A FAITHFUL FOLLOWER
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Since extremely antiquated circumstances, there have been intense pioneers who have had a substantial number of followers, for example, Hammurabi, Thutmose III, Cyrus the Great, Julius Caesar, Augustus Caesar, Adolph Hitler, and Joseph Stalin. The same is genuine today (e.g., Vladimir Putin). The lexicon characterizes a follower as "one who takes after or trusts the instructor or speculations of somebody." Not just politically, however in each part of life every one of us is a follower (yes, even pioneers are followers) in some form, for example, in business, training, society, or games (and so on.). In our regular living there is frequently (here and there maybe time after time) somebody, something, or some individual want that we do long to take after. This is sufficiently normal even in scholarly or otherworldly issues, whatever the religion.
It isn't peculiar, at that point, that followers or some part of following is frequently validated in scriptural records. In this examination we might investigate the scriptural record taking note of cases of following in order to perceive what constitutes appropriate following and how to be a steadfast follower of the Lord.
"Following" in the Old Testament
Among the God-given guidelines that Moses conveyed to the Hebrews was the order, "You should take after the LORD your God and adore just him; obey him, serve him, and stay faithful to him" (Deut. 13:4).1 Although guided principally against tuning in to false prophets (vv. 1-3, 5), the direction obviously recommended a legitimate lifestyle for God's kin. As Merrill calls attention to, "What is required is wholehearted pledge to the Lord and his orders, powerful signs in actuality notwithstanding."2 Although given to God's kin long prior, it is no less evident today. A devotee must be submissive and really dedicated to the Lord and the gauges of his Word, realizing that they instruct what is best for them (cf. Ps. 119: 7-11).
Sadly, Israel was not generally completely dedicated to the Lord regardless of all that he had improved the situation them. For instance, after the Lord had empowered his kin to anchor the land which he had guaranteed, The Reubenites, Gadites, and half clan of Manasseh manufactured a holy place outside of the Promised Land. Alternate clans detected unfaithfulness to Israelite solidarity as well as maybe may have dreaded a specific traitorousness likewise to the Lord himself (Josh. 22:10-15). They compared the direct of these clans to the Israelite's prior erring at Baal-Peor in bowing down to the gods of the Moabites, which had occasioned extreme heavenly results (Num. 25:1-9). Along these lines, the clans in the Promised Land said to them by method for decry:
Why have you ignored the God of Israel by diverting back today from following the LORD? You manufactured a sacrificial table for yourselves and have revolted today against the LORD. … Now today you set out to divert once again from following the LORD! You are revolting today against the LORD; tomorrow he may break out in outrage against the whole network of Israel. (Josh. 22:16, 18)
Still later, notwithstanding amid the prosperous rule of King Solomon Israelite absence of reliability developed, because of the impact of his relations with numerous remote ladies,
Solomon worshiped the Sidonian goddess Astarte and the despicable Ammonite god Milcolm. Solomon did insidious in the LORD's sight. He didn't stay faithful to the LORD, similar to his dad David had. [Having constructed holy places for these gods east of Jerusalem], He assembled high places for all his remote spouses so they could consume incense and make penances to their gods. (1 Kings 11:5-6, 8).
In this way,
Solomon trespassed unfortunately against the Lord (v.6). The two gods Molek and Chemosh what might as well be called Molech or Milcolm [vv.7-8]), are especially said maybe as a result of the amazingly terrible practices related with their love, including tyke forfeit (Lev.18:21; 20:2-5; Jer. 32:35).3
The peril of not completely trusting and following the Lord is seen regarding King Amaziah of Judah. Having crushed the Edomites (2 Chron. 25:5-13), "He brought the gods of the general population of Seir and made them his own gods" (v.14). For this he brought about the Lord's outrage. As needs be, the Lord sent one of his prophets to reprimand and prevail upon the ruler. Amaziah, be that as it may, stayed unaffected and even undermined the prophet's life. Along these lines, the prophet said to Amaziah "I realize that the LORD has chosen to wreck you, since you have done this thing and declined to tune in to my recommendation" (v.16). Thus it happened, for in his pride Amaziah tested King Jehoash of Israel to war, just to lose the war and be caught (vv.17-24). What's more,
Jehoash followed up his triumph with a push against Jerusalem that brought about the loss of approximately six hundred feet of the city divider, the reallocation of the sanctuary decorations and royal residence treasures, and the taking of numerous detainees of war. Amaziah's exercise in self-will had fetched his country dearly.4
Amaziah's triumphs had made him be loaded proudly and confidence—a condition that caused him not exclusively to stop his dependability to the Lord at the same time, even to swing to gods of his own picking. The outcome was tragic. God's kin ought to have taken in the awesome exercise concerning confiding in false gods. Shockingly, they didn't, for which both Israel and Judah were later to die. The grievous shutting occasions of Amaziah's life show the way that when one turns out to be so enchanted by childish wants that he gets some distance from following the Lord, deplorable results may lie ahead.
