OBEY AND SUBMIT
Monday – August 13, 2018, Elul 2, 5778
Greetings and welcome to this wonderful Bible Study from the Book of Hebrews. As you are well aware we are drawing near to the end of this Book and will soon go to another Book. The featured picture was taken at Pemaquid Point in Bristol Maine near the Lighthouse. A very beautiful spot in God’s creation. As we start to look at today’s study I can tell that you are excited just by the title. We are now entering the closing salutation or valediction by the writer of this wonderful Book. These are his parting words led of the Spirit of God to his audience, the Hebrews, and to us. Now, let us look at our primary Bible text reading it aloud so as to put it in our eyes, our mouth, and our ears. Also, I for one choose to be diligent with this Word and make it my word and do it.
Hebrews 13:17-20 (KJV)
17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
18 Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly.
19 But I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner.
20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
In Scripture the number seventeen is the number of victory and the number nineteen is the number of faith. So, victory comes by faith. Faith in what or faith in who? God and His Word! Faith must be exercised without fear in love. You may be asking, well what about the number thirteen? Thirteen is the number of depravity and rebellion. So, if we ignore this command (not a holy suggestion) we will inevitably fall into various forms of depravity and rejection of the Word is rebellion at the onset. Doesn’t this just thrill you already (tongue in cheek)? As I move forward let’s look at this verse in a different translation of the Holy Scripture.
Hebrews 13:17 (TLB)
17 Obey your spiritual leaders and be willing to do what they say. For their work is to watch over your souls, and God will judge them on how well they do this. Give them reason to report joyfully about you to the Lord and not with sorrow, for then you will suffer for it too.
The writer is making it clear that he/she is talking about the spiritual leadership in our lives like the Teacher, Pastor, Evangelist, Prophet, and Apostle. The reason given for obeying and submitting to our spiritual leaders is that they are watching out for our souls, and will give account to God with regard to their own diligence in discharging that responsibility. They are not responsible for the results but for their discharge of the mandate God has given them. Additionally, there are consequences for us if we fail in this command, fail to be submissive. Of course, that is no different than all of the commands of God. Every command of God is only for our good and brings only good into our lives. These commands act as a boundary within which we are safe. Let me be clear that we are never to submit or obey any command that we know to be contrary to the Word of God. I am sure that most if not all the readers of this blog are well aware there is no Church that is perfect theologically, so quit looking. Go where God puts you and support that ministry in love.
Acts 17:11 (KJV)
11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
We have a responsibility before God to evaluate every word we hear. That is to judge every matter but not pass judgment on the person. Passing judgment is to declare an outcome for the person speaking like a judge in the courtroom. That is not our responsibility for we do not know the heart. As we see in the preceding Scripture the folks at Berea listening to the teachings of the Apostle Paul went home and checked it out every day. Paul was not offended and expected no less. Are each of us doing that or are we swallowing it whole without any due diligence? Many sermons or teachings will have a certain amount of light and darkness. Our job is to find the darkness and eject it keeping the light. Before I finish for today let’s look at one other part of this.
Romans 13:1 (KJV)
1 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.
It seems to me that this verse is commonly grossly misinterpreted. The key to the verse is the phrase “higher powers”. We know very clearly that God does not require us to submit to laws that violate His Law, the Scripture, for example the midwives in the time of Moses, the three Hebrew children, and Daniel. The Moral Law of God is not flexible and any violation will have terrible consequences either in the near term or long term. The term “soul” in this Scripture is referring to the whole spirit or immaterial man and is the same as in our Hebrews text. The only power or authority higher than a born-again man’s is that of God. Our authority is delegated from Christ. The Word of God is the highest power or authority in existence.
Psalm 138:2 (KJV)
2 I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth: for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
Long story short, we have no obligation to submit to a law of any kind that violates the Word of God. Until our next publication, I speak this Scriptural prayer for your life right now, receive it in the name of Jesus, confess it, and walk it out with thanksgiving.
Ephesians 3:14-17 (KJV)
14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
By: Dr. David Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
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