The Life of Obedience


This morning, while in the quiet of my closet, and while praising God for who He is; His greatness and mercy, it came upon me that the only way that we can return our Creator's love is by being obedient.
That is all He asks.
Take time out and consider this; disobedience is evidence of lack of faith, isn't it?
It might seem such an impossible task in our busy, worldly lives, but in reality it is insignificant in the light of all that He has done for all of creation.
Because we love Him, know Him and know His word the Bible fairly well, and touch His commandments here and there in the by-going, we like to imagine and hope that we shall be one of those who has overcome.
Our loving heavenly Father does not stand over us with a big stick, waiting to punish us for our disobedience; but is there to lift us up when we stumble and call out for help.
However, His holiness and righteousness prevents Him from helping us if we are willingly disobedient to His wishes, but like a worldly father, shall punish us.
Father God cannot contemplate sin in any form. It's not that He will not, He cannot.

As a worldly example, if you had a friend who stole from you or told lies about you, would you be happy to continue associating with that person? Would you not become angry?
How then can we expect our perfect Creator not to become angry when He sees His children in willing sin?: For which things' sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience:; (Colossians 3:6)

So, when we are walking along life's path, we must be in the habit of asking ourselves "What would Jesus have done here" and try and do it.

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Here is some wonderful evidence of who Jesus really is and the certainty of the Living God of Creation and the Truth of His word. Three encouraging examples to strengthen our faith so that we shall be happy to keep that gentle yoke of Jesus on our shoulders, and remember when we are feeling discouraged or lonely.

First example.
We know by now that the number seven is God's number of perfection: and also that when a fact is repeated three times God is laying stress on the fact and its certainty, not so:: So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.; (Matthew 1:17)
Starting at the first verse of this chapter we can read that this is the history of the generations of Jesus of Nazareth according to the world. These numbers are therefore a historical fact that God has drawn our attention to.

By-the-by:
The importance of the mention of the carrying away to Babylon is because it is that time when God abandoned, or withdrew His Covenant of protection from that hard-necked generation of Jews. (Psalm 89:30-45)
His Covenant that was made with the nation will always remain a fact.
Remember when Jesus continually referred to "this generation"? He was referring to the same thing, and the judgement shall occur on that day. If you have doubts about this, please read Matthew chapter twenty three.

Second example.
These words, by David who became king of Israel, were written twenty eight generations, about a thousand years, before Jesus was born.
Crucifixion was a Roman form of torture and was unknown in the time of David.
The prophetic word from the Psalm is quoted first and then that from the New Covenant.: All they that see me laugh me to scorn: they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, He trusted on the LORD that he would deliver him: let him deliver him, seeing he delighted in him.; (Psalms 22:7-8); And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads, And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. If thou be the Son of God, come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the scribes and elders, said, He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him: for he said, I am the Son of God. The thieves also, which were crucified with him, cast the same in his teeth.; Matthew 27:39-44)
: For dogs have compassed me: the assembly of the wicked have inclosed me: they pierced my hands and my feet. I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me. Deliver my soul from the sword; my darling from the power of the dog. Save me from the lion's mouth: for thou hast heard me from the horns of the unicorns. I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.; (Psalms 22:16-22); Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.; (John 19:18); And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced.; (John 19:37); And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.; (Matthew 27:35); They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be: that the scripture might be fulfilled, which saith, They parted my raiment among them, and for my vesture they did cast lots. These things therefore the soldiers did.; (John 19:24); Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots.; (Luke 23:34)

Third Example.: Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself; That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish; That confirmeth the word of his servant, and performeth the counsel of his messengers; that saith to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited; and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the decayed places thereof: That saith to the deep, Be dry, and I will dry up thy rivers: That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.; (Isaiah 44:24-28); Thus saith the LORD to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open before him the two leaved gates; and the gates shall not be shut; I will go before thee, and make the crooked places straight: I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder the bars of iron: And I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, the LORD, which call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel.; (Isaiah 45:1-3)
When he read the above, king Cyrus understood what God meant because he had witnessed these events when Babylon was captured.
: Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the LORD God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The LORD his God be with him, and let him go up.; (2 Chronicles 36:22-23)

According to the chronology of the Bible, there were approximately one hundred and fifty years between the writing of Isaiah about Cyrus, and the return of the exiles to Jerusalem and the start of the rebuilding of the temple.
Some Jewish slave probably pointed the fact out to king Cyrus that he had been written about in the book of the Living God.

So, it would seem a good idea to be obedient to our Master and Creator:
: For thou, LORD, art high above all the earth: thou art exalted far above all gods. Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked. Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart. Rejoice in the LORD, ye righteous; and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.; (Psalms 97:9-12); I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.; (Romans 12:1-2)