For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking… Titus 1:5a NKJV
In our first blog, we introduced discussion about Divine Order. We defined the concept and tied application of Divine Order to avoiding being overcome by the Wicked One. For your consideration, here again is the definition from the previous blog post.
Divine Order, which the Most High reveals through the Holy Scriptures, is the governing arrangement of humans in relation to God, each other, the natural realm, and the supernatural according to matters of sequence, original pattern, and prescribed methodology.
The magnitude of Divine Order is manifoldly greater than concerns about transgressing generally accepted rules of behavior in congregational meetings. So much of what bodies of believers fixate on are matters that can be found in and addressed by the “Robert’s Rules of Order” manual. Although guidelines of that sort may be useful in certain insignificant situations, the Kingdom of God is not a matter of (insignificant) talk but of power (I Corinthians 4:20). Many of our attempts at applying “order” amount to “straining at gnats and swallowing camels” (Matthew 23:24).
For the purpose of keeping the Enemy from prevailing over us, we need the dynamic power and anointed wisdom that accompanies adherence to Divine Order!
God has declared how humans are to relate to Him, how we are to relate to one another, how we are to relate to our natural environment, and how we are to navigate the supernatural realm and interact with supernatural beings (angels, righteous or fallen). Although the Most High has given humans freedom of choice to select the course of their life, He does not adjust the consequences of human disorder according to our preferences.
Thankfully, our Heavenly Father is merciful. He is not looking for every opportunity to punitively judge us. The Scriptures show that He may willfully ignore our ignorance and disobedience for undetermined periods of time (Acts 17:30). This suggests that He may even limit the full consequences of human noncompliance in the cases of His choosing. But God knows when we know what is right and proper. At that juncture, we must humbly submit to Divine Order instituted by the Most High.
Although the importance of this viewpoint seems lost on many believers, I’d like us to give some attention to the condition of “sequence” as it relates to Divine Order, especially in how we are to relate to God and one another. Read the definition of Divine Order again from above.
Some decades ago, I remember teaching at a Bible study and asking the attendees to give me their thoughts about the subject of “order”. The first response came from my late father, whose perspective as a mathematician informed his answer. His eyes lit up and he said “sequence”. As you may or may not remember from your math classes, problems that require multiple operations (× ÷ – +) necessitate that you address each operation according to its prioritized sequence (order) to arrive at the correct solution. (Google PEDMAS for more information)
Similarly, Divine Order requires submission to sequential prioritization, and as it relates to human relationships, hierarchal authority.
For example, let’s examine the following Scripture passage.
Matthew 22:34-40 New King James Version
34 But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. 35 Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” 37 Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
The Messiah was asked by a Pharisee who was an expert of Mosaic Law, which law is the greatest or most important one. Jesus (Yahshua or Ya’ohshi) replied in a manner that prioritized the laws sequentially. The Savior stated wisdom extrapolated from Deuteronomy 6:4-25, Exodus 20:1-17, and the entirety of the law and prophetic Scripture to clarify Divine Order concerning the great commandment.
In Matthew 22:34-40 we see both aspects of the condition of sequence concerning Divine Order… proper prioritization of relating to God and God ordained hierarchal authority. Ya’ohshi, who is the Word (John 1:1-1 4), as well as the High Priest and Apostle of our faith (Hebrews 3:1), expounded upon the Scripture to identify the highest priority in the Torah as the appointed authority is expected to do.
Full examination of Matthew 22:34-40 coupled with Mark 12:28-34 highlights that not all “religious authority” grasps how to “rightly divide the word of truth” that leads to Divine Order (2 Timothy 2:15). That problem existed in biblical times and it still exists today. See the passage in the book of Mark below.
Mark 12:28-34 New King James Version
28 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, “Which is the first commandment of all?” 29 Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” 32 So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. 33 And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, [e]with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” But after that no one dared question Him.
From spiritual infants to those who are called to govern the House of God, it should be crystal clear that loving God with our whole being should be our highest priority! Because this bedrock principle of Divine Order is overlooked, amongst the myriad of problems the Church faces is self-appointed leadership that operates outside of heavenly revelation and the Kingdom of God (Mark 12:34).
Thankfully, those who love and seek the Living God are invited by the Most High to comprehend and comply with Divine Order. May we never confuse religious practice based on the traditions of men with Divine Order!
We’ll finish up our introductory discussions about Divine Oder in the next blog.
Grace and Peace to you,
Elder Theodore Nkenge
