“And the people said to Joshua, “The LORD our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.””
(Joshua 24:24, ESV)
(Joshua 24:24, ESV)
During the feminist movement in the 20th century, leaders in the movement considered certain phrases and words onerous. They hated them. They wanted to rid the world of them. In the Christian sphere, feminists narrowed their fury on what they considered the patriarchy of the Bible and tradition. Many sought to get rid of the title, “God the Father”. Mainline denominations began to remove the word “Lord” from hymns. One other area drew particular ire from feminists. It had to do with the word “obey” in the marriage vows. Traditional marriage vows included the phrase, “I promise to love, honor, and obey”. Feminist scholars taught that this phrase reflected poorly upon women. They did not want women to ever have to “obey” a man. So, the feminists in more than a dozen denominations got rid of the phrase “I promise to love, honor, and obey” or “love, cherish, and obey” from marriage vows, which had been used in one form or another for centuries.
Why did the feminists loath the word, “obey”? They saw it as forcing women toward an inferior role, subservient to the husband. Even though obedience is a foundational Christian ideal, these women destroyed the biblical concept of obedience in their rush to gain more power for women. The word “obey” or “obedience” was removed from schoolbooks, stricken from codes of conduct, and banned in college courses. Many sought to have it replaced in Bibles! These feminist scholars painted the words “obey” and “obedience” as negative, thoughtless, unloving, unkind, and repressive. Too bad they did not understand the positive gift to society that an obedient Christian, an obedient child, an obedient husband, and an obedient wife contributes. It is no surprise to me that after feminists removed “obey” and “obedient” from many uses in society, the number of divorced women increased by 500% while the increase of school violence shot up more than 1250% since 1950.
When you take obedience out of schools, public life, language, and the church, much is lost. A disobedient person will never be trustworthy or faithful. An obedient civil servant can be trusted with public money, faithful in the fair distribution of entitlements, and honorable in his or her voting. A faithful servant of God displays obedience in the best light. That person is trustworthy, considerate, and gracious before God. He or she makes the best friend, husband, wife, child, and worker. To summarize, obedience is a must for trustworthiness, honesty, faithfulness, and so much more. Take that away and everything from family to marriage to politics to friendships all suffer and fail.
During the time of Moses, Israel began its first steps toward being a faithful people. In the ancient time of Joshua a few decades later, the people of Israel were just getting to know and trust God. With Joshua’s leadership, the people were challenged to decide whether to be faithful to God or not. This required their obedience. Joshua knew this. He asked all Israel to dedicate themselves to God, become obedient to the God of Abraham, and reject other gods. In the scripture for today from Joshua 24:24, the people responded with their commitment promising that “The LORD our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.”” (Joshua 24:24, ESV).
Every promise to God involves obedience. Obedience forms the foundation of trust and faithfulness to God. You cannot be faithful without obedience to God. You cannot be trustworthy without obedience to God’s commands. You cannot be truthful and committed without honest obedience. It is impossible to be a servant or child of God if you will not obey God!
Can you imagine what the first Christmas would have been like if people had not been obedient to God? In obedience to God, Joseph heeded an angel and took Mary as his wife. In obedience to God, Mary accepted the angel Gabriel’s announcement of her pregnancy and all that it entailed. When disobedient Herod planned to kill the Christ child, the obedience of Joseph made him faithfully flee to Egypt when commanded.
In the meditational, Hope for Each Day, Billy Graham eloquently wrote:
“God, too, wants us to learn responsibility. Yes, we are saved by His grace—but we are also called to be responsible disciples, learning to follow Christ by obeying God’s will. The Bible warns, “If you do not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you” (1 Samuel 12:15). If you want God to hear your prayers, surrender your selfishness and stubbornness to Him, and then humbly seek His will. Obedience is the master key to effective prayer.” (p. 87).
As a child of God, you might have a lot going for you. You might be intelligent, insightful, and have many talents. But, without a complete obedience to God, you will never be a true servant of God. You will not achieve your full potential. You will fail in many ways. You cannot be spiritually trustworthy nor committed. As we near the birth of Christ Jesus, reconsider if you (like Mary and Joseph) are fully obedient to God. Can God trust in you to come through, be faithful, withstand temptation, and practice justice when put on the spot? Will you obey God’s will even when nobody is looking or when everything is on the line?
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
I love You, Oh Lord! I cherish those moments when I feel Your presence! I thank You for the grace and forgiveness You have shown me. In Jesus Christ, I come before You!
