The Nature of Instruction (part 1)
Introduction. Life is full of people who control our behavior. Parents, teachers, coaches, bosses, and civil government all make rules and laws to limit what we can or want to do. Most of us at one time or another wanted to do something that went beyond what these people commanded. We either decided to set aside what we wanted to be obedient or we decided to disobey and do what pleased us. If we chose the latter, most of us then had to evade a conscience that wanted us to do the right thing and made us very uncomfortable when we did the wrong thing.
So we sought a way to misunderstand the command. We found a method of reasoning that both neutralized the conscience and gave us the excuse we needed if caught. Things like: “I forgot exactly what you said.” “I didn’t understand precisely what you wanted.” “I did the best I could.” Yet when all is said and done, we still know deep in our heart we didn’t do what we should have done.
The most important aspect of these truths is that none of this changes when we become a Christian. What we used to set aside the authority of parents or teachers is what we will use to set aside God’s authority. God understands this and gives serious warnings that it won’t work with him. “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Heb. 4:13).
So when Adam and Eve sought to be excused, God saw through it and punished them for disobedience. When King Saul tried to evade punishment, he claimed to have done what God commanded, but God saw through all his excuses and condemned his willful misunderstandings for what they were: “rebellion and stubbornness” (I Sam 15). When “the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts” (1Cor. 4:5).
Commands, Examples and Necessary Inferences. Christians have been taught based on Acts 15 that God commands and instructs using three important methods. He speaks directly, by example, and by inference. Although this might be the first time we have heard these terms, we have been bound by them since we first began to talk. Since our youth, we have been instructed, guided and directed by all three. We may have never heard them defined by these terms, but we are very familiar with their meaning.
Everyone who controls our behavior uses them. The simplest and easiest method our expectations are made known to another is by direct command or instruction. “Take the test,” “mow the lawn,” “clean your room” are easy to understand instructions, and when told exactly what to do, obedience can be measured by how well we did what we were told.
Yet this method has some fundamental limitations. They work fine for simple or already understood actions, but are unfair and impossible to fulfill if they are complicated. We can’t command a child to tie their shoe or button their shirt the first time. We have to show them by example how to do it, then they can obey that simple command. The more complex the activity the less we can rely on direct command/instruction.
No one learned to walk by the direct command: “Walk.” We learned by example and imitation. Multitudes of things we now do were learned by example. Most sports, hobbies, school subjects, and work skills were a blend of direct instruction and the “hands on” leaning by example. From doctors to truck drivers and from cooks to mechanics we all know they didn’t learn solely by direct instruction. We used a textbook to get direct instructions and commands, but we had a lab or clinical time to learn the skills necessary to do them by example. We learned about a skill directly and learned how to do it by example. Who would give the driver’s manual to a child and after they finished reading give them the keys? Who would teach open heart or brain surgery then ask the student to perform an operation? YOU CAN’T TEACH OR COMMAND EVERYTHING DIRECTLY!
Have you ever sat in front of a box of parts labeled “some assembly required” groaning because the direct instructions made no sense? Yet “a picture is worth a thousand words,” and an example makes things much easier to see. Learning by watching a video of someone doing it (example) is much easier than reading it out of a book. Who can deny this?
After learning directly and by example, there is no need to repeat those things again and again. Once we have shown a child how to mow the lawn (example), then instructed him to mow (direct), he now has the basic framework. After a period of time, we begin using inferences. “Your shoe is untied” means nothing to the child who first needs the example to learn how. It means nothing to the child who has learned how, but still needs direct instruction for when. But by the time they are teens, “Your shoe is untied” is the easiest way to command. “The gas is low in the car,” or “the grass is getting too high,” are not direct commands or examples. They are inferences that make our expectations quickly known. When told that everything necessary for a command to be done is available, we expect them to follow through (infer) and do what is expected.
We use inferences all the time. If my wife is leaving on a trip and tells me, “I left the meat in the fridge,” I understand the inference that I am to cook and eat it. If I tell her, “I left the deposit sitting on the counter,” she infers I expect her to take it to the bank. If I tell my child “I’ll be waiting in the car," I expect him to infer I want him to stop what he is doing and get into the car. These are neither direct commands nor examples, they are inferences.
As we move through the various realms of authority, we see direct command, example and inference often. At work, a boss first shows (example) how to do complicated aspects of the job. After we learn how, he instructs us directly about when, how long or how much. After some time he just makes inferences. “The bathroom is dirty,” “the car will be picked up at ten,” or “there is a 2:00 am deadline” all infer something must be done.
How will a boss who said “the bathroom is dirty “ and later finds the bathroom still dirty respond? If we say, “you didn’t tell me to do it”, we will get a quick lesson on the nature of inferences, and if we keep rejecting inferences we will lose our job.
How God Instructs. Since all realms of human existence function on direct command/instruction, example and inference, why would it be strange if God used the same tools parents, teachers and employers use? Sometimes God instructs and commands directly. Other times he uses one of his servants to give us an example to show us exactly how it is to be done. Other times he too will use inferences, expecting us to deduce his expectations or instructions.
