Obedience
The Church at Philadelphia Was Obedient - Revelation 3:7 – 3:13 (commentary)
Philadelphia was situated about 28 miles southeast of Sardis and bordered on Mysia, Lydia and Phrygia. The name means brotherly love and was named after its founder, Attalus Philadelphia, king of Pergamos. It is said that because of severe earthquakes which destroyed the city several ...
Doctrine and love are both needed - I John 3:19 – 3:24 (commentary)
Assurance (vv. 19-20) - No Christian should treat sin lightly, but neither should he be harder on himself than God is. An “accusing conscience” robs a believer of peace. We need to be careful or the devil will accuse us and rob us of our confidence ( Rev. 12:10). His vo …
The Disciple’s Question - John 14:25 – 14:31 (commentary)
Jesus spoke these things while He was with the disciples, but His time with them was running out. The Holy Spirit would soon come to teach and to remind them of everything Jesus had taught them (vv. 25-26). This Helper is defined by holiness and truth (v. 17). Jesus was the Father’s ...
The Extermination of Children - Exodus 1:15 – 1:22 (commentary)
Satan certainly filled King Pharaoh’s heart with a very cruel plan of destroying the children of Israel. One day he called the Hebrew midwives, whose work it was to take care of the new- born babies and their mothers (v. 15). Pharaoh instructed them to kill all the Heb …
Obedience to God and Man - Acts 5:24 – 5:32 (commentary)
As you can imagine, the temple guards were perplexed upon finding the empty prison cells (v. 24). They were soon informed, however, that their prisoners were already back in the temple, preaching as though nothing had happened (v. 25). The guards once again arrested the apostles, but they did ...
The Need For Full Obedience - John 21:1 – 21:14 (commentary)
Jesus now appears at the Sea of Galilee. Peter, Nathaniel, James, John and two other unnamed disciples were together (vv. 1-2). Peter, the man of action, said he was going fishing and the other disciples decide to go too. That night they fished but caught nothing (v. 3). The next …
The Plague of Frogs - Exodus 8:1 – 8:15 (commentary)
Soon after the seven days when the water was turned to blood, God told Moses, for the first time, to go to Pharoah and demand that he let the children of Israel go so they may serve the true God (v. 1). This command showed that Israel was in bondage; God wanted them t …
The Largest Mass Funerals in World History - Exodus 12:25 – 12:36 (commentary)
Moses called all of the elders of Israel together and repeated to them the instructions for the Passover that God had explained to him (vv. 25-27). Having witnessed the previous nine terrifying plagues that had come upon the Egyptians the Israelites were quick to do what God had …
Instructions For Ordaining Priests - Exodus 29:1 – 29:46 (commentary)
Just as Moses received the directions for building the tabernacle the directions for consecrating the priests are given in this chapter. The ones chose to begin the priesthood could not enter into the office without Moses conducting a solemn, seven day time of initiation (vv. 1-18). …
Joshua Captures Towns in the North - Joshua 11:1 – 11:15 (commentary)
Joshua was a man who exemplified this character. He followed every detail of God’s commands to Moses. It is usually difficult to complete someone else’s project, but Joshua stepped into Moses’ job building upon what Moses had started. With the southern campaign over he was ready to ...
Rejoicing in God’s Word - Psalms 119:161 – 119:168 (commentary)
1. What leads to a life of obedience (vv. 161-164)? a. Fearing (Reverencing) God’s Word in Holy Awe (v. 161). “Princes have persecuted me without cause: bu …
Exhortations to Obedience - Proverbs 3:1 – 3:12 (commentary)
“The law was given by Moses but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John1:17). The law was truth but it was truth without grace. The believer is under grace and not under the law (Romans 6:14). However, he who loves the Lord will certainly want to do His will w …
The Demonstration of Faith - Hebrews 11:7 – 11:12 (commentary)
Noah obeyed even when he experienced rejection from others around him (v. 7). Although it seemed foolish to the people, God commanded Noah to build a huge boat in the middle of dry land. Since no one at that time had ever seen a flood, Noah’s actions must have generated a great …
The Ultimate King-Priest - Zechariah 6:9 – 6:15 (commentary)
This vision is about the Messiah, the King-Priest. In the days of the kings and after the exile Judah’s government was ruled by two distinct persons; the king ruling the political life and the high priest, ruling its religious life. This section opens with three Hebrews arrivin …
Abner Joins Forces With David - II Samuel 3:1 – 3:25 (commentary)
Israel and Judah had lost sight of God’s plan for them to settle in the land (Gen. 12:7), to drive out the Canaanites (Deut. 7:1-4), and to obey God’s laws (Deut. 8:1). Instead of uniting to accomplish these goals they fought each other (v. 1). More and more people…
Faith is Proved by Love - James 2:10 – 2:18 (commentary)
James gave us a great truth in this passage. He knew people would hardly consider themselves as lawbreakers when they showed prejudice or undue respect for the rich. However, James makes it plain that this is no small offense. Total obedience to God is the important fac …
The Prophet’s Wife Dies - Ezekiel 24:15 – 24:27 (commentary)
The Lord announced to Ezekiel that his beloved wife (The desire of your eyes)was about to die suddenly (vv 15-18). However, as an object lesson to Israel, the Lord commanded the prophet not to mourn outwardly over her death, as was the custom (vv. 20-24). Instead he could …
God Condemns Israel’s Idolatry - Hosea 4:1 – 4:19 (commentary)
God brings a charge of disobedience against Israel (v. l). The religious leader had replaced true worship with ritual prostitution. The nation had gone downhill spiritually and morally, breaking God’s laws. The people were quick to condemn Hosea’s wife for her adultery but slow to see their ...
