From
The Encyclopedia of
Bible Words.
(Thx Diane.)
OBEY/DISOBEY
Often our understanding of the Bible is subtly colored. When we read the Bible, we often import a tone of voice into our reading. The words we read may seem harsh or impersonal, or strident and demanding, not because they are so used in the Bible, but because we intuitively feel this way about the words them-selves. This is particularly a danger when we read of obedience or disobedience. All too often the warmth and love that infuse the passages that speak of them are replaced by a cold impersonality that we bring with us and that robs Scripture of its meaning.
OT
1. To hear and obey
NT
2. The Greek words
3. Obedience and disobedience
in Jesus' teaching
4. The obedience of Jesus
5. Obedience and faith
6. Summary
OT-1. To hear and obey.
The basic word translated "obey" in the OT is šāma", "to hear." The biblical concept stresses effective hearing one who truly hears will respond with obedience See: Hear/Listen
The OT portrays obedience as the appropriate response of God's covenant people to his revelation. In this sense, obedience is the outward expression of a heart that has turned to God
Throughout the OT, obedience is intimatcly associated with blessing. The person and generation that lives in intimate relationship with the Lord will esperience the blessing he yearns to extend to his people. So God promises, "Follow my decrees and be careful to obey my laws, and you will live safely in the land. Then the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and live there in safety (Lev 25:18-19, ct. Dt 4:30). God's call to obedience is, at the same time, a call to holiness and an invitation to blessing: "Hear, O Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey (Dt 6:3).
Obedience enabled God to bless his people, but disobedience led necessarily to discipline. "See, God told them, "I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse-the blessing if you obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today, the curse if you disobey the commands of the Lord your God and turn from the way that I command you today by following other gods (Dt 11:26-28). The consequences of obedience and disobedience were fully explained for Israel in Dt 28 and 30.
We need to hear both the promises and the warnings as they were uttered-i.e.. in the warmest and most loving of tones. This is how the OT believer who truly loved and trusted the Lord heard God's instructions on obedience and his warnings about disobedience. Thus, the psalmist did not regard God's call to obedience as a cold command that aroused resentment. Instead, his deep love for God enabled him to hear God's call as the loving invitation it truly was, an invitation filled with promise: "Do good to your servant according to your word, O Loan. Teach me knowledge and good judgment, for I believe in your commands Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. You are good; teach me your decrees...The law from your mouth is more precious to me than thousands of pieces of silver and gold. (Ps 119;65-68,72).
NT-2. The Greek words.
Two different families of Greek words are linked with "obedience" and "disobedience"
Peitho means to convince or "to persuade" obedience: a person who is persuaded." It is logically linked with obedience: a person who is persuaded to obey a demand obeys it. This root is translated "obey" only three times NASB (Ro 2:18. Heb 13:17: Jas 3:3)
Another word from the same root is much stronger and is used of obeying a superior. That word is peitharcheo. It occurs four times in the NT (Ac 5:29,32: 27:21, Tit 3:1)
Disobedience is expressed by negative forms of this root: apeithei, apeithes and apeitheo. In most usages in the NT disobedience is viewed as disobedience to God (except in Ro 1:30, 2Ti 3:2).
Strikingly, disobedience does not
stand in contrast
in the NT with obedience
but in contrast with faith.
The reason for the contrast in the NT with obedience but in critical linkage is explored by the writer of Hebrews (see 5 below).
The other family of Greek words for obedience and disobedience is, like the OT concept linked with hearing. The emphatic form of akouo, "to hear", which in all its forms means "to obey." The sense here as in the OT is that of understanding and following. Obedience can be spoken of as an attitude (2 Co 2:9, Php 2:12) and most particularly as a faith-rooted disposition. In many contexts obedience to Christ or the gospel has the same meaning as faith in Christ and a faith response to the gospel. In (e.g., Ro 15:18, 16:26; 2 Th 1:8).
3. Obedience and disobedience in Jesus' teaching.
In Jesus' teaching, as in the OT, obedience is a relational term. Obedience flows out of a personal relationship and is motivated only by love. The reality of a relationship with God is demonstrated by one's obedience to him. This theme is developed in several key passages particularly in the Last Supper discourse (Jn 14-17) The following are key statements in that discourse Who ever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me...If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching...He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love (Jn14:21,23,24, 15:10).
The picture provided here is vital Obedience flows from a love relationship with God and cannot be generated by any other motivating force. Jesus maintained his own unique fellowship with the Father through that responsive relationship with him portrayed as obedience. We too maintain our fellowship with Jesus and the father by responding to his words and teaching with obedience.
Later the apostle John picks up this theme and develops it. Obedience is one of those qualities that give the believer evidence that he is living in close fellowship with the Lord (1 Jn 2:3: 3-22,24, 5:3).
4. The obedience of Jesus.
In his discourse on obedience, Jesus held him self up as an example. Two passages from the Epistles examine Jesus obedience. Php 2 is a call to the Christian to adopt a Christlike attitude. Jesus, devoid of pride, took on human nature Then. "being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-even death on a cross (Php 2:8). Subsequently Jesus was raised from death and was exalted to the highest place in our universe.
The passage has two lessons. First, if we maintain this attitude of Jesus, we will be able to work out the fullest possible expression of our salvation (2:12). Only when we live in full accord with God's will can our actions be in accord with his good purpose (2:13).
