CHAPTER 8 OBEDIENCE COMES FIRST
Before we continue with the discussion of the Manifestation of the Sons of God,(the very hope of being like Him when He returns as set forth in I John 3:3 and Ro.8:23-24), there is a topic which must be discussed in greater detail then was first touched upon in Chapter 6. Turn to Phil.2:8-9, referring to Jesus it says, "... He humbled Himself and became obedient to death... Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place." (emphasis added) The word 'therefore' (Greek word dio) clearly means that humility and obedience came before, and were a condition precedent to exaltation. We know that God's Word is true and His nature is unchanging (Titus 1:2, Heb.6:17-18 and Mal.3:6). Can we then assume that God is telling us that there will be no physical exaltation (being in the group which is alive and remaining when Jesus returns) for those who display anything less then the same level of obedience unto the Father as did Jesus? As we have done during our other studies, let's look at the Bible to find the answer.
First, we must find out what God has said about obedience in the past, and what effect, if any, obedience or disobedience has had upon God's people Let's get right to the heart of the issue and ask the same question Isaiah did in Isa.50:10. "Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the Word of His servant?" In I Sam.15:22 we are told that obedience is more valued by the Lord than sacrifice, and this was said to people who were under the law, which included the direct command to sacrifice! It would therefore be fair to assume that God placed a premium upon obedience.
In fact, part of the law as set forth in Deut.21:18-21 states that any rebellious or stubborn son who did not obey his father was to be stoned to death. God said "... you must purge the evil from among you." Disobedience was evil. Ps.119:118 says, "You reject all who stray from Your decrees." That seems to clearly establish the importance of obedience. It also points toward some form of separation from the totality of that which God has to offer if we are disobedient. In I Sam.15:23 we see that God likens disobedience to the sin of divination, and Rev.22:5 reminds us that those who practice the "magic arts" shall find their place in the lake of burning fire.
Should there still be any doubt concerning God's position regarding our obedience to Him turn to Eccl.12:13 wherein we read "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." (The Hebrew word for 'keep' is shamar which is translated as both 'keep' and 'obey'. For example, Ex.34:11 says to "obey what I command you today, "using the word shamar for 'obey') To fear God and obey Him is our duty. This is not just "Old Testament" teaching either. I John 2:4 emphatically states that:
the man who says, 'I know Him', but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys His word, God's love is truly made complete in Him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did. (emphasis added)
In I Pe.2:9 we are told something absolutely beautiful, "... you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God ..." Praise God that is fantastic; yet, with that blessing comes an obligation. The same thing was told to the Israelites in Deut.27:9-10. They had become the people of God; now, according to vs. 10, they were to obey God and follow His commandments. In regards to their position as priests, notice in Ex.19:6 that the whole nation were to be priests. God's initial desire was not just for one tribe to be priests, but the whole nation to be a "kingdom of priests."
However, vs.5 set a condition precedent that the nation as a whole was unable to fulfill when it states; "... if you obey Me and keep my covenant." This gives a strong indication that the continuing fullness of this relationship, and I emphasize 'fullness', depends upon obedience. This is restated in Jer.7:23 wherein God tells them, "Obey Me, and I will be your God and youwill be My people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may well go well with you." As we have already seen, we have the command to walk as Jesus walked. Needless to say, He walked in all His Father's commands (John 12:50, John 6:38 & John 14:31).
God's very promise to create the nation of Israel is the direct result of obedience (Gen.22:18 & 26:5). However, look at the promised result for disobedience as set forth in Deut.26:62. "You who were as numerous as the stars in the sky will be left but few in number because you did not obey the Lord your God..." This applies to all nations which do not harken unto God. Jer.12:17 makes that perfectly clear by saying that "... if any nation does not listen (shama) I will completely uproot and destroy it." Israel was promised in 26:13 that if she would reform her ways and obey God, He would relent and not bring the pronounced disaster. Likewise, in 18:9-10 all nations are warned that if they do evil in God's sight, which we know includes disobedience, He will reconsider the good He had previously intended for that nation.
The Egyptians did not obey God's command to allow Israel to depart and they suffered as a result. But look at the conditional promises God made to Israel in Ex.15:26. "If you listen (shama) carefully to the voice of the Lord your God, and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to His commands and keep His decrees, I will not bring on you any of the diseases I brought on the Egyptians." Did they listen and obey? Neh.9:17 tells us they "refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles You performed among them."
Joshua 5:6 shows us the consequences of this failure wherein we are told "The Israelites had moved about in the desert forty years, until all men who were of military age when they left Egypt had died since they had not obeyed the Lord." Referring back to the same sequence of events we see in Jer.11:3-5 & 7 that the failure to obey was the direct cause for their failure to possess the land of milk and honey. Without jumping to far ahead, it should be pointed out that no where does it say that all those 603,500 who died did not end up in heaven (Nu.1:46). What is clear, is that they did not obtain all that God had for them on this earth because of their disobedience. We will explore that in more detail a little later.
