Obedience Precedes Miracles
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The principle that obedience precedes miracles is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, illustrating the relationship between human faithfulness and divine intervention. This concept underscores the belief that God often requires an act of obedience from His people before He performs a miraculous work. The Bible provides numerous examples where obedience to God's commands sets the stage for His miraculous power to be revealed.

Old Testament Examples

1. Noah and the Ark: In Genesis 6, God commands Noah to build an ark in preparation for a great flood. Despite the absence of rain and the improbability of such an event, Noah's obedience to God's detailed instructions results in the salvation of his family and the preservation of animal life. "Noah did everything precisely as God had commanded him" (Genesis 6:22).

2. The Parting of the Red Sea: In Exodus 14, the Israelites find themselves trapped between the Red Sea and the pursuing Egyptian army. God instructs Moses to stretch out his hand over the sea. Moses' obedience leads to the miraculous parting of the waters, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry ground. "Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land" (Exodus 14:21).

3. The Fall of Jericho: In Joshua 6, God commands the Israelites to march around the city of Jericho for seven days. On the seventh day, they are to march around the city seven times and then shout. Their obedience results in the miraculous collapse of the city walls. "When the people heard the sound of the trumpet, they raised a great shout, and the wall collapsed" (Joshua 6:20).

New Testament Examples

1. The Wedding at Cana: In John 2, Jesus performs His first miracle at a wedding in Cana. When the wine runs out, Jesus instructs the servants to fill jars with water. Their obedience leads to the miraculous transformation of water into wine. "Jesus told the servants, 'Fill the jars with water.' So they filled them to the brim" (John 2:7).

2. The Healing of the Man Born Blind: In John 9, Jesus heals a man who was born blind. He instructs the man to wash in the Pool of Siloam. The man's obedience results in his miraculous healing. "So the man went and washed, and came back seeing" (John 9:7).

3. The Feeding of the Five Thousand: In Matthew 14, Jesus feeds a multitude with five loaves and two fish. Before the miracle, He instructs the disciples to organize the crowd and distribute the food. Their obedience facilitates the miraculous multiplication of the loaves and fish. "Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He spoke a blessing" (Matthew 14:19).

Theological Implications

The principle that obedience precedes miracles emphasizes the importance of faith and trust in God's promises. It suggests that human action, in alignment with divine will, is often a prerequisite for experiencing God's miraculous power. This principle encourages believers to act in faith, trusting that God's instructions, though sometimes challenging or counterintuitive, are the pathway to His blessings and interventions. The biblical narrative consistently portrays obedience as a demonstration of faith, which God honors with His miraculous works.
Subtopics