In Jesus' full commitment to God's will for him,
he demonstrated the level of commitment
we are to achieve.
And he showed us the result: exaltation.
This is the second lesson about obedience.
It produces blessing,
but this blessing may not be experienced until
resurrection occurs.
(For most, agreed.
Notice it didn't say rapture but
resurrection
Printed by Zondervan, 1985.)
Hebrews 5:7-10 also speaks of Jesus obedience, especially his learning obedience and his "being made perfect" through it. the thought is that Jesus established his integrity by living a normal human life in which obedience was demanded. by actually living out obedience he was "perfected" in the sense of being demonstrably qualified to become "the source of eternal salvation for all who obey (i.e. believe in )him. (5:9)
5. Obedience and faith.
Jesus spoke of our personal relationship with the Lord in terms of a love that generates obedience. The writer to the Hebrews examines the relationship of obedience to the responsive hearing of God's Word that expresses faith and trust in him.
First, disobedience stems from a hard heart (Heb 3:7-11) The heart is further characterized as a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God (v. 12). The modern reader is warned not to hear God today with a similarly hard heart. Both the attitude and the resulting disobedience of the earlier generation was located in unbelief (v. 19).
God has spoken in Scripture.
(I wish it would have said something about
he speaks to us in prayer too.)
One response to the Word is an expression of the sinful heart, which simply will not trust God. This response is disobedience The other response, obedience, comes from a heart that trusts God, being persuaded that he is able to guide his people into rest (Heb 4:1-11)
6. Summary.
Greek and Hebrew words view obedience as a response. One hears, grasps what is communicated, and acts on it. Thus, obedience is essentially linked to God's revelation. God initiates by speaking, creatures respond by obeying.
In both Testaments, obedience is also closely linked with relationship. It was God's intention to guide his OT people to blessing by speaking to them in statute and commandment. If they obeyed, they would find the blessing he yearned to give. If they disobeyed, they would find only tragedy and necessary discipline.
Thus, the call to obedience in the OT is God's loving invitation to blessing, and not some cold, impersonal command. In the NT, obedience is further demonstrated and analyzed. Jesus lived a life of obedience and in so doing demonstrated the exaltation that comes at last to the person who obeys God. Jesus' teaching linked obedience to love; only the person who loves God will obey him. The NT goes on to link obedience with faith; only the person who trusts God will obey him. Thus, biblically speaking, there is a definite and vital connection between faith in God, love for God, and obedience to God, and all are a result of God's work in a person's life.
The NT testifies that today as well as in sacred history, an obedience that is motivated by love and exists as an expression of faith is necessary in order to stay close to God. We live in fellowship with God only as we obey him.
So obedience, properly understood, is never a cold or impersonal thing. God's call to obedience is a loving invitation to experience his best. Our response flows from a growing love for God and ex-presses our confidence that God is living and able. Only in a deep and loving relationship can the biblical import of obedience be understood.
HIGHLIGHTS
"one who truly hears
will respond with obedience"
"Throughout the OT, obedience is intimaetly associated with blessing."
"Obedience can be spoken of as an attitude and most particularly as a faith-rooted disposition."
"In Christian thought, "disposition" has two meanings. Firstly, it may refer to a deliberately practiced habit of behaving in a certain way, for example, "a virtue is an habitual and firm disposition to do the good."[9] Secondly, it may refer to a state of a person that is required for reception of a sacrament, for example, a disposition of genuine repentance is required for the forgiveness of sins in confession"
"...obedience is a relational term. Obedience flows out of a personal relationship and is motivated only by love. The reality of a relationship with God is demonstrated by one's obedience to him.
"Obedience is one of those qualities that give the believer evidence that he is living in close fellow ship with the Lord"
"This is the second lesson about obedience. It produces blessing, but this blessing may not be experienced until resurrection occurs.
("Heaven on earth
for telling you hell is coming.")
"One hears, grasps what is communicated, and acts on it. Thus, obedience is essentially linked to God's revelation. God initiates by speaking, creatures respond by obeying."
"In both Testaments,
obedience is also closely linked
with relationship."
"Thus, the call to obedience in the OT is God's loving invitation to blessing, and not some cold, impersonal command."
"...only the person who loves God will obey him. The NT goes on to link obedience with faith; only the person who trusts God will obey him."
"God's call to obedience is a loving invitation to experience his best. Our response flows from a growing love for God and ex-presses our confidence that God is living and able. Only in a deep and loving relationship can the biblical import of obedience be understood."
Hebrews 4:7
God again set a certain day, calling it “Today.”
This he did when a long time later
he spoke through David,
as in the passage already quoted:
“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.”
Psalm 95:7,8
for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,
the flock under his care.
Today, if only you would hear his voice,
8 “Do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah,[a]
as you did that day at Massah[b] in the wilderness,
Meribah means quarreling.
Massah means testing.
Me and honey
both heard his voice
independent of
one another:
"BE YOURSELF
JUST GO TELL THEM."
(What I tell you to.)
Acts 5:29
Peter and the other apostles replied:
“We must obey God
rather than human beings!
So me and honey
are in good company,
and
we don't worry
about anything
other than
if you are going
to believe us or not.
What about you?
What would you do?
If God told you
he wanted you
to go and do
some crazy things
nobody
really understood at the time?
If you really loved him?
You would obey him
and do what he told you.
Godspeed.
Journey well my friends.
