This command from God in Jeremiah 7:23 highlights an important aspect of our relationship with Him – obedience. When God tells His people to “obey my voice,” He is calling them into a covenant relationship rooted in listening to and following His word.
There are a few key things to understand about this command:
1. It was given in the context of God’s covenant with Israel.
Jeremiah was prophesying to the people of Judah during a time of idolatry and religious corruption. God had established His covenant with Israel when He delivered them out of Egypt, promising to be their God if they would obey Him (Exodus 19:5-6). Though they had agreed to this covenant, the people were now breaking it by worshiping idols and living wickedly.
God’s command to obey His voice was a call to return to the covenant – to relate to Him as their God by listening to and following His commands again. He wanted a renewed commitment to the relationship they were supposed to have with Him all along.
2. Obedience demonstrates and strengthens the covenant relationship.
Obedience to God’s voice shows that He is truly our God and we are His people. It aligns our will with His purposes and draws us into closer relationship with Him. As we obey God, we grow in our knowledge of His character and depend more fully on His guiding wisdom for life.
Obedience also enables us to receive the blessings of the covenant. God promises good things to those who listen and adhere to His word (Deuteronomy 28:1-14). When we obey, we position ourselves to experience the benefits He intends for us in the covenant.
3. Disobedience damages the covenant relationship.
If God’s people do not listen to Him and do as He commands, they break fellowship with Him and align themselves with sin and idolatry. This prevents them from fulfilling their covenant purpose of glorifying God and forces Him to enact the curses and judgments described in passages like Deuteronomy 28:15-68.
The people of Judah were experiencing calamity and judgment because of their disobedience (Jeremiah 7:20-26). God was calling them back into the security and blessings of obedience to the covenant.
4. God desires willing obedience from the heart.
It’s important to note that God wasn’t simply interested in external compliance with the law. Mere outward obedience can be legalistic if the heart is not truly yielded to God. That’s why He refers to obeying “my voice” – signifying a living, active relationship rather than just check-box religion.
In Jeremiah 7:22-23, God says He didn’t just command sacrifices – He wanted the people to obey from the heart. Wholehearted listening and responding to God’s voice is what He has always desired from us.
5. Obedience requires faith and courage.
Obeying God’s voice is not always easy or comfortable. It requires faith to believe His ways are truly best and courage to follow Him even when it costs us. We see this vividly in the life of Jeremiah, who obeyed despite opposition and persecution from those who rejected his message.
God often calls us to obey in ways that go against the grain of culture or our natural desires. But we can have confidence that He is worthy of wholehearted trust and surrender. His commands are always for our growth, blessing, and ultimate joy.
6. God’s people are enabled to obey by His Spirit.
Though God requires obedience, He does not leave us to obey in our own strength. In the New Covenant inaugurated through Christ, God gives us His Spirit to enable us to understand and follow His voice (Jeremiah 31:33-34, Ezekiel 36:26-27). As we walk closely with Him, the Spirit renews our desires to align with His and gives us power to obey.
God is not a cruel taskmaster expecting us to earn His favor through works. He delights to give us grace and supernatural ability so we can have the joy of obeying Him.
7. Jesus is the model of perfect obedience.
We see complete obedience to the Father’s voice modeled by Jesus Himself. He listened to and depended on God’s voice throughout His earthly life and ministry (John 5:19-20, 30). His food was to do the Father’s will (John 4:34).
Jesus’ perfect obedience culminated at the cross, where He surrendered to the Father’s command that He lay down His life for our salvation (John 10:17-18). His obedience makes possible our righteousness before God (Romans 5:19).
As we obey God’s voice, we are following the pattern of Christ and living empowered by His Spirit. Our obedience is made acceptable to God through His.
8. God rewards those who obey His voice.
All through Scripture, we see God blessing and rewarding those who listen to and obey His voice. For example:
- God credited Abraham’s obedience to Him as righteousness (Genesis 22:18)
- Ruth was grafted into God’s people because she obeyed Naomi, who gave her wise counsel from the Lord (Ruth 1:16, 4:13-17)
- Mary experienced the miracle of birthing Jesus because she obeyed the word of the Lord through Gabriel (Luke 1:26-38).
God is pleased when we follow His voice and will honor those who do so in ways we can’t always predict or expect. Our part is to listen and obey; the results are in His loving hands.
9. Listening to God’s voice keeps us in the place of blessing.
As we heed God’s commands, we avoid the pitfalls and pain of sin and remain under the umbrella of His favor and protection. Obeying God’s voice keeps us in close relationship with Him, positioned to receive all the benefits of being His covenant people.
In a world of instability and danger, listening to the God who loves us is our surest path to security, hope, and blessing. Even when obeying Him leads through trial, we can trust His good purposes.
10. God speaks to us today through His living Word.
How can we obey God’s voice today if He no longer speaks audibly from heaven as He did to the prophets? The primary way we hear His voice now is through the Bible. As we read, study, and meditate on Scripture, we tune our spiritual ears to recognize the voice of the Spirit speaking through the Word.
The writers of the Bible were moved by the Holy Spirit to write God’s words down for future generations (2 Peter 1:20-21). So when we read and respond to Scripture, we are hearing and obeying the voice of God Himself. The Bible is our daily source for knowing and following His will.
We also learn to recognize the Spirit’s voice as He confirms His truth inwardly and gives personalized guidance for applying the unchanging Word. But all genuine hearing of God’s voice aligns with the teachings of Scripture.
Key truths to remember
To summarize, here are some key truths to remember about God commanding us to obey His voice:
- It calls us into covenant relationship with Him as our God.
- Obedience demonstrates and strengthens that relationship.
- Disobedience damages fellowship with God.
- God wants wholehearted obedience from the spirit, not just outward actions.
- Obeying God requires faith and courage but brings great blessing.
- God gives us His Spirit to enable our obedience.
- Jesus modeled perfect obedience to God’s voice.
- God rewards and honors those who listen to Him.
- Obeying God’s voice keeps us in His will and favor.
- We obey God today by responding to His Word in Scripture.
The command to “obey my voice” is an invitation into greater intimacy with God as we open our ears to hear and follow Him. As we make it our aim to listen and do what He says, we will experience the security, purpose, and joy of living in covenant relationship with Him.