Mother Is Calling – Rewind
“as children of obedience” 1 Peter 1:14 NASB
Children of obedience – The Greek expression is tekna hupakoes. Tekna (children) is a special word in the New Testament. It has a wider definition than simply genetically produced children. It can mean descendent, disciple, pupil or spiritual child. When this word designates children of God, it carries the further meaning of followers, subjects and worshippers. John uses it as a tender address (“my little children”).
Here Peter tells us that we are a certain kind of children – children of obedience. The word for “obedience” is hupakoes, a compound word that literally means “through hearing.” Obedience is a response to spoken or written instruction. This phrase, “children of obedience,” is a Hebrew idiom. It does not mean children of God who are obedient. It means children whose mother is obedience. This emphasizes the continual and habitual behavior of their lives.
Mothers have an incredibly special role in our lives. Not only are they the ones who bring us into the world, they are usually the ones from whom we learn obedience. This instruction is crucial to our existence. When we do not learn obedience from our mother’s lap, we will discover that life is a very lonesome and difficult place. In this verse we learn that God takes over the role of our spiritual mother. We are born by the Spirit. That same birth-Spirit is the Mother who teaches us obedience. There is an incredibly intimate connection between our second birth and our willingness to obey. Disobedience is far more than deciding to go our own way. It is an action that severs connection with the one who birthed us.
We live in a deformed world that offers past family dysfunctional patterns as an excuse for disobedient behavior. “I couldn’t help it. My parents were so terrible. They made me what I am today.” You know something? God doesn’t care about that excuse. You see, no matter what your genetic family might have been, your new birth came from the purest most holy Mother in the Universe. Become a child of Her obedience and life will be as new as the day you arrived here. Sit on Her lap and learn to obey. There really is no other way.
Who is your mother today?
Topical Index: tekna hupakoes, children of obedience, 1 Peter 1:14, mother
Even An Ox
The teaching of our Mother and the discipline of our Father, -both critical to ~training up a child in the way he should go.., and when he is old he will not depart from it ~
What were Paul’s words to young Timothy? ~ and that from a child you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus ~
Or in deference to the “Jewishness” (?) of Rabbi Sha’ul, -“which are able to make you wise unto salvation/deliverance through faith which is in ~ Yeshua HaMashiach ~ (2 Timothy 3.16)
Faith comes by hearing.. We (all) must ~ hear what God the LORD will speak for He will speak peace unto His people and to His saints, but do not let them turn again unto folly. (Psalm 85.8)
We must, (as dear children) “shema” the scriptures. To “shema” (what a wonderful word!) is to hear AND to obey. All scripture. Why? What happens when listen and obey? Oh yes!- What are the happy consequences of our obedience?
~ Every word of God is pure! ~ If you love Me, keep My commandments! ~
Isn’t this the heart of every father among us? “Please listen to me, and follow my instructions!- Son, I’m trying my best to help you here!”
There is one Son among us, whose obedience to the Father is total. The standard of all perfection- One and only One who never (ever) rebelled because of, or refused or refuted or rejected the instructions of the Father. He lived among us as One who was totally obedient! An absolutely Perfect Son!
And as the mother of our Messiah said unto the servants- (the very ones who witnessed water transformed into wine!)- ~ whatever He says unto you- do it! ~ (do it now!)
~ Listen, O heavens! Pay attention, Earth! This is what the LORD says: “The children I raised and cared for have rebelled against Me ~
~ (Even) an ox recognizes its owner, a donkey recognizes where its owner puts its food; but Israel does not recognize Me, My people do not understand ~ (Isaiah 1.3)
~ He came unto His own, and His own received him not… but as many as receive Him- to them He gave the power/right/authority to become the sons (and daughters!) of God, even to them who believe in His Name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God ~ (John 1.11-13)
Wow I had a dream about this very thing last night! It was about hearing and singing a song I have written and realizing the voice I tried to sing with was off key because of choosing to walk in my own way and the song wasn’t on key when I sang until I began to allow myself to receive the discipline Yaweh was requiring me to walk in. Amazing! Confirmation!
Loving your book, Guardian Angel, Skip. One of the most profound nuggets I have gotten out of it is that to be like God is to create order out of chaos. I have a 15 almost 16 year old right now who is trying to go his own way, he wants to be his own god, satisfy his own desires and makes excuses when he is called on it. (sounds like us all most of the time before God, at least myself anyway) In all fairness he is a great kid and is doing very well by the world’s standards.
Last night I was again, having the discussion about responsibility, obligation and obedience. When I brought up the order out of chaos it was like a light bulb when off in his mind. It is one of those concepts that never really occurred to me (or him) but when obedience is shared in light of bringing order and order brings peace, then obedience can be perceived to come with its own reward.
Hi Jill,
I am glad for you that you can have a conversation with your son and he participates! I really mean that as a mom–I am NOT being sarcastic in any way.