Similarly, it must be pointed out that failure to continue to obey once the promised land had been entered, meant the loss of it later. We see in Ps.81:12 that God's people were given over to their stubborn hearts because they would not listen to Him. This appears to be exactly what happened to the immoral brother in I Cor.5:5 where Paul directs that he be turned over to Satan for a while. When Israel was given over to its stubborn heart, look what happened. "(T)he king of Assyria deported Israel to Assyria ... this happened because they had not obeyed the Lord their God (II Ki.18:12). Daniel shows us the same thing, only in more detail. "All Israel transgressed Your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. Therefore, the curses and sworn judgment written in the Law ... have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you." (Dan.9:11 & Jer.11:7-8)
It seems clear that curses follow disobedience. What follows obedience? Deut.11:26-28 gives us the answer when it says, "... I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse. The blessing if you obey ..." This is confirmed in Jer.38:20 which says, "Obey the Lord by doing what I tell you. Then it will go well with you." How well? Turn to Prov.4:20-21. "...(L)isten closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight. Keep them with you in your heart, for they are life to those who find them." (see also Prov.7:1) We are further told in Ps.19:9&11 that the Lord's commands are definite and righteous "... in keeping them there is great reward."
Recall for a moment that disobedience kept the Israelites from Canaan. They did not receive the 'great reward.' Whereas, in I Chron.28:8 (KJV) we see that we are to "keep and seek all the commandments of the Lord your God that ye may possess this good land." This shows us two things. First, we are talking about a total commitment of obedience. Secondly, the reward for this obedience deals with something which is more than just heavenly in nature.
Look at Deut.30:2 & 8. "...(W)hen you and your children return to the Lord your God and follow His commandments ... then the Lord will make you prosperous in all the work of your hands, and in the fruits of your womb, and the young of your livestock, and the crops of your land." Those blessings are definitely earthly in nature. The reason for God's blessings being poured out after we are obedient is given earlier in Deut.12:28. Therein we are told that blessings follow obedience because when we obey God, we "...will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the Lord your God."
You will notice in this lesson that the words 'listen', 'obey' and 'keep' have been used somewhat interchangeably. The Hebrew word used for all of them is shama or shamar. It is the same word used in Gen.27:8 & 13 when Rebekah is speaking to Jacob. "Now my son, listen carefully (shama) ... just do what I say (shama)." (emphasis and parenthesis added) As far as God is concerned, listening to Him and obeying Him should be synonymous. We should not even think of listening without obeying. (see also Ps.44:1 and I Sam.12:1 as examples where shama is translated "listen" or "hear")
With all this having been said, we can now show a direct link between these Old Testament verses which clearly establish the fact that disobedience is what prevented the Israelites from physically entering earthly Canaan, and New Testament belief, disobedience, and blessings. Turn to Ps.95:7. "Today if you hear (shama) His voice, do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah." Now turn to Heb.4:7 which reads, "Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." That quote from Ps.95:7 is found at the end of a 25 verse dissertation which says that the Israelites did not enter God's REST because of their unbelief (KJV). Yet, as we have already seen, it was their disobedience that prevented Israel from entering Canaan. Is there a conflict? Not at all. The Greek word for 'unbelief' used in the KJV translation of Heb.4:6 & 11 is apithia, and is the same word which is translated 'disobedience' in Eph.2:2, 5:6, & Col.3:6. Therefore, as we can see in the New Testament, 'unbelief' and 'disobedience' are synonymous, just as 'not listening' and 'disobedience' were in the Old Testament.
The 'rest' referred to in Heb. 4 is clearly Canaan land, and is therefore not limited to some 'heavenly award.' The 'rest' spoken of is much more than "peace of mind" or "inner peace." The Greek word for 'rest' used in Heb.3:11 & 18, 4:1,3,5,10 & 11 is katapausis, which is defined as a "place of rest, ie. where one rests". (see Bauer's Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature and Thayer's Greek English Lexicon of the New Testament). Whereas, the Greek word for 'peace of mind' or soulish peace as in Matt.11:28 is anappusis.
We must remember that in Nu.14:23 God said to the disobedient Israelites "not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers." (emphasis added) He did not say that they would not go to heaven upon their death. After all, can we now say that those Israelites who served as priests during the forty-year journey in the wilderness could not now enter paradise upon their deaths even though God had accepted their earthly sacrifices. Heb.4:11 clearly tells us to "make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience." To see what fell, look back to Heb.3:17. "With whom was He angry ... Was it not with those who sinned, whose BODIES fell in the desert." (emphasis added)
It was their body that was lost, no reference to spirit or soul. We should also remember that even though they were refused entrance into Canaan God was still with them. In the book of Numbers God is shown providing healing via the Bronze snake (Nu.21:4-9), refused to allow a curse to be placed on them (Nu.22:12), provided water (Nu.21:6), and gave them military power (Nu.21:21-35). He never abandoned them. However, this should serve as a warning to us not to look at the physical alone as evidence of spirituality, or 'correctness of doctrine.'