In our next article we will see how God also used commands, examples and inference to guide and direct his people.
So we sought a way to misunderstand the command. We found a method of reasoning that both neutralized the conscience and gave us the excuse we needed if caught. Things like: “I forgot exactly what you said.” “I didn’t understand precisely what you wanted.” “I did the best I could.” Yet when all is said and done, we still know deep in our heart we didn’t do what we should have done.
The most important aspect of these truths is that none of this changes when we become a Christian. What we used to set aside the authority of parents or teachers is what we will use to set aside God’s authority. God understands this and gives serious warnings that it won’t work with him. “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give account” (Heb. 4:13).
So when Adam and Eve sought to be excused, God saw through it and punished them for disobedience. When King Saul tried to evade punishment, he claimed to have done what God commanded, but God saw through all his excuses and condemned his willful misunderstandings for what they were: “rebellion and stubbornness” (I Sam 15). When “the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts” (1Cor. 4:5).
Commands, Examples and Necessary Inferences. Christians have been taught based on Acts 15 that God commands and instructs using three important methods. He speaks directly, by example, and by inference. Although this might be the first time we have heard these terms, we have been bound by them since we first began to talk. Since our youth, we have been instructed, guided and directed by all three. We may have never heard them defined by these terms, but we are very familiar with their meaning.
Everyone who controls our behavior uses them. The simplest and easiest method our expectations are made known to another is by direct command or instruction. “Take the test,” “mow the lawn,” “clean your room” are easy to understand instructions, and when told exactly what to do, obedience can be measured by how well we did what we were told.
Yet this method has some fundamental limitations. They work fine for simple or already understood actions, but are unfair and impossible to fulfill if they are complicated. We can’t command a child to tie their shoe or button their shirt the first time. We have to show them by example how to do it, then they can obey that simple command. The more complex the activity the less we can rely on direct command/instruction.
No one learned to walk by the direct command: “Walk.” We learned by example and imitation. Multitudes of things we now do were learned by example. Most sports, hobbies, school subjects, and work skills were a blend of direct instruction and the “hands on” leaning by example. From doctors to truck drivers and from cooks to mechanics we all know they didn’t learn solely by direct instruction. We used a textbook to get direct instructions and commands, but we had a lab or clinical time to learn the skills necessary to do them by example. We learned about a skill directly and learned how to do it by example. Who would give the driver’s manual to a child and after they finished reading give them the keys? Who would teach open heart or brain surgery then ask the student to perform an operation? YOU CAN’T TEACH OR COMMAND EVERYTHING DIRECTLY!
Have you ever sat in front of a box of parts labeled “some assembly required” groaning because the direct instructions made no sense? Yet “a picture is worth a thousand words,” and an example makes things much easier to see. Learning by watching a video of someone doing it (example) is much easier than reading it out of a book. Who can deny this?
After learning directly and by example, there is no need to repeat those things again and again. Once we have shown a child how to mow the lawn (example), then instructed him to mow (direct), he now has the basic framework. After a period of time, we begin using inferences. “Your shoe is untied” means nothing to the child who first needs the example to learn how. It means nothing to the child who has learned how, but still needs direct instruction for when. But by the time they are teens, “Your shoe is untied” is the easiest way to command. “The gas is low in the car,” or “the grass is getting too high,” are not direct commands or examples. They are inferences that make our expectations quickly known. When told that everything necessary for a command to be done is available, we expect them to follow through (infer) and do what is expected.
We use inferences all the time. If my wife is leaving on a trip and tells me, “I left the meat in the fridge,” I understand the inference that I am to cook and eat it. If I tell her, “I left the deposit sitting on the counter,” she infers I expect her to take it to the bank. If I tell my child “I’ll be waiting in the car," I expect him to infer I want him to stop what he is doing and get into the car. These are neither direct commands nor examples, they are inferences.
As we move through the various realms of authority, we see direct command, example and inference often. At work, a boss first shows (example) how to do complicated aspects of the job. After we learn how, he instructs us directly about when, how long or how much. After some time he just makes inferences. “The bathroom is dirty,” “the car will be picked up at ten,” or “there is a 2:00 am deadline” all infer something must be done.
How will a boss who said “the bathroom is dirty “ and later finds the bathroom still dirty respond? If we say, “you didn’t tell me to do it”, we will get a quick lesson on the nature of inferences, and if we keep rejecting inferences we will lose our job.
How God Instructs. Since all realms of human existence function on direct command/instruction, example and inference, why would it be strange if God used the same tools parents, teachers and employers use? Sometimes God instructs and commands directly. Other times he uses one of his servants to give us an example to show us exactly how it is to be done. Other times he too will use inferences, expecting us to deduce his expectations or instructions.
In our next article we will see how God also used commands, examples and inference to guide and direct his people.