Obedience and Loyalty

We read and talk about obedience and every scripture study – including Psalms – brings forth the same concept of obedience. That concept is of loyalty to Yahweh and His Torah. Torah = teaching and instructions of Yahweh.

In every human relationship loyalty is the keystone of a successful and peaceful outcome. If human children betray their human parents whom they can see, how much harder to be loyal to a parent you cannot see? So what is loyalty? Imagine my surprise when I could not find the word in scripture. But there are many instances of obedience.

Obedience H#8085 prime root, to hear intelligently [often with the implication of attention, obedience] attentively, certainly, consent, give ear, perceive, understand

G5218 attentive harkening, complacence or submission from G5219 to hear as a suborder from G5259 under and G191 prime, to hear [in various senses], understand

Imagine my surprise when I could not find the word in the King James Version in the Old Testament, but there are 42 verses that tell us to obey. Other versions use it scarcely.

To me each of the above usages give the sense that when you hear you will comply [G5218], but is obedience the same as loyalty? Betrayal is the opposite of loyalty so we do find that in scripture. It is used only once in the Tanak/OT in 1 Ch 12.14-18. Was not David asking for loyalty?

So what is loyalty?

New Century Dictionary 1427

The state or quality of being loyal, ie faithfulness to engagements or obligation, faithful adherence to a sovereign or government, or to a leader or cause.

So what are you loyal or obedient to? His word or man's invention, passed on as His word?