Accordingly God's prophet Zephaniah starts his prediction with God's revelation of his coming two-fold judgment, first against the earth (Zeph. 1:2-3) and after that particularly against his kin (vv.4-6). This proclamation ought to have filled in as notice and rectification to God's kin, for in the Lord's message he denounced the bogus prophets of Baal, as well as those individuals "who divert once more from following the LORD, who don't look for the LORD or ask of Him" (v. 6; HCSB). These individuals "have stepped once again from any misrepresentation of worshiping the Lord. They look for God neither in individual supplication nor in formal love. They have no worry for the Lord who recovered His kin (cf. Jer. 2:13, 32-35; 3:6-10; 5:2-13; etc,)."5
The majority of this is reminiscent of a disturbing time amid King Ahab's rule (874-853 B.C.). It was a time of Israel's profound disaffection prodded on by Ahab himself, for he was an open admirer of Baal and other false gods. The prophet Elijah had gone up against the ruler about this and, following the Lord's directions announced: "As unquestionably as the LORD God of Israel lives (whom I serve), there will be no dew or rain in the years ahead except if I give the order" (1 Kings 17:1). Thus it happened. God sent a dry season upon the land because of Israel's inability to take after the Lord exclusively. To be sure, this was an essential covenantal prerequisite:
Ensure you don't dismiss to serve and love different gods! At that point the outrage of the LORD will eject against you and he will shut everything down sky with the goal that it doesn't rain. The land won't yield its deliver and you will soon be expelled from the great land that the LORD is going to give you (Deut 11:16-17; cf. Deut 28:23-24; 1 Kings 8:35).
Along these lines, God enabled Elijah to go into isolation. In this manner, Ahab looked for Elijah to rebuff him.
At the appropriate time of time, as the starvation turned out to be progressively extreme,
In the third year of the starvation, the LORD told Elijah, "Go and show up before Ahab, so I may send rain on the surface of the ground." So Elijah went to show up before Ahab. (1 Kings 18:1-2)
At the point when Elijah met with the lord, he told him that there would be a showdown amongst himself and the false prophets and thusly trained the ruler,
Convey delivery people and collect all Israel before me at Mount Carmel, and also the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah whom Jezebel bolsters. (I Kings 18:19)
At the point when the general population and the false prophets had gathered at Mount Carmel,
Elijah moved toward every one of the general population and stated, "To what extent would you say you will be incapacitated by hesitation? On the off chance that the LORD is the genuine God, at that point tail him, however in the event that Baal is, tail him!" (v. 21).
Elijah's expressions of guidance turned out to be appropriate, for in the ensuing challenge between God's prophet Elijah and the false prophets the Lord showed himself to be the one genuine God. As needs be, the general population atoned and the false prophets were executed (vv. 39-40). Curiously, Moses' caution to the Israelites of his day that they ought not seek after other purported gods and in this manner put the Lord God to a test had come to be pertinent to the season of Israelites of Elijah and Ahab (cf. Deut 6:13-16).
It is of further enthusiasm to take note of that Jesus gave this same exhortation to Satan when the Devil was endeavoring to entice him (cf. Matt 4:7; Luke 4:12). May we be the individuals who are so completely dedicated to Christ that we tail him paying little heed to the attempting circumstance we may confront. Regardless of how grim things may appear at display, we realize that God is in charge. We should simply confide in the Lord and tail him.
Let us, at that point, not be the individuals who neglect to take after the Lord totally yet who are dependable followers of the Lord and intentionally look for his driving every day. As the psalm essayist communicates it:
Minute by minute I'm kept in His adoration,
Minute by minute I've life from above;
Looking to Jesus till brilliance doth sparkle,
Minute by minute, O Lord, I am Thine.6
No examining of Old Testament references to following the Lord would be finished without taking note of Psalm 23. This exceptionally surely understood Psalm concerns our Lord's working as our shepherd. "Shepherd" was a natural term, being utilized of lords of different countries, for example, the colossal Hammurabi of Babylon. Shepherd is in reality a typical similitude of natural initiative. The working of shepherds was, obviously, extremely commonplace to the general population of God. Here in Psalm 23 the psalmist proclaims