It explains that we must be careful not to follow ungodly leaders. We're called to respect leaders in the church, but we still must test their teaching with God's Word to make sure we aren't mislead.
The two examples below give us more insight into godly and ungodly "following."
1. For the most part Sarah was a good example of a submissive wife. But this is one of several times she failed.
Genesis 20:1-5: Now Abraham moved on from there into the region of the Negev and lived between Kadesh and Shur. For a while he stayed in Gerar, 2 and there Abraham said of his wife Sarah, “She is my sister.” Then Abimelek king of Gerar sent for Sarah and took her. 3 But God came to Abimelek in a dream one night and said to him, “You are as good as dead because of the woman you have taken; she is a married woman.” 4 Now Abimelek had not gone near her, so he said, “Lord, will you destroy an innocent nation? 5 Did he not say to me, ‘She is my sister,’ and didn’t she also say, ‘He is my brother’? I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands.”
Sarah was a bad follower in this situation, doing something ungodly for Abraham when she should have respectfully refused. Even though wives are supposed to submit to their husbands, submission never involves violating God's laws. Note the wording of Colossians 3:18: “Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.” Sarah would have been forced into an adulterous sexual relationship with Abimelek if God had not rescued her.
This principle is true of a soldier and his commanding officer, an employee and her boss, Church members and their pastor, and a child and their parents. Scripture tells us to respect those in authority, but we are never to violate God's commands in the process. God's authority is always supreme.
Then, later in the chapter (verses 11-13) when Abimelek asked Abraham why he deceived him:
11 Abraham replied, “I said to myself, ‘There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ 12 Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife. 13 And when God had me wander from my father’s household, I said to her, ‘This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”
Abraham's plan was foolish, dishonest, and lacking in faith. He used a half-truth (i.e. half-lie) to protect himself instead of trusting God. It's interesting that the pagan Abimelek showed more faith than Abraham in this passage - God spoke to Abimelek and he listened!
1 Samuel 24:1-7: After Saul returned from fighting the Philistines, he was told that David had gone into the wilderness of En-gedi. 2 So Saul chose 3,000 elite troops from all Israel and went to search for David and his men near the rocks of the wild goats. 3 At the place where the road passes some sheepfolds, Saul went into a cave to relieve himself. But as it happened, David and his men were hiding farther back in that very cave! 4 “Now’s your opportunity!” David’s men whispered to him. “Today the Lord is telling you, ‘I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish.’” So David crept forward and cut off a piece of the hem of Saul’s robe. 5 But then David’s conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul’s robe. 6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this to my lord the king. I shouldn’t attack the Lord’s anointed one, for the Lord himself has chosen him.” 7 So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul. (NLT)
But David had a faith-filled understanding of God's commands to respect those in authority. He knew God would deal with Saul in his own way and in his own time, so David refused to harm Saul and even felt remorse for taking a piece of his robe.
David was a godly follower in this situation--he overcame peer pressure and personal offense to do the right thing. This is one of many reasons that, despite his serious sins, David was a man who had a heart for God. To read more about what set David apart, see 8 Elements of Repentance and Restoration and if you're married, I encourage you to read another devotion that addresses David's attitude toward Saul: Having God's Heart for Your Mother-in-law. (That last one should pique your curiosity 😊)
© Gail Burton Purath, BiteSizeBibleStudy.com, 2015, updated in 2024
11 Abraham replied, “I said to myself, ‘There is surely no fear of God in this place, and they will kill me because of my wife.’ 12 Besides, she really is my sister, the daughter of my father though not of my mother; and she became my wife. 13 And when God had me wander from my father’s household, I said to her, ‘This is how you can show your love to me: Everywhere we go, say of me, “He is my brother.”
Abraham's plan was foolish, dishonest, and lacking in faith. He used a half-truth (i.e. half-lie) to protect himself instead of trusting God. It's interesting that the pagan Abimelek showed more faith than Abraham in this passage - God spoke to Abimelek and he listened!
2. David committed some serious sins, but he understood authority better than most.
1 Samuel 24:1-7: After Saul returned from fighting the Philistines, he was told that David had gone into the wilderness of En-gedi. 2 So Saul chose 3,000 elite troops from all Israel and went to search for David and his men near the rocks of the wild goats. 3 At the place where the road passes some sheepfolds, Saul went into a cave to relieve himself. But as it happened, David and his men were hiding farther back in that very cave! 4 “Now’s your opportunity!” David’s men whispered to him. “Today the Lord is telling you, ‘I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish.’” So David crept forward and cut off a piece of the hem of Saul’s robe. 5 But then David’s conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul’s robe. 6 He said to his men, “The Lord forbid that I should do this to my lord the king. I shouldn’t attack the Lord’s anointed one, for the Lord himself has chosen him.” 7 So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul. (NLT)
David finds his enemy Saul in a compromised position. Saul would have killed David if he'd found him in a similar situation. From a human standpoint, Saul certainly deserved to be killed considering the way he had violated God's commands and was intent on murdering David. In addition, David's men told him God had given him this opportunity and he should take it.
But David had a faith-filled understanding of God's commands to respect those in authority. He knew God would deal with Saul in his own way and in his own time, so David refused to harm Saul and even felt remorse for taking a piece of his robe.
David was a godly follower in this situation--he overcame peer pressure and personal offense to do the right thing. This is one of many reasons that, despite his serious sins, David was a man who had a heart for God. To read more about what set David apart, see 8 Elements of Repentance and Restoration and if you're married, I encourage you to read another devotion that addresses David's attitude toward Saul: Having God's Heart for Your Mother-in-law. (That last one should pique your curiosity 😊)
© Gail Burton Purath, BiteSizeBibleStudy.com, 2015, updated in 2024
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