God Condemns Israel’s Idolatry - Hosea 4:11 – 4:19 (commentary)
“Whoredom and wine and new wine” (v. 11) are the sins that commonly accompany idolatry. These sins dull the sensitivity and understanding so that the people no longer wish to even retain God in their thoughts. Instead of consulting the God who made the trees and t …
Refusing to Obey Brings Disastrous Results - Proverbs 28:1 – 28:14 (commentary)
A guilty conscience and cowardice go hand in hand. The guilty run from imagined pursuers while the righteous are as bold as lions (v. 1). Throughout Israel’s history, the stability of the nation nearly always depended on the wisdom of its leader (v. 2). It’s often the poor who are the most ...
Obedience Includes Hearing And Doing - Jeremiah 11:1 – 11:23 (commentary)
In chapters 11 through 20, Jeremiah’s problems are brought to light. These challenges are a result of his faithfulness to the prophetic message. God gives two basic commands regarding His covenant. First is to hear, and second it to speak (v. 2). The word hear is used six ti …
God Sends Israel “to school” - Deuteronomy 11:1 – 11:15 (commentary)
This chapter begins with an emphasis on the mighty acts of God on behalf of His people Israel (vv. 1-2). When they became slaves in Egypt, He cared for them and multiplied them greatly. When Jacob and his family journeyed to Egypt to join Joseph (Gen. 46) there were 70 people and they ...
Blessing For Obedience - Deuteronomy 28:1 – 28:19 (commentary)
The key word in this chapter is “if” (v. 1). If this great nation (Israel) which God had miraculously brought out of Egypt obeyed the Lord, every aspect of her life would be blessed. If, as a nation, she failed she would be scattered throughout the earth to endure suffering and great tribulation...
Jehoahaz And Jehoash’s Evil Reign - II Kings 13:1 – 13:25 (commentary)
In this chapter we shift our thoughts back to Israel (v. 1). Jehoahaz, in the family of Jehu, comes to the throne and reigns for 17 years. It says that he followed the sins of his father by continuing the religious system established by Jeroboam (v. 2). Because of this sin, the …
Noah And His Family Leave The Boat - Genesis 8:13 – 8:19 (commentary)
God tells Noah to - Come out of the ark (vv. 13-19). At the command of God, Noah had built an ark. At the command of God, Noah had gathered together the necessary food for their time in the ark. At the command of God, Noah, his family, and all the animals that God had summoned, e …
God Tests Abraham - Genesis 22:1 – 22:14 (commentary)
The word tempt (v. 1) could better be translated test. God does not temp anyone with evil (James 1:13) but in certain instances He does test. God intended to try Abraham’s love to see if he loved God more than his son, to try his faith in his promise concerning descendants. Abrah …
God’s Approval of Solomon Building The Temple - II Chronicles 7:11 – 7:22 (commentary)
The Lord appeared to Solomon and assured Him that his work on the temple and its dedication pleased Him (v. 11‘12) (details are given on the actual construction in I Kings 7:1‘12). Obedience was the key to God’s Blessing. God encouraged Solomon by His promise that if …
David Attempts to Move The Ark - I Chronicles 13:1 – 13:14 (commentary)
After David had captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites and made it the capital of Israel and Judah, he was eager to make it the religious center as well. This could not be done, however, till the Ark of the Covenant was returned to a permanent resting place in Jerusalem. The Philistines had ...
David’s Instructions to Solomon - I Chronicles 28:1 – 28:10 (commentary)
During David’s last sickness, many chief priests and Levites were at Jerusalem. David called a meeting for all of Israel’s leaders, including the tribal leaders, the government officials, the army commanders, the officials in charge of the royal property, the palace officials, and the brave ...
The Burnt Offering - Leviticus 1:1 – 1:9 (commentary)
Some have said that Leviticus is the most boring book of the Bible. This is easy to think unless you see how Christ is on every page of Leviticus. Like no Old Testament Book, Leviticus is filled with pictures of Christ. In Genesis, we see humanity ruined by the fall. In Exodus we …
Moses Did as The Lord Commanded - Leviticus 16:20 – 16:34 (commentary)
After you have purified the most holy place, the sacred tent, and the bronze altar, you must bring the live goat to the front of the tent (v. 20). There you will lay your hands on its head, while confessing every sin the people have committed, and you will appoint someone to lead …
Promises of Blessing For Obedience - Leviticus 26:1 – 26:13 (commentary)
This chapter clearly promises blessing for obedience and chastisement for not keeping God’s law. This same message is essentially repeated by Moses forty years later in Deuteronomy 28. The statues and instructions God gave Israel in Leviticus 26 and 27 illustrate four responsibi …
Saul And His Sons Die - I Samuel 31:1 – 31:13 (commentary)
Unknown to David and his men, while the events of Chapter 30 were taking place, Saul and his sons were involved in a battle with the Philistines that resulted in their death. These events took place on the slopes of Mount Gilboa overlooking the valley of Jezreel. Just as Samuel h …
Jehu Kills Those Who Serve Baal - II Kings 10:18 – 10:36 (commentary)
In his twenty-eight-year reign, Jehu was unexcelled in his zeal to rid his people of Baal worship. Baal worship had thrived for many years under Ahab and his successors. The victory won through Elijah’s contest on Mount Carmel had been only temporary. As part of Jehu’s s …