Obedience

Obedience of Christ

Obedience to God

Obedience to God without Faith, is Impossible

Obedience to God: A Characteristic of Saints

Obedience to God: Abram

Obedience to God: Angels Engaged In

Obedience to God: Asa

Obedience to God: Better than Sacrifice

Obedience to God: Blessedness of

Obedience to God: Caleb

Obedience to God: Christ, an Example of

Obedience to God: Commanded

Obedience to God: Confess Your Failure In

Obedience to God: David

Obedience to God: Elijah

Obedience to God: Exhortations To

Obedience to God: Hezekiah

Obedience to God: Includes: Keeping his Commandments

Obedience to God: Includes: Obeying Christ

Obedience to God: Includes: Obeying his Law

Obedience to God: Includes: Obeying his Voice

Obedience to God: Includes: Obeying the Gospel

Obedience to God: Includes: Submission to Higher Powers

Obedience to God: Israelites

Obedience to God: Joseph

Obedience to God: Josiah

Obedience to God: Justification Obtained by That of Christ

Obedience to God: Noah

Obedience to God: Obligations To

Obedience to God: Paul

Obedience to God: Pray to be Taught

Obedience to God: Prepare the Heart For

Obedience to God: Promises To

Obedience to God: Punishment of Refusing

Obedience to God: Resolve Upon

Obedience to God: Saints Elected To

Obedience to God: Saints of Rome

Obedience to God: should be Constant

Obedience to God: should be from the Heart

Obedience to God: should be Undeviating

Obedience to God: should be Unreserved

Obedience to God: should Be with Willingness

Obedience to God: The Wicked Refuse

Obedience to God: To be Universal in the Latter Days

Obedience to God: Wise Men

Obedience to God: Zacharias

Obedience to God: Zerubbabel

Obedience: Abraham

Obedience: Asa

Obedience: Bethuel and Laban

Obedience: Caleb

Obedience: Cornelius

Obedience: Cyrus

Obedience: Daniel

Obedience: David

Obedience: Elisha

Obedience: Enjoined

Obedience: Exemplified

Obedience: Ezra

Obedience: General Scriptures Concerning

Obedience: Gideon

Obedience: Hanani

Obedience: Hezekiah

Obedience: Jacob

Obedience: Jehoiada

Obedience: Jehoshaphat

Obedience: Jesus

Obedience: Job

Obedience: John and James

Obedience: John the Baptist

Obedience: Jonah

Obedience: Joseph

Obedience: Joshua

Obedience: Josiah

Obedience: Jotham

Obedience: Levi

Obedience: Levites

Obedience: Mary

Obedience: Matthew

Obedience: Moses

Obedience: Moses and Aaron

Obedience: Nathanael

Obedience: Ninevites

Obedience: Noah

Obedience: Paul

Obedience: Reubenites

Obedience: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego

Obedience: Simeon

Obedience: Simon and Andrew

Obedience: The Disciples

Obedience: The Israelites

Obedience: The Rich Young Man

Obedience: Under the Preaching of Haggai

Obedience: Uzziah

Obedience: Zacharias

Related Terms

Slaves (119 Occurrences)

Obedience (61 Occurrences)

Obediently (2 Occurrences)

Obeying (24 Occurrences)

Simplicity (12 Occurrences)

Obey (219 Occurrences)

Merely (30 Occurrences)

Subject (99 Occurrences)

Deuteronomy (1 Occurrence)

Philippians (2 Occurrences)

Please (324 Occurrences)

Earthly (39 Occurrences)

Life (6001 Occurrences)

Immortal (3 Occurrences)

Immortality (6 Occurrences)

Rule (291 Occurrences)

Respect (204 Occurrences)

Rulers (310 Occurrences)

Always (186 Occurrences)

Form (153 Occurrences)

Keepers (78 Occurrences)

Unwilling (30 Occurrences)

Orderly (8 Occurrences)

Owners (19 Occurrences)

Joyfully (37 Occurrences)

Labour (119 Occurrences)

Gatherer (5 Occurrences)

Godly (50 Occurrences)

Whereunto (36 Occurrences)

Wholeheartedly (15 Occurrences)

Wherever (107 Occurrences)

Whereas (55 Occurrences)

Wearied (36 Occurrences)

Increased (165 Occurrences)

Imposing (8 Occurrences)

Incidents (1 Occurrence)

Increase (184 Occurrences)

Isaac (127 Occurrences)

Individual (12 Occurrences)

Instead (139 Occurrences)

Fully (153 Occurrences)

Fashioning (4 Occurrences)

Treasured (20 Occurrences)

Trembling (72 Occurrences)

Remind (16 Occurrences)

Rejected (96 Occurrences)

Reprover (7 Occurrences)

Rapidly (7 Occurrences)

Repudiated (1 Occurrence)

Refused (89 Occurrences)

Responded (35 Occurrences)

Ear-ring (6 Occurrences)

Esther (48 Occurrences)

Earring (7 Occurrences)

Entrusted (55 Occurrences)

Eager (43 Occurrences)

Experience (28 Occurrences)

Discreet (9 Occurrences)

Delusion (12 Occurrences)

Discover (28 Occurrences)

Delude (2 Occurrences)

Dearly-loved (20 Occurrences)

Declaration (9 Occurrences)

Destroyeth (38 Occurrences)

Masters (59 Occurrences)

Motive (3 Occurrences)

Multiplied (109 Occurrences)

Master (346 Occurrences)

Multiply (98 Occurrences)

Permission (23 Occurrences)

Pilfering (2 Occurrences)

Proof (38 Occurrences)

Bondservants (39 Occurrences)

Bar-jesus (1 Occurrence)

Barjesus (1 Occurrence)

Brothers (574 Occurrences)

Conform (3 Occurrences)

Credence (20 Occurrences)

Christians (13 Occurrences)

Obedience Precedes Blessing
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