Your Obedience Must Be Complete

Your Obedience Must be Complete 

I Kings 20:31-32, 42 NKJV

[31] Then his servants said to him, “Look now, we have heard that the kings of the house of Israel are merciful kings. Please, let us put sackcloth around our waists and ropes around our heads, and go out to the king of Israel; perhaps he will spare your life.” [32] So they wore sackcloth around their waists and put ropes around their heads, and came to the king of Israel and said, “Your servant Ben-Hadad says, ‘Please let me live.’ ” And he said, “Is he still alive? He is my brother.”...

[42] Then he said to him, “Thus says the Lord: ‘Because you have let slip out of your hand a man whom I appointed to utter destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.’ ”

The MkJV renders 2Cor.10:6 this way, " ...and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled". Paul had admonished the Corinthians that its easy to deal with the enemy when they are properly submitted under  God. This was Ahab's greatest weakness. Ahab could choose what he wants, not always what God wants. You'd be very surprised at how many find the covenant walk restrictive. So, many are prepared to shift base if they can get something beneficial to their disobedience.

   This is David Guzik, " God intended that Ben-Hadad should be utterly destroyed, but He also intended that this happen by the hand of the army of Israel. God was interested in more than the mere death of Ben-Hadad, but also in the way that death came about". Ahab contradicted God's expectations because he wanted  trade opportinities with Syria.   

   Guzik adds, " Perhaps Ahab wanted Ben-Hadad and Syria’s friendship as protection against the powerful and threatening Assyrian Empire. If so, he looked for friends in the wrong places". Then he quotes Trapp, " This was not courtesy, but foolery. Brother Ben-Hadad will ere long fight against Ahab with that life which he had given him (chapt. 22:31).” When we don't obey God in full, we make fools of ourselves and suffer the consequences. Obedience is an act of worship. It is described by Kuwali as " hearing the word of God and acting on it. It implies aligning our will to God's will; doing what God has asked us to do. It is when we completely surrender to His authority and base our decisions and our actions on His Word". Our obedience to God must always be complete. Jesus demostrated complete obedience, even to the death on the cross. Is your obedience complete? Good morning.