My daughter would not participate and at 25, still won’t. I remember those years well and it was frustrating to say the least. We are pretty much strangers to each other today.
I am not the same person today as I was then and I regret that my own obedience did not come till those times were past. Order out of chaos is impossible apart from relationship with G-d. At least I see it this way in looking back over my past 48 years. I tried pretty hard to find peace for most of those years and it was elusive to say the least and never remained if I did manage to find it.
Only as I have begun to become a child of obedience to Y-H has the peace become pervasive in my life. I have a ways to go but I am so encouraged in what He has shown me up till now. I absolutely love these challenges that Skip puts out there. It is clear that we have choices to make and that much hangs in the balance.
I have been making my way thru Guardian Angel too. It is pretty profound and it is taking me awhile but I will get to the end! The biggest thing for me is to realize how the position of male and female in Y-H’s eyes has been changed into something that I believe is unrecognizable to Him. No wonder there is so much divorce and mistreatment between men and women. Makes me angry that the “church” has been a willing part of it all these years too.
Well, I am blabbering at the mouth here! Keep talking to your son. I will never totally give up on my daughter although I realize she has to make her own choices and one of those has been to leave her parents out of her life. Ouch. All things will be made right some day and my trust is in who Y-H is.
Shalom
Love Guardian Angel! I’m reading through a second time to catch what I missed the first time:)
I had forgotten about that theme in the book. Thanks for the reminder.
I have discovered this to be SO TRUE!
Obedience is THE place to be!
This essay confirms what I’ve known in my heart since around Y2K: when Yah called me out of darkness in 1997, He gifted me with a spirit of obedience. He had to have done so! I was all alone reading scriptures at night in my bed (still living my dark lifestyle and sharing nothing about my new relationship with anyone) so I was dwelling in His presence but not in the body of Messiah yet… and I was easily moved to choose to obey the things He presented to me, step by step, as I read from Genesis 1 onward. Yes, there were a few moments of sitting on the fence at the beginning, but He was good enough to speak audibly to me (like a Father would do to a child who was not obeying Mama) and encourage me to get off the fence. While I was in the audience at a Philip Glass opera in early 1999, He said 3 times, “Now that you’re awake, don’t fall asleep.” The first two times I asked my friend, “Did you hear that?” and she said, “Nobody said anything, Melissa.” So the third voice I listened to. Immediately I gave up pork and catfish and started observing a day of rest on Saturday and by the Feast of Trumpets that year, I had repented of all I knew to repent of and had been Baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of sins. The rest is history! Sanctification is in Process, Life is Abundant, Health is Vital, Joy is Strengthening, Friends are True, Work is Satisfying, Time is Available, Money is Available, Peace is Here!
Thank you Muddah
Thank you Faddah
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Da da da da da da da da da da DA!
“That same birth-Spirit is the Mother who teaches us obedience. There is an incredibly intimate connection between our second birth and our willingness to obey.”
Prior to relearning through Hebraic eyes, I often wonder why believers say they are “born again” and “baptized in the Spirit”, but seemingly miss the mark in their attitudes and deeds.
That may not be the initial step, if obedience is not instilled from the beginning, i.e. if we had ‘accepted’ Yahshua as our “saviour” then we are to walk in ALL of YHWH’s ways and commandments as He did. Christianity did not teach their followers that. We simply muddle along, and it’s no wonder most of us are hungry for more knowing there is more, than ‘believing’ being “saved”.
In truth Yahshua is the Door through which we enter into YHWH’s redemption plans for us;
YHWH is our Redeemer, all through Exodus, we see this.
So we miss the mark of staying close and abiding in our “Mother” of obedience to be guided by her, to heed her voice in our inner beings. I think we were orphaned by Christianity, cutting us from our Mother of obedience. :- (
Thank you for bringing us back, Skip to recognize her after all these years! 🙂
matres lectionis (latin) “mothers of reading, or reading mother” Regarding the Hebrew language, the reading mother refers to four consonants to indicate a vowel א,י,ה,ו. (aleph, yod, hey, vav) Three of these letters make up the Tetragrammaton, YHVH and then the added aleph, the first and head and beginning letter of the Hebrew alephbeit.
This system later gave way to the niqqud or the vowel pointing system designed to dictate the pronunciation of Hebrew words. (Boy, you ought to try and give that a shot at learning!)
Its interesting that the ‘mother’ influence is even present in learning the various languages. The matres lectionis was also present in Arabic and other Syriac languages.
Maybe that lends itself as to why people always say “Hi, Mom!” when they get their 15 seconds of fame on television? Mom’s influence is everywhere. 🙂
Thanks Skip, this is a very timely re-wind!
What is the Old Testament definition of love?
I say “Old Testament” because I need to be able to point to scripture, and many people don’t get it if I say “Hebraic worldview”. But I hear more and more pastors speak only of love — it makes me wonder how the concept of love has changed or become diluted.