There is a familiar hymn which we often sing that goes like this, “Trust and obey, for there’s no other way”, and for many years we may not have been aware of the full import of those words. But now the time has come for us to understand three vital lessons pertaining to obeying God’s voice, lessons which are to implemented both now and in the future, if we are to survive the coming final conflict between the powers of good and evil, which have been predicted in the Bible for so long. A mind that is trained to implicitly obey God’s voice, is of more value than intellectual accomplishments and claims of faith, for at the end of the day, it’s not merely the hearers of His word, but the doers who will find an entrance into the pearly gates.
There are many who claim to have received The Holy Ghost, and there are many others who boast of having a knowledge of Christ, but in the final analysis, it is only those who follow through in obeying God, who will be saved, regardless of whatsoever the profession of being a Christian may be. The Lord made this plain to king Saul, after he deliberately refused to carry out God’s commands to the letter, for he thought to himself that good intentions and actions will atone for obedience, a mistake that is being repeated all too often in our day. Hence the reason why the three case studies for this afternoon will focus our attention squarely on different aspects of obedience that we may not have previously considered. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
23 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.
Here in these two verses the Lord is saying that if He has to choose between worship and us obeying His voice, He prefers obedience, because worship without compliance is the equivalent of rebellion. It is therefore important that we train our minds to obey God’s voice implicitly, even before we receive logical reasons for doing so, because in the final conflict against the powers of darkness, nothing but perfect obedience to the voice of God will do, and since practice makes perfect, we may want to begin with those instructions which have been plainly revealed in the scriptures. As a matter of fact, if we are habitually hesitant in obeying the written word, we may never graduate to the spoken word, as it comes through the voice of God. And so the first example we will explore has to do with Joash, king of Israel who had come to visit with Elisha the prophet, just prior to his death.
As Elisha lay on his death bed, the spirit of The Lord came upon him, while Joash was weeping over him, and moved upon the prophet to give the king some tokens of future victories over the Syrians, who had been a sort of menace to the Hebrew people, at times invading their country and putting them to tribute. The prophet then gives the king a series of commands, which as the king obeys implicitly, the explanations do follow. It is now necessary that we keenly observe the commands given, and the action taken by the king in response, for they teach us the first lesson in obeying the voice of God. Let’s read:
2nd kings 13:14 Now Elisha was fallen sick of his sickness whereof he died. And Joash the king of Israel came down unto him, and wept over his face, and said, O my father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof.
15 And Elisha said unto him, Take bow and arrows. And he took unto him bow and arrows.
16 And he said to the king of Israel, Put thine hand upon the bow. And he put his hand upon it: and Elisha put his hands upon the king's hands.
17 And he said, Open the window eastward. And he opened it. Then Elisha said, Shoot. And he shot. And he said, The arrow of the Lord's deliverance, and the arrow of deliverance from Syria: for thou shalt smite the Syrians in Aphek, till thou have consumed them.
Now even though the first four instructions coming from The Lord through Elisha, seem to suggest that Joash was being prepared shoot his arrows, he must not be found shooting them before being told to do so, for then he would be running before God, in doing what seems obvious, a very common mistake that is made in the lives of many Christians. When God, through His providence opens up a way for us to procure victories, it’s imperative that we wait patiently for His guidance and leadership all along the way, lest we be tempted with a presumptuous course of action, which did not have the stamp of His approval. This is what took place with Joshua after God had promised the Hebrews the Land of Canaan, and they then moved upon His promises and took it upon themselves to attack the city of Ai, before consulting with Him as to the timing and the method to be implemented in gaining the victory which was already theirs.
Up to this point Joash had done well, in obeying implicitly what The Lord had spoken through the prophet Elisha, but on the next command given, he tripped up, for he stopped doing what he was asked to do, without being told to stop. This brings us to a very important aspect of obedience, for whenever God has given us the green light in a certain course of action, we are to proceed full speed ahead until He bids us stop, and under no circumstances should we conclude that we have done enough to satisfy His requirements. Some Christians are called to serve in different capacities in the church, and it is often the case that we stop midstream, without being told to stop by God, and we allow problems, discouragement, and a lack of cooperation on the part of other members to prevent us from finishing what we once started, under the direction of God. If God has told us to run, we are to keep on running until He bids us stop. If Lot had stopped for any reason, after being told by the angels to run for his life, then we would have read of two pillars of salt instead of one. It’s that serious. Let’s read:
2nd Kings 13:18 And he said, Take the arrows. And he took them. And he said unto the king of Israel, Smite upon the ground. And he smote thrice, and stayed.
19 And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria
but thrice.
