Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.

19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Jeremiah 7:21a Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel:

23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.

Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

8 By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out to a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

17 By faith Abraham, when he was tried, offered up Isaac; and he that had received the promises offered up his only begotten son.

18 Of whom it was said, That in Isaac shall thy seed be called:

19 Accounting that God was able to raise him up, even from the dead; from whence also he received him in a figure.

Philippians 2:5 Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

6 Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God,

7 But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:

8 And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

9 Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name.

Hebrews 5:7 Who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to same him from death, and was heard in that he feared;

8 Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;

9 And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him.

Romans 5:19 For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

1 Peter 1:13 Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ;

14 As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: 15 But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation.

   MEMORY VERSE: For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation? —Hebrews 2:2, 3

   CENTRAL THOUGHT: Because Adam and Eve listened to the voice of Satan and disobeyed the command of God, sin came upon the human race; however, our Lord Jesus Christ broke the power of sin and transgression by faithfully obeying the will of His Heavenly Father and allowing Himself to be killed as an atonement for our sin and disobedience.

WORD DEFINITIONS

Hebrews 11:19, “from whence also he received him in a figure”: When Abraham built the altar and bound up his son Isaac in obedience to God’s command, in his heart he was faithfully going to go all the way to offer him up as a burnt offering as God had commanded him to do. But God stopped him before he fully carried it out, and it was just as if Abraham had received Isaac again from the dead. (Genesis 22:1-18).

Philippians 2:6, “being in the form of God”: Existed with God from before the creation. “thought it not rob-
bery to be equal with God”: Counted equality with God not to be held on to.

Ver. 7, “But made himself of no reputation”: But emptied himself. He became willing to give up His heights
of eternal glory and to come down to human level.

Ver. 8, “being found in fashion as a man”: Experiencing the depths of mortal infirmity. “he humbled himself”: He went on farther down. “became obedient unto death”: Submitted to give up his life. “even the death of the cross”: Willing to suffer the most horrible way for a man to die.

Ver. 9, “Wherefore”: Because of His perfect submission to God’s will.

Hebrews 5:7, “was heard in that he feared”: God heard Christ because of our Saviour’s godly reverence
and fear before Him.

Ver. 8, “learned he obedience”: Experienced obedience in reality by going against His physical feelings. Ver. 9, “being made perfect”: accomplished; fulfilled; completed; finished.

LESSON BACKGROUND

   When God created man and woman in the beginning He set up a way for them to truly prove their love and submission to Him. God didn’t want to bless and have fellowship with His creation without their ardent respect, honor, and submission to His will. So, as it is expressed in Genesis 2:15-17, God put a special limit on what man could partake of in the lovely garden of Eden. He was given the privilege of eating freely of every other tree, but God made it clear to Adam of the one tree he must not partake of. In chapter three we have the account of the serpent tempting Eve and persuading her that there were benefits to be enjoyed if she would eat of the forbidden tree. Sad to say, Eve yielded to the temptation and got Adam to partake of it with her. Thus, sin entered into the picture, and it all was changed from what it could have been if they had been obedient.

   All through history we have this point brought out. Both Isaiah and Jeremiah have God’s address to man about His desire for man to be obedient. Our text in Hebrews mentioned Noah and Abraham, two faithful men who were obedient to their Creator and His command to them. This thought is carried over into the New Testament about our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Who, by His faithful obedience to the will of God, was able to turn back the tide of sin and transgression and make it possible for us mortals to turn the pressures of temptation and disobedience into victory and overcoming success.

   The message is clear and plain for us today. If we would be a partaker of the blessings of salvation and overcoming grace and special joy of peace and holiness, we must be diligent to faithfully obey all the commands in God’s Word. No one is going to force us to be obedient and submissive to God’s will, but it will be worth every endeavor to take heed, open our eyes to the truth and sincerely be obedient to the teachings and holy standards of God’s precious Word!

–Bro. Leslie Busbee

QUESTIONS:
1. What must we be if we would obtain the good blessings of God?

2. What will happen to all who refuse and rebel against God?

3. What did Noah do in obedience to God’s instructions?

4. In what ways did Abraham prove his faithfulness to God?

5. How was Jesus a faithful witness in His obedience to God?

COMMENTS AND APPLICATION

   Being obedient and submissive to the commandments of God is one of the main requirements for God’s help and favor. This obedience to God must be attended with sincere worship, adoration, praise, honor, and reverence; if we try to have these things and fail to be obedient to His will expressed and revealed in His law, it will all be in vain.

  We have the example set forth of disobedience by Adam and Eve along with others in history. The first king of Israel, Saul, even though he was chosen of God, failed to obey the instructions God gave him. His reign as king was a sad tragedy. But we do have those who were faithfully obedient mentioned in our lesson who showed the blessings obtained thereby. May we be strong in purpose to diligently obey and follow the teachings of God’s word in every detail, like those recorded in Bible history. Let us especially follow the example set by our Lord Jesus Christ who obeyed His heavenly Father in giving His life as a ransom for our eternity-bound souls!

—Bro. Leslie Busbee

REFLECTIONS

Have you ever been frustrated by “empty promises”? They are like cotton candy; sweet to the tongue, but of no lasting substance. Many people choose to live their spiritual lives in this same way. They love reading the Word of God. They enjoy good strong preaching, but when it comes to making a difference in their lives it just boils down to empty promises. It looks good on paper and sounds good to the ear, but there is no real commitment to making any change in their lives.

   Jesus gave a perfect illustration as to the result of obedience versus disobedience in His parable of the two houses: “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it” (Matthew 7:24-27).

   It is interesting to note that the material of the houses was the same. The tragedies that befell each house were the same. But the success and failure rate of each house was due to the foundation. The successful foundation was that of being a doer of the word and not a hearer only.

—Sis. LaDawna Adams