Topical Bible: Obedience to God: Israelites

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Obedience to God is a central theme in the narrative of the Israelites, as depicted throughout the Old Testament. The Israelites' relationship with God is characterized by a covenantal framework, where obedience is both a response to God's gracious acts and a requirement for maintaining the covenantal blessings.

The Covenant at Sinai

The foundation of Israelite obedience is established at Mount Sinai, where God gives the Law to Moses. This Law, encapsulated in the Ten Commandments and expanded in the Mosaic Law, serves as the divine standard for the Israelites. In Exodus 19:5, God declares, "Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine." This conditional promise underscores the importance of obedience as a means to enjoy a unique relationship with God.

The Wilderness Experience

The Israelites' journey through the wilderness is marked by repeated tests of obedience. In Deuteronomy 8:2, Moses reminds the people, "Remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commandments." The manna from heaven, the observance of the Sabbath, and the prohibition against idolatry are all tests of their faithfulness and obedience.

The Conquest and Settlement

Upon entering the Promised Land, the Israelites are commanded to obey God's instructions for conquest and settlement. In Joshua 1:7, God exhorts Joshua, "Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law My servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go." The success of the conquest is directly linked to their obedience to God's commands.

The Period of the Judges

The era of the Judges is characterized by a cyclical pattern of disobedience, oppression, repentance, and deliverance. Judges 2:17 notes, "Yet they would not listen to their judges, but prostituted themselves to other gods and worshiped them. They quickly turned from the way of their fathers, who had walked in obedience to the LORD’s commands." This period highlights the consequences of disobedience and the need for repentance and return to God's ways.

The Monarchy

The establishment of the monarchy brings new challenges to Israelite obedience. King Saul's disobedience in 1 Samuel 15 leads to his rejection by God, as Samuel declares, "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams" (1 Samuel 15:22). King David, despite his failings, is often upheld as a model of repentance and a heart inclined toward obedience.

The Prophetic Call to Obedience

The prophets consistently call the Israelites back to obedience, emphasizing the blessings of compliance and the curses of rebellion. Isaiah 1:19-20 states, "If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best of the land. But if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword." The prophetic literature underscores the importance of a heart-oriented obedience, not merely external compliance.

The Exile and Return

The Babylonian exile is a direct result of persistent disobedience. Yet, even in exile, God promises restoration for those who return to Him in obedience. In Jeremiah 29:11-13, God assures the exiles, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart."

Throughout the history of the Israelites, obedience to God is portrayed as the pathway to blessing, prosperity, and a harmonious relationship with the Creator. The narrative of the Israelites serves as a testament to the enduring call for God's people to live in faithful obedience to His commands.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

Exodus 12:28
And the children of Israel went away, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Exodus 24:7
And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD has said will we do, and be obedient.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

Obedience to God the Way to Faith in Christ.
... Paul addressed the Israelites and those who feared God, not the mere thoughtless ...
stranger and rarer than the mere obvious duty of obedience to God; we are ...
/.../newman/parochial and plain sermons vol viii/sermon xiv obedience to god.htm

On Particular Acts of Obedience, or those which are Prescribed in ...
... the children of Israel ought to yield obedience to Jehovah ... in the words, "the Lord
thy God;" the latter ... is added " that Egypt was to the Israelites "the house ...
/.../the works of james arminius vol 2/disputation lxxiii on particular acts.htm

"The Prophets of God Helping Them"
... Had the Israelites honored God, had they shown Him due respect and courtesy ... both
temporal and spiritual, was dependent on faithful obedience to God's commands ...
/.../white/the story of prophets and kings/chapter 46 the prophets of.htm

The Decalogue: I --Man and God
... Obedience to it is the condition of peace and blessedness, light and ... An image degrades
God and damages men ... seemed to cast a spell over the Israelites from Egypt ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/the decalogue iman and god.htm

The Siege of Jericho
... God is as much with you and me in our fights as He was with the Israelites when
they ... If by faith we endure the days of often blind obedience, we shall ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the siege of jericho.htm

The Obedience of Faith
... his Lord, for as many years as the Israelites in the ... they thought that any time would
do for God, and he ... run in an hour's time, would you call that obedience? ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/the obedience of faith.htm

Korah, Dathan, and Abiram
... And so it was with the Israelites in the desert. All depended on their obedience.
God had given them a law"a constitution, as we should say now"perfectly ...
/.../kingsley/the gospel of the pentateuch/sermon xiii korah dathan and.htm

Weighed, and Found Wanting
... of God's presence, and forgetting the gifts of His love, will believe the story,
and see brethren in these Israelites. ... Obedience turns God's 'ifs' into ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture k/weighed and found wanting.htm

Saul's War with the Amalekites, and Conquest of Them.
... to do what he was commanded; and supposing that his obedience to God would be ... he
found them to be about four hundred thousand of the Israelites, besides the ...
/.../josephus/the antiquities of the jews/chapter 7 sauls war with.htm

From Sinai to Kadesh.
... Instead of leading them to believe that outward obedience to it would ... foreshadowed
the substitution of the Lamb of God as a ... (1) To preserve the Israelites as a ...
/.../tidwell/the bible period by period/chapter vi from sinai to.htm