CHESHVAN 14
To Obey
“And in your seed all the nations of the earth
shall be blessed, because you have OBEYED MY VOICE.” (Gen 22:18
ISR, emphasis mine)
When I read this passage of Scripture, as
part of this week’s Parashot, the word “obeyed” stood out to me. What did Abraham obey? He heard, then obeyed, the voice of his Elohim. When I began to take a serious look at this
word “obey” I discovered something of interest.
In the Hebrew language, the word that has been translated as “obey” is
the same word that also means “hear” (Strong’s H8085, shâma´), as we find in Deu 6:4:
“Hear,
O Yisra’ĕl: יהוה our
Elohim, יהוה is
one!” ("Sh'ma, Yisra'el! Yahweh
Eloheinu, Yahweh echad”)
Noah Webster defines “obey” as the following: “To comply with the commands, orders or instructions of a superior, or
with the requirements of law, moral, political or municipal; to do that which
is commanded or required, or to forbear doing that which is prohibited[1]. It becomes apparent to us that there is a
need for attentive listening; how do we know what these instructions are if we
first do not hear them, or, as is our
case today, read them? I would also venture to suggest that there is
a sequence: first, we focus our
attention on, and listen/read; then
we do according to what we have
heard/read.
I perceive there is an imbalance in this procedure in our modern day
and age. People are either not listening
with their complete attention; or they are not applying what they are hearing
with a corresponding action. This equals
danger. Our Father has given us many, many promises
throughout His Word, but they are contingent on our obedience.
Is it worth the risk?
“Guard, and OBEY all these words which I command
you, that it might be well with you and your children after you forever, when
you do what is good and right in the eyes of יהוה your Elohim.” (Deu 12:28 ISR, emphasis mine)
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