At times we may think, "So and so must be right on because look at all the things God is doing in his/her life," or "So and so is still doing such and such, which is clearly non-Scriptural, maybe God has just overlooked it because look at all the things He has done, and is doing in their life." While that person may be receiving blessings from the Lord, he may very well not be in total obedience, and will therefore, not enter into the promised 'rest.' Is it fair to say that being alive and remaining at the return of Jesus, that liberation from the bondage of decay spoken of in Ro.8:21, is our Canaan, and like the one in the book of Numbers, can only be entered through total obedience?
Those who are among that group known as the manifested Sons of God spoken of in Ro. 8:19 will be full participants in the latter rain spoken of in Joel 2:23-27. The early rain came at Pentecost, and we are waiting for the latter one to fall. Now turn to Deut.11:13-14 and look at the condition which must be met before that rain will come. "... (I)f you faithfully obey (shama) the commandments I am giving you today to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and with all of your soul, then I will send on your land in its season, both autumn and spring rains..." . Two requirements are clearly shown: God's timing (in its season), and total obedience (faithfully obey). No recipient of the latter rain, which is more abundant than the early rain, will be anything less then totally obedient. Total obedience was needed for the Israelites to enter Canaan, God's rest. In Heb.4:11 we are specifically told that unless we make every effort, we also will fall. Ro.12:1, while dealing with a slightly different topic, explicitly sets forth God's fairness when it says, "If God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you either."
II Tim.2:5 tells us that, "If anyone competes as an athlete he does not receive the victors crown unless he competes according to the rules." I Cor.9:24 then shows us, again using a sports analogy, "...that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize. Run in such a way as to get the prize ... we do it to get a crown that will last forever..." Now, what is that prize? Paul saw it in Phil.3:14 wherein he states, "I press on toward the goal to win the prize..." That prize, as set forth in vs.21, is the very transfiguration of our bodies. According to II Tim.2:5, that prize can only go to the one who competes according to the rules of the race. Our Canaan, our physical rest, can only be entered without first tasting death, if we are obedient first.
As we become totally obedient, using the ability He has given us, out of love and reverence for Him, then and only then will God be able to totally bless us. Total blessing in all realms - Spirit, Soul & Body - is the result of total obedience. Our love for Him, and our desire to be totally useful to Him should be our main reason for seeking total obedience. However, we should not loose sight of the fact that physical death is the last enemy to be overcome before Jesus returns (I Cor.15:26), and entering Canaan (ie. overcoming physical death) will come about only when we walk in total obedience.
Earlier in this Chapter we saw that God rejected the whole nation of Israel as His priests because of its disobedience. He chose instead one tribe, the Levites as His priests. Yet, even that tribe was eventually divided because of disobedience. That division should serve as a further warning to us, the New Testament kingdom of priests (I Pe.2:9). Ez.44:10 shows us that the priests disobeyed God by seeking after idols. All that is, except the Levites who were sons of Zadok. Those who were disobedient were still to function as priests (vs.14), but their service was to be limited.
Ez.44:15 then tells us that "...the descendants of Zadok... who faithfully carried out the duties of My sanctuary when the Israelites went astray ... are to come to minister before Me ... They alone are to enter my sanctuary." (emphasis added) Return for a moment to Chapter 15 of Needful Things and review that part which deals with the idea that the Holy of Holies is representative of our dealing with the Father in the physical realm during the last days Feast of Tabernacles. Now it becomes clearer. Of all the priests, only the totally obedient ones are permitted to physically enter into the Holy of Holies to minister unto the Father.
Who are these 'sons of Zadok'? The name Zadok means "righteousness", and we are sons of the King of Righteousness. We know from Ro.3:22 that righteousness comes from faith. The opposite of faith is unbelief, which as we have previously seen, is the same as disobedience. Obedience and Righteousness are related, and Ro.6:16 tells us that obedience leads to righteousness. We also must be likened unto the sons of Zadok. We however are not obedient to the law of the Old Covenant, but to the Spirit of the New Covenant. Do not allow men to put upon you a yoke of bondage to man made 'religious laws.' Rather, be totally obedient to the Spirit of God and the Word of God, which are never in conflict and which will work together.
Those who, in season, walk in that totality of obedience out of love and devotion to God, will be able to enter God's physical rest without first tasting death. More importantly though, they will be the very instruments God uses to destroy the last enemy, thereby setting the stage for that hope of Titus 2:13, the glorious appearing of our Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. We must not seek any form of elitism or self-gratification. God however is showing us the totality of commitment He desires from us. Praise God, He is also showing us the totality of blessings He freely offers to those who "walk as Jesus did" (I John 2:6). The choice is ours, "I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now CHOSE LIFE ... LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD, LISTEN TO HIS VOICE, AND HOLD FAST TO HIM ... HE WILL GIVE YOU MANY YEARS IN THE LAND... (Deut.30:19-20)