God Grants

Authority

We can know where all authority comes from.

Memory Verse

“Do not be afraid of anyone, for judgment belongs to God.”

Deuteronomy 1:17

We live in a world where many people want to claim authority. And yet, at the same time, many also lack respect for authority and greatly underestimate, or even are suspicious of, the wisdom and expertise that comes through lived experience.

While the Internet has opened up many pathways to legitimate knowledge, sometimes people are more willing to trust their own quick Google searches rather than rely on the understanding of an expert. 

And everywhere we go, truth has come to be considered malleable, able to be shaped to conform to a person’s desire for how they would like to see things, instead of how things really are. 

If you go far enough you can always find someone who believes like you. Who has the same opinion about something? 

Discussions and debates about who holds authority are nothing new. Thousands of years ago, the Israelites were arguing  about the same kinds of things. 

First, they wanted a rescuer; then they decided they didn’t much like being rescued. 

Then they wanted leaders, but they didn’t want to follow them.

They wanted God to guide them, but they didn’t trust God’s guidance.

As Moses spoke to the often unruly and grumbling Israelite crowd, his task was to remind them of all the things God had done for them in the past and why they should honor Him now. 

He encouraged them to know that not only were they capable of following God’s law, but they were commanded to do so. 

They did not need to worry about what others might say. They did not need to be afraid of the power of any man or woman, by the wealthy or popular or strong. 

The duty of the judges God set in place was to hear people out, to be fair, and to bring every decision before God.

God had blessed the Jews greatly, but so greatly that Moses could not lead them all at once. 

15-18

So I took the leading men of your tribes, wise and respected men, and appointed them to have authority over you -as commanders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties and of tens and as tribal officials. 

And I charged your judges at that time, “Hear the disputes between your people and judge fairly, whether the case is between two Israelites or between an Israelite and a foreigner residing among you. 

Do not show partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be afraid of anyone, for judgment belongs to God. 

Bring me any case too hard for you, and I will hear it.” 

The duty of the judges God set in place was to hear people out, to be fair, and to bring every decision before God.

But even when God’s commands were clear, the Israelites continued to be unsure about following Him. 

Moses goes on to describe how God told them to take possession of the land of the Amorites, but when reports came back from men sent to view the land, the Jews were once again hesitant.

27, 28:

You grumbled in your tents and said, “The Lord hates us; so he brought us out of Egypt to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us.

Where can we go? Our brothers have made our hearts melt in fear. They say, ‘The people are stronger and taller than we are; the cities are large, with walls up to the sky. We even saw the Anakites there.’

Israel was on the verge of entering the land God had promised them when they asked for spies to be sent to look over the land. Why was it a bad idea to send spies in the first place?

Moses remembered what he said to the Israelites when they were afraid to enter the Promised Land the first time. Now, about 40 years later, he wanted to remind them again of who God was. 

Read verses 29-33

Then I said to you, “Do not be terrified; do not be afraid of them.

The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the wilderness.

There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place.”

In spite of this, you did not trust in the Lord your God, who went ahead of you on your journey, in fire by night and in a cloud by day, to search out places for you to camp and to show you the way you should go.

If you had to list what God has done for you, what would be on the list?

God clearly had demonstrated His trustworthiness as the authority over Israel.

And yet, they could not stop their fear. What do you think was holding them back? What stops you from trusting God?

We have talked about understanding God as the One who is worthy of our trust and our respect, the One who holds authority over our lives. When we honor God’s commands, when we obey Him, we show we know Him as the Author of all creation.

Ephesians 1:15-23

That’s why, when I heard of the solid trust you have in the Master Jesus and your outpouring of love to all the followers of Jesus, I couldn’t stop thanking God for you -every time I prayed, I’d think of you and give thanks.

But I do more than thank. I ask-ask the God of our Master, Jesus Christ, the God of glory -to make you intelligent and discerning in knowing him personally, your eyes focused and clear, so that you can see exactly what it is he is calling you to do, grasp the immensity of this glorious way of life he has for his followers. 

Oh, the utter extravagance of his work in us who trust him-endless energy, boundless strength!

All this energy issues from Christ: God raised him from death and set him on a throne in deep heaven, in charge of running the universe, everything from galaxies to governments, no name and no power exempt from his rule. 

And not just for the time being, but forever. He is in charge of it all, has the final word on everything. At the center of all this, Christ rules the church. 

The church, you see, is not peripheral to the world; the world is peripheral to the church. The church is Christ’s body, in which he speaks and acts, by which he fills everything with his presence.

Think about the things you wish you could put on that list. Take some time now to invite God to have authority over your whole life – your heart, mind, and soul.

To some people, the idea of God having authority over every part of our lives may sound scary -like a dictator ruling over a nation and making everyone do what he wants. 

But think again about how Paul described God having authority in our lives. It’s very different from the idea of a dictatorship.

Dictators often want to blind people through propaganda.

Dictators often separate themselves from the people they rule over. They want the people to work hard so they don’t see what the dictator is doing.

Dictators eventually get overthrown or conquered. They are temporary.

Paul also said that Christ rules the church and that the church is Christ’s body, through which Christ speaks and acts. 

As you speak and act this week, remember that you don’t have to be afraid of what people think of you. You don’t have to worry about who is more powerful or not. Be courageous!

Know that as long as you are standing up for God and His Word, for His truth, then the Author of life will stand behind you.