He were a Son,
yet learned He obedience by the things
which He suffered; Learned He obedience by
the things which He suffered.”
-
Hebrews
11:8-10 “By faith Abraham, when
he was called to go out into a place which
he should after receive for an in heritance, obeyed;
and he went out, not knowing
whither he went. By faith
he sojourned in the land of promise; as in a
strange country, dwelling in tabernacles
with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same
promise: For he looked for a city
which hath foundations, whose
builder and maker is God.”
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Hebrews
11:17-19 “By faith,
Abraham, when he was tried, offered up
Isaac: and he that had received the
promises offered up his only begotten son.
Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:
Accounting that God was able to raise him up,
even from the dead; from when
also he received him in a figure.”
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Hebrews 13:17
“Obey them that rule over you, and submit
yourselves for they watch for your souls, as they that must give
account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for
that is unprofitable for you.”
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I John 2:3
“Hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep
His commandments.”
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I John 3:22
“Whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep
His commandments and do those things that
are pleasing in His sight.”
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I John 5:3
“This is the love of God, that we keep
His commandments: and His commandments are not
grievous.”
Jesus’ Example
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Romans
5:14-21 “Nevertheless death, reigned from Adam to
Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude
of Adam’s transgression, who is the figure of Him that was to
come. But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if
through the ofference of one many be dead, much more the grace
of God, and he gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ,
hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned,
so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but
the free gift is of many offences unto justification. For if by
one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which
receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness
shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. Therefore as by the
offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even
so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men
unto justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience
many were made sinners, so by the obedience
of One shall many be made righteous.
Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But
where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: that as sin hath
reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through the
righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord.”
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Romans
16:25-27 “Now to Him that is of power to stablish you
according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ,
according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept
secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by
the Scriptures of the prophets, according to the
commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all
nations for the obedience of
faith: To God only wise, be glory through Jesus
Christ forever. Amen.”
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Philippians
2:5-11 “Let this mind be in you, which was also in
Christ Jesus: who, being in the form of God, thought it not
robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation,
and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the
likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man,
He humbled Himself, and became obedient
unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore
God also hath highly exalted Him, and given Him an Name which is
above every Name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should
bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under
the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
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Hebrew 5:5-10
“So also Christ glorified not Himself to be made an high priest;
but He that said unto Him, Thou art my Son, today have I
begotten Thee. As He saith also in another place, Thou art a
priest forever after the order of Melchisadec. Who in the days
of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications
with strong crying and tears unto Him that was able to save Him
from death, and was heard in that He feared; Though He
were a Son, yet learned He obedience by the things which He
suffered: and being made perfect, He became the
author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey Him; Called
of God an High Priest after the order off Melchisedec.”
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I Peter 1:2-9
“Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through
sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and
peace, be multiplied. Blessed by the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, which according to His abundant mercy hath
begotten us again unto a lively help by the resurrection of
Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and
undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation
ready to be revealed in the Last Time. Wherein ye greatly
rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, though now for a
season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold
temptations: that the trial of your faith, being much more
precious than gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire,
might be found unto the praise and honor and glory at the
appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in
whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with
joy unspeakable and full of glory: Receiving the end of your
faith, even the salvation of your souls.”
NOTE:
The most profound obedience is absolute simple obedience!
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