I’m going to put forth a situation and then I would like you to think about the order of things that you should do, from most important to the least. What if you woke up and discovered that your home had caught on fire and you needed to get to safety. What do you grab on your way out? If you have any children or family members in the house, naturally that should come first, right? Over and above anything else, a human life is worth more than any other possessions that you may own. Not money, not a favorite family heirloom, not even the family pet should come before the wellbeing and safety of your family. That needs to be first.
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? What decision will you put first in your life to obey? Will you obey God, or would you obey something else that goes against what God wants you to do? Just as in the example of your home being on fire, there is something that must come first and be more important than everything else.
Now think about this: What about the verse in the Bible that teaches us to 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 contradiction 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. Obedience to God must come first!
In Christ
Andrew
Teufer Lake King James Bible Church 