Growing up, what were some “rules of the house” that you and/or your brothers and sisters were expected to keep? A common rule that most families have is the standard “no throwing a ball in the house.” The parents don’t want things to get knocked over, windows getting broken, children running and falling into furniture or walls and hurting themselves, so for those reasons that rule is in place.
But what if, for example, a neighbor came over one day with a football and hands it to you and says, Toss it to me! What is the correct action for you to take? Should you throw that ball in the house, or not? It should hopefully be evident to everyone that your parent’s rules take precident over anything else that anyone else may tell you to do.
With this example in your mind, what do you think that we should do if we are told to do something that goes against the teachings that are found in God’s word? Because just as when you were growing up in your parent’s home, God has some rules and commands for us as well. Rules that need to be followed if we want to be pleasing to Him
But what about the verse that says, Obey every ordinance of man? Well, if the speed limit on a road is 60 mph, there is nothing in driving that speed that is in contrary to the teachings of the Bible, so obviously that is something that should be done. Now, I used this just as a simple example, but what if a law was created that had far greater consequences if they were not followed?
One such example that we can find is, of course, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and what they went through. To refresh, King Nebuchadnezzar had made a giant, golden image with the approximate height of 90ft tall, and had made a decree that at a certain time when the people heard instruments played, that they were to bow down before the image, and worship it, and that if anyone did not fall down and worship the golden image that they were to be cast into a fiery furnace, and killed.
Well, the instruments played, and the people bowed down before the image and worshipped it. But not Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They did not regard the command of the king, because they believed in the one, true God. Even though the king had commanded something to be done, if they had obeyed that command they would have been disobeying God by worshipping a false god. So we see how that we need to first make certain that we are being obedient to God over any and everything else. He is first.
We can also see how the apostles dealt with this kind of situation in the book of Acts. In this passage the rulers and religious leaders were trying to forbid the apostles from preaching about Christ.
Acts 4:15-20 “But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.
But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.
And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”
It was between obeying God and obeying men that they had been confronted with, and they chose to obey God, because the law of God is greater than the law of man.
Again, just one chapter later, they went through another similar situation. Once again they had been commanded not to preach about Jesus, but they were doing it anyway, and this upset the religious rulers again.
Acts 5:26-29 “Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.
And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,
Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.
Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.”
Obey God rather than men. Love God first, and then second comes everyone else. God is our highest authority and everything that we do needs to be in accordance to His will. Always obey God first.
In Christ
Andrew
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 