Obedience That Reflects His Glory

Rey Aguas 30 March
For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this command I gave them: 'Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.' —Jeremiah 7:22-23
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For in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, I did not speak to your fathers or command them concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. But this command I gave them: 'Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.' —Jeremiah 7:22-23

During this time, the Lord's anger is upon the people of Israel. They are worshiping other gods, stealing, committing adultery and perjury. You see, they are aware of the rituals and the religious practices, they go to His temple and burn their offerings, but God is not pleased with them. It is because they are forgetting God's command: "Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be my people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you."

1.) Partial obedience is not just disobedience but dangerous as well.

As you see, the people think that as long as they are burning sacrifices and offerings, they are already free to do anything. For them that it is a ticket that allows them to commit sin. In verse 10, they even think that it was safe in the temple even if they disobey God. God called them robbers in that point for they only want the safety they are getting from the temple that bears the name of God, but not what it demands.

2.) Obedience is relational.

Demand is a really big word for all of us. When we heard the word demands, it is jarring, but in the relationship stand point it is sweet rather. You see, He did put first: obey me and I will be your God, and you will be my people. It is implying that when you are His people we are to obey Him. In Acts 17:24-25 Paul says, "The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything." He didn't need us. He is the Creator, but if you read the chapters before Jeremiah 7, you can see how hurt God is. He made Himself vulnerable to us, mere humans, unworthy of His presence.

His commandment's ultimate goal is to glorify God.

3.) The Promise of Jesus

As we read until the end of chapter 7 he says,  "This is the nation that did not obey the voice of the Lord their God, and did not accept discipline; truth has perished; it is cut off from their lips. Cut off your hair and cast it away; raise a lamentation on the bare heights, for the Lord has rejected and forsaken the generation of His wrath." That is why He has promised "Jesus". As we move further to chapter 23 it says there "the day will come that a righteous branch will raise up for David". He assured it in Ezekiel 36:27 saying that "And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules." In our best efforts we will fail. The law instructs us what to do, but did not give us the ability to do so.

4.) Obedience that reflects His glory

God gave us Jesus for us to look up to Him. As said earlier when He demands obedience, it is sweet in a relationship standpoint. He made obedience personal and relational, not in a way that we will follow set of rules like a master to a servant, but in a way that we will follow His son, the image of perfect obedience who manifests God's glory in Him and His works. We know that His commandment's ultimate goal is to glorify God. If we follow Jesus, then obedience reflects His glory in us. As what He uttered in His prayer to the believers in John 17:22, "I have given them the glory you gave me..."




Photo by: Duncan Torres