Practice Obedience Diligently

Practice Obedience Diligently (Deut. 4:1-2, 6-9, 15-20, 39-40) We are called to listen to/obey, without delay, what God is trying to teach us (Deut. 4:1) We can choose to obey God or not. There are consequences either way (Lev. 26:3-25) shama` {shaw-mah'} Heb. = hear, give attention to and agree to/obey Who needs laws/rules? Those who lack understanding, like children. (Rom. 2:15, 1 Cor. 13:9-12, Ps. 37:31, 40:8, Heb. 10:16 quoting Jer. 31:33) We demonstrate love for God by obedience to His commandments (John 14:15; Luke 6:46) Trust is a key to one’s willingness to obey (Luke 1:38, John 2:5) God’s ordinances are righteous (Deut. 4:8) To obey is better than sacrifice (1 Sam. 15:22) If we listen to Him and keep His commandments (Bariyth {ber-eeth'} Heb. = Covenant/Pledge/ Friendship) (Ex. 19:5-6; Deut. 14:2; 28:1; Jer. 7:23; 1 Pet. 2:9, Luke 22:20; Gal. 3:19-26; Heb. 8:6-12; Rev. 1:6; 5:10; 20:6) we will: Be His (Cagullah {seg-ool-law'} Heb. = unique/special/prized treasure/ possession) (Deut. 7:6; Ps. 135:4; Mal. 3:17) He will be present with us (Lev. 26:11-12) Be a Kingdom of Priests (Isa. 61:6; 1 Pe. 2:5) Be a (Qadowsh {kaw-doshe'} or Qadosh {kaw-doshe'} Heb. = Holy, Sacred) Nation Set apart, moral and ethical, a model to the world of God’s own nature. The word “holy” itself is used at least 549 times in the Scriptures. In the Greek Scriptures (New Testament) the word for holy is Hagiazo (hag-ee-ad’-zo). Have Long Life (Deut. 4: 2 & 40) Gain Blessing/Prosperity/Possession of what God has prepared for us (Deut. 4:2 & 40; 11:27; Isa. 1:19; Luke 11:28; Lev. 26:3-5, 9-10)

Gain Peace & Security (Lev. 26:6) Be a good witness to others (Deut. 4:6-7) “The people who walk in darkness Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them.” (Isaiah 9:2; Matt. 4:12-16). “I am the Lord, I have called you in righteousness, I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, And I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations” (Isaiah 42:6; Luke 2:32; also Isaiah 51:4). Power/Authority To obey the Commandments is essentially to be like God-like holiness (Lev. 20:26) and action (Deut. 10:17-19; 14:1-2; 16:18-20). We must not alter what God has commanded, either by adding to or taking away (Deut. 4:2) God’s standard is unchanging We need to be careful to constantly examine our walk with God (Deut.4:9) Our “walk” is our lifestyle It should be pleasing in His sight (1 Thess. 2:4; 1 John 3:21-22; Col. 1:10) Our motives must be right (Eph. 6:6) Even when doing good people often act with “mixed” motives. Do you have a personal sense of accountability to God? We need to teach God’s commandments to our children and grandchildren (Deut. 4:9) We must be careful to avoid idolatry (Deut. 4:15-19) Idolatry is elevating any person, thing or idea above the true and living God Anything which usurps the place of God in the human heart. Anything that robs God of the worship and glory properly due Him. Give God the glory due Him (1 Chron. 16:29, Ps. 29:2, Rom. 1:21-23) We have to be careful to worship the Giver, not the gift (e.g. Isaac) (Matt. 10:37-38)

God Forbids Idolatry God said, "You shall have no other gods before Me!" (Exodus 20:3-5, Ps. 81:9, 1 John 5:21, 1 Cor. 10:14) Some Biblical Definitions of an Idol (from the Hebrew) Aven & Elil, "nothingness;" "vanity" (i.e. futile, useless, unreal) (Isa. 66:3; 41:29; Deut. 32:21; 1 Sam. 12:21, 1 Kings 16:13; Ps. 31:6; 97:7, Isa. 19:3, Jer. 8:19) Is there something in your life on which you are wasting significant amounts of time & energy? Shikkuts, "filth;" "impurity" (Ezek. 37:23; Nah. 3:6, see also Eph. 5:5) Is there something impure in your life which is defiling your “temple of God”, see 2 Cor. 6:16-17) Tselem, "a shadow" (Dan. 3:1; 1 Sam. 6:5, see also Jer. 10:15) Shadows fade away (Ps. 102:11, 109:23, 144:4) Do you worship that which is transitory or that which is eternal? Atsab, "a figure fashioned by man's labor (Isa. 2:8-9, 48:5; Ps. 139:24) Are you obsessed with any material thing(s)? (see Phil. 3:7-11) Maskith, "a device", “a snare” (Lev. 26:1; Num. 33:52, Ps. 106:35-36) Designed by Satan to capture human hearts. Other Biblical Associations with Idolatry Covetousness is idolatry (Col. 3:5, Eph. 5:5) Stubbornness towards God is like idolatry (1 Sam. 15:23) The pride of life (the pursuit of self glory and honor) = self-worship = idolatry (Daniel 4:30-33) Other possibilities (excessive pursuit of beauty, strength, knowledge, sensual pleasure, acquisition/ownership, etc.) (see Ecc. 1:17, 2:4-11, 5:10, Jer. 9:23-24) Both great & small are vulnerable to idolatry (Is. 2:8-9) Wrong association leads to idolatry (Ps. 106:35-36) “peer pressure” The Consequences of Idolatry “They followed worthless idols and themselves became worthless.” (2 Kings 17:15, Isaiah 44:9-10, Jer. 13:1-10, Ps. 115:8) Worshipping idols causes us to become estranged from God (Ezek. 14:1-5)

Worshipping idols causes us to be confounded (i.e. confused, perplexed, bewildered, annoyed, failing without understanding why) (Ps. 97:7) Worshipping idols causes us to forget God, and in doing so, ultimately to perish (Deut. 8:19, 30:17, 1 Kings 9:6-8, Eph. 5:5) God selected us to be a people for His inheritance (Deut. 4:20) Predestined = According to God’s original purpose or plan, which has not changed (Eph. 1:4 -5, 11-12) We are sealed/marked by the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13)