The next important lesson in obedience to God’s voice is taken from the experience of Zipporah, Moses’ wife, who had refused to have their son circumcised, according to the plainest command of God in this matter. Zipporah probably thought that the physical pain that circumcision would cause her newborn, was an unfair, and totally unnecessary requirement, and since she could not draw a logical or scientific line between circumcision and salvation she chose to go with plan “B”, which always seems to be the better way, as it is often presented by the adversary of souls. And if we in our day begin to look for excuses for disobeying God’s written word, the devil will be more than happy and willing to supply numerous passages of scripture to support us in a wrong course of action, because for every temptation to disobey God’s voice, he has a whole surplus of Biblical passages, taken out of context, to confirm the disobedient in sin. And in the case of Zipporah, he would have undoubtedly used the following, if it were available back then. Let’s read:
1st Corinthians 7:18 Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.
19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
This same method of pitting scripture against the plain commands of God, is used profusely in our day, where millions of professed Christians excuse disobedience on the premise of love and mercy to our fellowmen. But the word of The Lord to us is “These ought ye to have done, and not to have left the others undone”, for good works never atone for obedience, and deliberate, partial compliance with God’s word is reckoned as full blown disobedience. This second lesson needs to be fully comprehended by all, for it has now become all too common to quote the scriptures out of context in order to justify sin. The false doctrine of “Mercy without compliance”, satisfying the conditions upon which mercy is to be granted, is a satanic message that is concocted in the laboratories of hell, and which will lead millions of unwary Christians to destruction.
Furthermore, in the experience of Zipporah, her husband Moses was to enter satan’s enchanted ground, and the devil would have liked nothing better than for Moses to enter the chamber of magicians, with one act of disobedience hanging over his head, for then Moses would be torn to pieces, and God’s name would have suffered great reproach as a result. This second lesson cannot be emphasized enough, especially now, as God is preparing to send a company of obedient soldiers into enemy territory, to wage spiritual war against the powers of darkness. If for any reason we were to presume to wrest satan’s captives, without our complete compliance with everything we know to be right, the enemy of souls will then maul to death, all those who are in the habit of partial obedience. Let’s read:
Exodus 4:21 And the Lord said unto Moses, When thou goest to return into Egypt, see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand”…..
22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn.
23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, even thy firstborn.
24 And it came to pass by the way in the inn, that the Lord met him, and sought to kill him.
25 Then Zipporah took a sharp stone, and cut off the foreskin of her son, and cast it at his feet, and said, Surely a bloody husband art thou to me.
26 So he let him go: then she said, A bloody husband thou art, because of the circumcision.
[Patriarchs And Prophets pp. 255>256] On the way from Midian, Moses received a startling and terrible warning of the Lord’s displeasure. An angel appeared to him in a threatening manner, as if he would immediately destroy him. No explanation was given; but Moses remembered that he had disregarded one of God’s requirements; yielding to the persuasion of his wife, he had neglected to perform the rite of circumcision upon their youngest son. He had failed to comply with the condition by which his child could be entitled to the blessings of God’s covenant with Israel”… Zipporah, fearing that her husband would be slain, performed the rite herself, and the angel then permitted Moses to pursue his journey.
In his mission to Pharaoh, Moses was to be placed in a position of great peril; his life could be preserved only through the protection of holy angels. But while living in neglect of a known duty, he would not be secure; for he could not be shielded by the angels of God. In the time of trouble just before the coming of Christ, the righteous will be preserved through the ministration of heavenly angels; but there will be no security for the transgressor of God’s law. Angels cannot then protect those who are disregarding one of the divine precepts.
The third and final lesson in obeying God’s voice is taken from the experiences of Paul and Silas, who were imprisoned for preaching the gospel. These men were following the mandate given by Christ to every Christian, and as such were in harmony with what God had commanded. But, as is often the case when the sin-loving multitudes become infuriated by the preaching of the plain utterances of God’s word, Paul and Silas were thrown in jail, in a sort of maximum security prison, with their two feet being shackled with iron chains, so as to prevent their escape. But at midnight, Paul and Silas, instead of complaining with the “Why me syndrome”, they instead prayed and sang praises unto God, for the privilege of suffering for the sake of Christ, a mode of thought and action that is worthy of emulation in our day.
The Lord then responded with a remarkable miracle in a terrible earthquake which followed, which then caused all of the chains which had bound Paul and Silas, and every other prisoner to fall from off their hands and feet, in addition to which all the doors of the prison were thrown wide open, so that whoever desired to escape, could now do so. But strangely enough, Paul and Silas, together with all the other prisoners stayed put, even though it seemed that the providence of God had opened up a way for their escape. And then again, if they so chose, the devil would be standing by with a plethora of texts to sustain them in a wrong course of action. Texts such as, “Psalm 34:6 This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them.
