You can only issue a command if you are a commander. Isaiah 55:4 say: ‘He made him a commander and a leader…’ and Isaiah 55:5 follows: ‘You shall surely call a nation you don’t know and many nations shall run to you for I have glorified you.’ You cannot call a nation if you are not a commander and leader! Only God can glorify someone to make him a commander and a leader to call a nation he does not know. Whey would anyone listen to anyone they don’t know? Because God decided that he would do it and they would have to respond! These two verses spoke to me before we decided to give up our house, car & furniture as well as our acting careers to go and become missionaries in Australia. But I never understand them in this context until this week! I’ve never put the two together in my mind, but always separated the two verses! This week I saw it as a unit and understood a lot about spiritual authority that I never understood before! When God gives you authority to command you can command nations to hear the word of the Lord!
Commands given can be repeated. Commanding means to transmit a message (Greek: ‘pargello’/ Hebrew: ‘tsavah’) and to give a charge or commission, to appoint or ordain. When you ordain someone in the ministry you are commanding him to be what God called him to be. When you appoint someone in church you are commanding that person to function with responsibility. When Jesus gave The Great Commission to His disciples to go into the whole world to preach the Gospel He was commanding them to do it. He received His commands from His Heavenly Father and transmitted those commands.

The greatest command is to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself.

Notice Isaiah says: ‘I have made you a commander for the people…’ and not ‘over’ the people. You act as commander on behalf of the people and not to rule over them as some Pastors do.

You only have authority when that authority is accepted. When people do not recognize your authority you have no authority. The people of Israel told Joshua when he was appointed as leader in place of Moses: ‘all you command us we will do and wherever you send us we will go!’ (Josh 1:16)
(See Acts 17:15/ Philemon 21/ I Thes 3:4)
When someone commands you they have confidence in you that you will do as commanded.
In Esther 8:17 we read ‘wherever the king’s command comes it brought joy and gladness.
Jesus said: ‘His command is eternal life!’

Jesus gave specific commands during His life.
Matt 8:18 – ‘go over to the other side’
Matt 8:22 – Follow Me
Matt 8:26 – He commanded the wind and the waves to be still
Matt 8:32 – He cast out the evil spirit by commanding it to leave but His command offended the people of that town and they asked him to leave. Commanding power sounds blasphemous to those who think evil in their hearts and do not recognize authority.

God’s command concerning you today:
Nahum 1:14 – once God has commanded nothing can stop it!
Because you choose to serve the living God He commands the following over your life today:
1. Blessing (Deut 28:1-14)
2. Salvation (Rom 6:23)
3. Healing (Ex 15:26)
4. Prosperity (II John 2)
5. Protection (Psalm 91)
6. Eternal life (John 3:16)

As God commands individuals He also commands nations. All we have to do to receive His blessing is to learn how to remove the cause of failure from our lives. We remove them by repenting before God and by changing our ways. Repentance means to make a 180-degree turn and go the opposite direction. If anyone repents of sin God is faithful and just to forgive our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9)

Jesus commanded His disciples to teach the nations all He has commanded them – not what their denominations taught them!

Here are some lessons God’s Word commanded us to teach:
1. Be fruitful and multiply and fill and subdue the earth (Gen 9:7) (Heb ‘parah’/ ‘rabah’: to produce in abundance as a governmental official in the world, to be resourceful, producing results and to increase, move upward, be elevated, move into a new dimension with new understanding of how to operate in that dimension, with new awareness and a renewed consciousness). Fill the earth with the will of God and bring to full extent according to God’s original expectations and purposes – to proclaim the Kingdom and Lordship of Jesus Christ and bring things into His order. You start with your life and bring things in order and then you disciple others. Subdue in Hebrew is ‘kabash’ to keep under and watch over. You serve as an overseer of what belongs to God – Adam had to define the character of each animal. He said to each animal, ‘you ought to be like that and do this and that!’ He commanded them to be what God created them to be! He defined new things!
2. The last thing Jesus did before He ascended up on high was to command His disciples to wait in Jerusalem until they were endued with power from on high. (Acts 1:8) They had to wait until they were filled with the Holy Spirit. They knew they were filled in the Holy Spirit when they began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave utterance and prophesied! (Acts 2:4) Then they went out and preached the Good News of Jesus Christ, the risen Savior. Jesus also commanded them to baptize those who believe (not to sprinkle children to make them church members!). (Acts 10:48) The disciples commanded new believers to be baptized.
3. God knew Abraham would command his children after him to serve the living God. (Gen 18:19)(Command here is: ‘tsavah’ in Hebrew – to set in order)

When God commands it leaves no options open. When God commands He does not ask your permission or your opinion. There is absolutely no discussion. You can choose to obey the command or disobey.

4. They worshipped according to David’s command – not according to their church traditions or their culture! (II Chron 29:25)
5. They sanctified themselves according to the commandment of the Lord. (II Chron 29:15)
6. They held the entire church service according to God’s order – not man-made religious rituals! (II Chron 29:29-35)
7. Jesus commanded that you must be born again! (John 3:3-5)
8. When we send people out on a mission we command them in the Name of the Lord. Before you send them out they have to be prepared: their feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of Peace. (Ephesians 6:18)

Two questions relating to the commanding authority of God in our lives that we have to answer:
1. Are you ready to receive God’s command in your life?
2. Are you willing to command others on God’s behalf to transmit the message?

There are many other commands in the Bible but these ones should suffice to teach the principle behind authority to command.