What other scriptures emphasize the importance of following God's instructions like Numbers 33:56? Setting the scene: Numbers 33:56 “Then I will do to you what I had planned to do to them.” Israel’s possession of the land hinged on obedience; refusal to follow God’s instructions would bring the very judgments meant for the Canaanites. Why obedience matters • God’s commands reveal His holy character and loving intentions. • Blessing and protection are inseparably linked to doing what He says. • Disobedience is never neutral; it invites discipline or judgment. Echoes in the Pentateuch • Exodus 19:5 – “Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession…” • Leviticus 26:14, 17 – “But if you will not listen to Me… I will set My face against you, and you will be defeated by your enemies.” • Deuteronomy 28:1-2 – “If you will faithfully obey… all these blessings will come upon you.” • Deuteronomy 28:15 – “But if you do not obey… all these curses will come upon you.” • Deuteronomy 30:19-20 – “Choose life… love the LORD your God, obey Him, and hold fast to Him.” Echoes in the Historical Books • Joshua 1:7-8 – “Be careful to do all that the Law… For then you will prosper and succeed.” • 1 Samuel 15:22-23 – “Obedience is better than sacrifice… rebellion is like the sin of divination.” • 1 Kings 2:3-4 – David charges Solomon to “keep the charge of the LORD… that you may prosper.” • 2 Chronicles 7:14, 19-22 – National blessing or destruction pivots on covenant faithfulness. Echoes in the Wisdom Literature • Psalm 1:1-3 – The obedient person “is like a tree planted by streams of water.” • Psalm 119:4 – “You have ordained Your precepts, that we should keep them diligently.” • Proverbs 3:5-6 – Trusting and acknowledging Him brings straight paths. • Proverbs 13:13 – “He who despises instruction will pay the penalty, but the one who respects a command will be rewarded.” Echoes in the Prophets • Isaiah 1:19-20 – Willing obedience brings the best of the land; rebellion brings the sword. • Jeremiah 7:23-24 – “Obey My voice… that it may go well with you,” yet Israel “walked in the stubbornness of their own evil hearts.” • Ezekiel 18:21-24 – Turning from sin to keep God’s statutes means life; turning away means death. • Micah 6:8 – What the LORD requires: “do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God.” Echoes in the New Testament • Matthew 7:24-27 – The wise builder “hears these words of Mine and acts on them.” • John 14:15 – “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.” • Acts 5:29 – “We must obey God rather than men.” • James 1:22-25 – “Be doers of the word… the one who looks into the perfect law… will be blessed in what he does.” • 1 John 2:3-6; 5:3 – Knowing God and loving God are proven by keeping His commands, which “are not burdensome.” Takeaway truths • God’s instructions are not suggestions but life-giving mandates. • Blessing follows obedience; judgment follows defiance—across both covenants. • Love for God expresses itself in practical, willing submission to His Word. • The entire sweep of Scripture, from Sinai to the New Jerusalem, rings with the same call: “Hear and obey.” |
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