Illustrating Obedience to God's Commands in Israelite History
Illustrating Obedience to God's Commands in Israelite History
The Israelites' obedience to God's commands is a recurring theme throughout their history, as recorded in the Hebrew Bible. One of the earliest examples is their compliance with the instructions for the Passover, where "the people bowed and did obeisance, and the sons of Israel went and did as Jehovah commanded Moses and Aaron; so have they done" [1]. This act of obedience was a demonstration of their faith and commitment to following God's laws.
The importance of obedience is emphasized in various biblical passages. For instance, in Deuteronomy, Moses exhorts the Israelites to "keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day" [5]. This call to obedience is rooted in the covenant between God and Israel, where God promises to bless them for their faithfulness. The Psalmist also highlights the significance of obedience, noting that the telling of God's story should motivate his people to obey his commands [7].
However, the Israelites' history is also marked by instances of disobedience. The book of Judges records that God left certain nations in the land "to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the Lord" [3]. Unfortunately, the Israelites often failed to obey God's commands, leading to consequences such as idolatry and suffering [4].
Despite their failures, the Israelites' obedience is held up as a model for future generations. The prophet Ezekiel recalls God's initial dealings with Israel in Egypt, where God revealed himself and gave them laws to follow [8]. The Psalmist also celebrates the obedience of God's people, calling them to "let the high praises of God be in their mouth" and to take up arms in his defense [10].
In the view of some Protestant interpreters, obedience is seen as a demonstration of righteousness, obtained through faith [6]. This understanding is rooted in the idea that faith is demonstrated through actions, as seen in the Israelites' obedience to God's commands.
The historical record of Israel's obedience and disobedience serves as a reminder of the importance of faithfulness to God's laws. As recorded in Nehemiah, the Israelites' history is marked by both God's faithfulness and their own failures to obey [9]. This complex history provides a nuanced understanding of the role of obedience in Israelite history.
The biblical account of Israel's obedience to God's commands highlights the significance of faithfulness in the covenant relationship between God and his people. As Torrey's Topical Textbook notes, obedience is a characteristic of saints and is better than sacrifice [2].
Sources
- Exodus “Exodus 12:28 (YLT) — And the people bow and do obeisance, and the sons of Israel go and do as Jehovah commanded Moses and Aaron; so have they done.”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Obedience to God — Commanded -- De 13:4. Without faith, is impossible -- Heb 11:6. Includes Obeying his voice. -- Ex 19:5; Jer 7:23. Obeying his law. -- De 11:27; Isa 42:24. Obeying Christ. -- Ex 23:21; 2Co 10:5. Obeying the gospel. -- Ro 1:5; 6:17; 10:16,17. Keeping his commandments. -- Ec 12:13. Submission to higher powers. -- Ro 13:1. Better than sacrifice -- 1Sa 15:22. Justification obtained by that of Christ -- Ro 5:19. Christ, an example of -- Mt 3:15; Joh 15:20; Php 2:5-8; Heb 5:8. Angles engaged in -- Ps 103:20. A characteristic of saints -- 1Pe 1:14. Saints ”
- Judges “Judges 3:4 (KJV) — And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the Lord, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Idolatry — strictly speaking denotes the worship of deity in a visible form, whether the images to which homage is paid are symbolical representations of the true God or of the false divinities which have been made the objects of worship in his stead. I. History of idolatry among the Jews.--The first undoubted allusion to idolatry or idolatrous customs in the Bible is in the account of Rachel's stealing her father's teraphim. (Genesis 31:19) During their long residence in Egypt the Israelites defiled themselves with the idols of the land, and it was long before the ta”
- Deuteronomy (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Deuteronomy 7:11: Thou shalt therefore keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day--In the covenant into which God entered with Israel, He promised to bestow upon them a variety of blessings so long as they continued obedient to Him as their heavenly King. He pledged His veracity that His infinite perfections would be exerted for this purpose, as well as for delivering them from every evil to which, as a people, they would be exposed. That people accordingly were truly happy as a nation, and found every promise which th”
- Deuteronomy (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Deuteronomy 6:25: 6:25 righteous when we obey: Obedience shows that one is already in a state of righteousness, a standing before God obtained by faith (see 24:13; Hab 2:4; Rom 1:17; 4:1-5; Gal 3:6-7; see also Gen 15:6; Eph 2:8-9). When other nations observed Israel’s commitment to the covenant, they could rightly conclude that Israel was righteous.”
- Psalms (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Psalms 78:5: 78:5-6 The telling of the story should motivate God’s people to obey what he commanded (Deut 6:4-9).”
- Ezekiel (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Ezekiel 20:5: The history of the ingratitude and rebellion of the people of Israel here begins as early as their beginning; so does the history of man's apostasy from his Maker. No sooner have we read the story of our first parents' creation than we immediately meet with that of their rebellion; so we see here it was with Israel, a people designed to represent the body of mankind both in their dealings with God and in his with them. Here is, I. The gracious purposes of God's law concerning Israel in Egypt, where they were bond-slaves to Pharaoh. Be it spoken, be it written, to”
- Nehemiah (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Nehemiah 9:12: 9:12-21 This prayer reminded the people of God’s miraculous direction of Israel in the wilderness (Exod 13:21-22), his personal appearance at Mount Sinai to reveal his covenant laws through Moses (see Exod 19–20), and his faithfulness in providing bread . . . and water (see Exod 16:4; 17:1-6). Despite all of that, Israel’s ancestors had been proud and stubborn and refused to obey (see Exod 32; Num 14:4). Yet in his grace, God remained faithful and had compassion (see Exod 34:6) and provided his Spirit to direct and teach them (cp. Exod 33:2; Num 11:17).”
- Psalms (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Psalms 149:6: The Israel of God are here represented triumphing over their enemies, which is both the matter of their praise (let them give to God the glory of those triumphs) and the recompence of their praise; those that are truly thankful to God for their tranquillity shall be blessed with victory. Or it may be taken as a further expression of their praise (Psa 149:6): let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and then, in a holy zeal for his honour, let them take a two-edged sword in their hand, to fight his battles against the enemies of his kingdom. Now this may be ”