God gives success to those who obey

The second example of God giving success to people in the Bible that we look at is where God granted success to select individuals because they were obedient to Him and His law.

Obedience to God’s law was not always the easy choice, but the Bible records a number of instances where God rewarded those whom He called into leadership with success because they obeyed Him.

Let’s check some examples, starting with Joseph, the son of Jacob who was blessed by God “just because” in our last reading. Apparently, God’s favor continued with Joseph, even after his brothers sold him into slavery out of jealousy. As Joseph transitions from life as favorite son to slave in a foreign country, we read this:

The Lord was with Joseph so that he prospered, and he lived in the house of his Egyptian master. When his master saw that the Lord was with him and that the Lord gave him success in everything he did.— Genesis 39:2-3

If you dig into the life of Joseph you will see that his obedience was flawless; and although the Bible does not say that this is why God blessed him, it’s hard to imagine that God would have blessed him so abundantly had he been disobedient.

The Bible is clearer on this relationship between obedience and success, as shown in many other cases. Consider Moses’ successor Joshua, who led Israel to success in the Promised Land. God gave a very specific promise of prosperity and success to Joshua; with one condition attached:

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; … be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.” — Joshua 1:7-8

The Bible also records God the stories of other men and women called to serve God in leadership, with success and prosperity as a result of their obedience to God’s call and His law. Here’s two more:

The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he followed the ways of his father David before him... …so that he had great wealth and honor. — 2 Chronicles 17:3A,5B

In obedience to the law and the commands, he (Hezekiah) sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered. — 2 Chronicles 31:21

Lastly, let’s check in with Saul, the first king of Israel and see how important obedience really is:

“Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?” …“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” — 1 Samuel 15:19,22

Here was King Saul, leader over Israel, doing what he thought was right—adjusting the instructions received from God just a little bit. Even giving the best of what was captured back to God. But check what Samuel says: “To obey is better than sacrifice”.

A pretty clear lesson to us all that we can never justify straying from what God wants, no matter what we put in the offering on Sunday or give to any other cause.

Obedience to God is always the first precursor to success.