Obedience is Better than Sacrifice

Talking to a fellow beliver in Christ today gave us an opportunity to revisit the below Scriptures (1 Samuel 15:1-3, 8-33 NASB1995 & 1 Samuel 16:1, 12-14 NASB1995) and apply it to our lives. 

En route to becoming king over Isreal, God told Saul to "utterly destroy all" things pertaining to the Amalekites. However, Saul & his soldiers thought "better" than God and spared the life of the Amalekite king, Agag, AND the "best" of the animals and all that they deemed as good in the land. They were not willing to utterly destroy some of the things God had told them to destroy. Add insult to injury, Saul and the people wanted to sacrifice "the best" animals to God.

Has God told us to "utterly destroy" an interaction, a relationship, a career, a habit, or a cycle, just for us to "know better" and exercise grace all of the sudden? Are we such great judges of character that we can now determine who and what needs sparing? And, the laughable thing--we do it in the name of Christian love and offer it as a sacrifice of praise!

Imagine going to your all-time favorite restaurant and ordering your most dreamed-about dish. You take it home and let it sit out for days on your counter. Without implementing proper food storage practices, the dish will start to stink and resemble a science project more than the delicious entree you previously brought home. Further, imagine that the person you most respect walks in to sit at your dinner table waiting to eat. Would you then present the putrid dish to your cherished guest? May it never be! Yet, that is what Saul had the audacity to suggest to do & that is what we actually do to God!

God has so much greater and more in store for us, but, like Saul, we become wiser than God and know better that we end up insulting the very One we are trying to impress. And because of our DISOBEDIENCE, we are striped of the very grand blessing God bestows upon us and become tormented by God Himself...all in the name of knowing better than God.

You may not have to think long or hard today about l

what God has called you to be obedient in doing. Do, however, think long about the future consequences of doing things YOUR way instead of YAHWEH's. The ending results can have everlasting negative impacts.

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1 Samuel 15:1-3, 8-33 NASB1995

[1] Then Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel; now therefore, listen to the words of the Lord. [2] Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt. [3] Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ”

[8] He captured Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. [9] But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly; but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed. [10] Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel, saying, [11] “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following Me and has not carried out My commands.” And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the Lord all night. [12] Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul; and it was told Samuel, saying, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself, then turned and proceeded on down to Gilgal.” [13] Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of the Lord! I have carried out the command of the Lord.” [14] But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?” [15] Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed.” [16] Then Samuel said to Saul, “Wait, and let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night.” And he said to him, “Speak!” [17] Samuel said, “Is it not true, though you were little in your own eyes, you were made the head of the tribes of Israel? And the Lord anointed you king over Israel, [18] and the Lord sent you on a mission, and said, ‘Go and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are exterminated.’ [19] Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord, but rushed upon the spoil and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord?” [20] Then Saul said to Samuel, “I did obey the voice of the Lord, and went on the mission on which the Lord sent me, and have brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. [21] But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” [22] Samuel said, “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams. [23] For rebellion is as the sin of divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king.” [24] Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned; I have indeed transgressed the command of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice. [25] Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me, that I may worship the Lord.” [26] But Samuel said to Saul, “I will not return with you; for you have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you from being king over Israel.” [27] As Samuel turned to go, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. [28] So Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to your neighbor, who is better than you. [29] Also the Glory of Israel will not lie or change His mind; for He is not a man that He should change His mind.” [30] Then he said, “I have sinned; but please honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and go back with me, that I may worship the Lord your God.” [31] So Samuel went back following Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord. [32] Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag, the king of the Amalekites.” And Agag came to him cheerfully. And Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” [33] But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hewed Agag to pieces before the Lord at Gilgal.

https://bible.com/bible/100/1sa.15.1-33.NASB1995

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1 Samuel 16:1, 12-14 NASB1995

[1] Now the Lord said to Samuel, “How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have selected a king for Myself among his sons.”

[12] So he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him; for this is he.” [13] Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the Lord came mightily upon David from that day forward. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah. [14] Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord terrorized him.

https://bible.com/bible/100/1sa.16.1-14.NASB1995

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