Forgive my thoughtlessness. Forgive those moments I did not respond in love. Forgive me for the petty jealousies and angry utterances that defined certain periods of my life. I have not loved others as you would have me do. I have even withheld my love from others in order to get my way. I need to not only trust in Your love but live it myself!
I pray for churches where the love has grown cold. I pray for Christians who have lost their way. I pray for our world, which is full of bitterness and resentment and divisive maneuvering. Our world needs You, Oh Lord! But will they ever realize it?
In the name of Jesus Christ, I have hope. In his name, I have prayed. Amen.
Why did the feminists loath the word, “obey”? They saw it as forcing women toward an inferior role, subservient to the husband. Even though obedience is a foundational Christian ideal, these women destroyed the biblical concept of obedience in their rush to gain more power for women. The word “obey” or “obedience” was removed from schoolbooks, stricken from codes of conduct, and banned in college courses. Many sought to have it replaced in Bibles! These feminist scholars painted the words “obey” and “obedience” as negative, thoughtless, unloving, unkind, and repressive. Too bad they did not understand the positive gift to society that an obedient Christian, an obedient child, an obedient husband, and an obedient wife contributes. It is no surprise to me that after feminists removed “obey” and “obedient” from many uses in society, the number of divorced women increased by 500% while the increase of school violence shot up more than 1250% since 1950.
When you take obedience out of schools, public life, language, and the church, much is lost. A disobedient person will never be trustworthy or faithful. An obedient civil servant can be trusted with public money, faithful in the fair distribution of entitlements, and honorable in his or her voting. A faithful servant of God displays obedience in the best light. That person is trustworthy, considerate, and gracious before God. He or she makes the best friend, husband, wife, child, and worker. To summarize, obedience is a must for trustworthiness, honesty, faithfulness, and so much more. Take that away and everything from family to marriage to politics to friendships all suffer and fail.
During the time of Moses, Israel began its first steps toward being a faithful people. In the ancient time of Joshua a few decades later, the people of Israel were just getting to know and trust God. With Joshua’s leadership, the people were challenged to decide whether to be faithful to God or not. This required their obedience. Joshua knew this. He asked all Israel to dedicate themselves to God, become obedient to the God of Abraham, and reject other gods. In the scripture for today from Joshua 24:24, the people responded with their commitment promising that “The LORD our God we will serve, and his voice we will obey.”” (Joshua 24:24, ESV).
Every promise to God involves obedience. Obedience forms the foundation of trust and faithfulness to God. You cannot be faithful without obedience to God. You cannot be trustworthy without obedience to God’s commands. You cannot be truthful and committed without honest obedience. It is impossible to be a servant or child of God if you will not obey God!
Can you imagine what the first Christmas would have been like if people had not been obedient to God? In obedience to God, Joseph heeded an angel and took Mary as his wife. In obedience to God, Mary accepted the angel Gabriel’s announcement of her pregnancy and all that it entailed. When disobedient Herod planned to kill the Christ child, the obedience of Joseph made him faithfully flee to Egypt when commanded.
In the meditational, Hope for Each Day, Billy Graham eloquently wrote:
“God, too, wants us to learn responsibility. Yes, we are saved by His grace—but we are also called to be responsible disciples, learning to follow Christ by obeying God’s will. The Bible warns, “If you do not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then the hand of the LORD will be against you” (1 Samuel 12:15). If you want God to hear your prayers, surrender your selfishness and stubbornness to Him, and then humbly seek His will. Obedience is the master key to effective prayer.” (p. 87).
As a child of God, you might have a lot going for you. You might be intelligent, insightful, and have many talents. But, without a complete obedience to God, you will never be a true servant of God. You will not achieve your full potential. You will fail in many ways. You cannot be spiritually trustworthy nor committed. As we near the birth of Christ Jesus, reconsider if you (like Mary and Joseph) are fully obedient to God. Can God trust in you to come through, be faithful, withstand temptation, and practice justice when put on the spot? Will you obey God’s will even when nobody is looking or when everything is on the line?
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
I love You, Oh Lord! I cherish those moments when I feel Your presence! I thank You for the grace and forgiveness You have shown me. In Jesus Christ, I come before You!
Forgive my thoughtlessness. Forgive those moments I did not respond in love. Forgive me for the petty jealousies and angry utterances that defined certain periods of my life. I have not loved others as you would have me do. I have even withheld my love from others in order to get my way. I need to not only trust in Your love but live it myself!
I pray for churches where the love has grown cold. I pray for Christians who have lost their way. I pray for our world, which is full of bitterness and resentment and divisive maneuvering. Our world needs You, Oh Lord! But will they ever realize it?
In the name of Jesus Christ, I have hope. In his name, I have prayed. Amen.