Obedient to His Voice, Will and Way

But this thing I did command them: ‘Listen to and obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, so that it may be well with you.’ But they did not obey Me or bend their ear [to hear Me], but followed the counsels and the stubbornness of their [own] evil heart (mind), and [they turned and] went backward instead of forward. Since the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have [persistently] sent you all My servants the prophets, sending them daily, early [and late]. Yet they did not listen to Me and obey Me or bend their ear [to hear Me], but stiffened their neck; they did more evil and behaved worse than their fathers. (Jeremiah 7:23-26)

Yet the LORD warned Israel and Judah through all His prophets and every seer, saying, “Turn from your evil ways and keep My commandments and My statutes, in accordance with all the Law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by My servants the prophets." (2 Kings 17:13)

How blessed and favored by God are those whose way is blameless [those with personal integrity, the upright, the guileless],

Who walk in the law [and who are guided by the precepts and revealed will] of the LORD.

Blessed and favored by God are those who keep His testimonies,

And who [consistently] seek Him and long for Him with all their heart.

They do no unrighteousness;

They walk in His ways.

You have ordained Your precepts,

That we should follow them with [careful] diligence. (Psalm 119:1-4)

You shall walk after the LORD your God and you shall fear [and worship] Him [with awe-filled reverence and profound respect], and you shall keep His commandments and you shall listen to His voice, and you shall serve Him, and cling to Him. (Deuteronomy 13:4)

But you are to cling to the LORD your God, just as you have done to this day. (Joshua 22:8)

My soul [my life, my very self] clings to You; Your right hand upholds me. (Psalm 63:8) Then they said to Jeremiah, May the LORD be a true and faithful witness against us if we fail to act in accordance with all the things that the LORD your God sends you to tell us.

Whether it is pleasant or unpleasant, we will listen to and honor the voice of the LORD our God to whom we are sending you, so that it may go well with us when we listen to the voice of the LORD our God. (Exodus 19:5-6) We must obey God rather than men [we have no other choice]. (Acts 5:29) Do you not know that when you continually offer yourselves to someone to do his will, you are the slaves of the one whom you obey, either [slaves] of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness (right standing with God)? (Romans 6:16) Has the LORD as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obedience to the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed [is better] than the fat of rams. (1 Samuel 15:22)

For I desire and delight in [steadfast] loyalty [faithfulness in the covenant relationship], rather than sacrifice,

For I desired mercy, And in the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. (Hosea 6:6)

But if you had known what this is, 'I want mercy and not a sacrifice', you would not have condemned those who are blameless. (Matthew 12:7) You do not desire, nor do You delight in them; You have opened my ears and given me the capacity to hear [and obey Your word]; Burnt offerings and sin offerings You do not require

Then I said, Behold, I come [to the throne]; In the scroll of the book it is written of me.

I delight to do Your will, O my God; Your law is within my heart." (Psalm 40:6-8) The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise. (Psalm 51:17)