17 The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles.
19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.
The question then is, “Why would Paul and Silas deliberately remain in jail, even though it seemed as if the providence of God had pointed unmistakably to their deliverance? The answer has to do with our third and final lesson in obeying God’s voice, for whenever we are to be brought into straight places on account of preaching the gospel, we are still to wait for the voice of God if deliverance is His will, and unless they had received a directive coming from the mouth of God, implicit obedience will mean that they stay put, even if His providence was to the contrary. If Paul and Silas had opted for the easy way out, then the jailor might never have learned of Christ, and he and his entire family might never have been baptized.
Now some may be wondering why such serious lessons in obedience, and why it is necessary to not make a move without God’s plain directions. The reason is that in the near future, only the obedient will be shielded, and it is only by total compliance with His every word and instruction that we may find safety. The days in which we live are filled with turmoil and distress on every hand, and it is no longer entirely safe to even attend school. Added to all this is the fact that there are millions of sincere Christians who are now sitting in the shadows of Babylon, waiting for the voice of God to make their move, and it is through the preaching of “Moses and Elijah”, that the multitudes will be brought to the point of decision, as is stated in the book of Joel. Let’s read:
Joel 2:1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the Lord cometh, for it is nigh at hand;
2 A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.
3 A fire devoureth before them; and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
4 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.
5 Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame
of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.
6 Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.
7 They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks:
8 Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.
9 They shall run to and fro in the city; they shall run upon the wall, they shall climb up upon the houses; they shall enter in at the windows like a thief.
11 And the Lord shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the Lord is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?
23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.
32 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.
[Early Writings pp. 271] Said the angel, “Look ye!” My attention was then turned to the company I had seen, who were mightily shaken. I was shown those whom I had before seen weeping and praying in agony of spirit. The company of guardian angels around them had been doubled, and they were clothed with an armor from their head to their feet. They moved in exact order, like a company of soldiers. Their countenances expressed the severe conflict which they had endured, the agonizing struggle they had passed through. Yet their features, marked with severe internal anguish, now shone with the light and glory of heaven. They had obtained the victory, and it called forth from them the deepest gratitude and holy, sacred joy.
The numbers of this company had lessened. Some had been shaken out and left by the way. The careless and indifferent, who did not join with those who prized victory and salvation enough to perseveringly plead and agonize for it, did not obtain it, and they were left behind in darkness, and their places were immediately filled by others taking hold of the truth and coming into the ranks. Evil angels still pressed around them, but could have no power over them.
I heard those clothed with the armor speak forth the truth with great power. It had effect. Many had been bound; some wives by their husbands, and some children by their parents. The honest who had been prevented from hearing the truth now eagerly laid hold upon it. All fear of their relatives was gone, and the truth alone was exalted to them. They had been hungering and thirsting for truth; it was dearer and more precious than life. I asked what had made this great change. An angel answered, “It is the latter rain, the refreshing from the presence of the Lord, the loud cry of the third angel.”
No one is to erroneously conclude that satan will stand idly by as his territory is being invaded, for he will put up a desperate struggle, that if possible, this company of soldiers may be overthrown. Thus it is of critical importance that we train our minds to an unquestioning obedience to the written word of God, so that when He begins to utter His voice, we will already be in the habit of trusting and obeying. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which reveals to us the graduation process, from the word of God written in the scriptures, to the word of God spoken by His literal voice, and which emphasizes the importance of implicit obedience to the written word in our day, for it is the will of God that every Christian come on board now, before His voice goes forever silent in our consciences. Let’s read:
1st Samuel 3:1 And the child Samuel ministered unto the Lord before Eli. And the word of the Lord was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
2 And it came to pass at that time, when Eli was laid down in his place, and his eyes began to wax dim, that he could not see;
3 And ere the lamp of God went out in the temple of the Lord, where the ark of God was, and Samuel was laid down to sleep;
4 That the Lord called Samuel: and he answered, Here am I.
5 And he ran unto Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou calledst me. And he said, I called not; lie down again. And he went and lay down.
6 And the Lord called yet again, Samuel. And Samuel arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And he answered, I called not, my son; lie down again.
7 Now Samuel did not yet know the Lord, neither was the word of the Lord yet revealed unto him.
8 And the Lord called Samuel again the third time. And he arose and went to Eli, and said, Here am I; for thou didst call me. And Eli perceived that the Lord had called the child.
9 Therefore Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be, if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. So Samuel went and lay down in his place.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study and practice of His every word.
God bless!