Obedience is better than sacrifice

Lonnie Brooks

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Obedience and Sacrifice

Lets consider the idea of Obedience and Sacrifice…

If I were to ask you to define the two, what would you say the are?

What is obedience?

What is sacrifice?

What does God desire? Why?

Lets look at

1 Samuel 15 ESV

1 And Samuel said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over his people Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the Lord. 2 Thus says the Lord of hosts, ‘I have noted what Amalek did to Israel in opposing them on the way when they came up out of Egypt. 3 Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have. Do not spare them, but kill both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ” 4 So Saul summoned the people and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand men on foot, and ten thousand men of Judah. 5 And Saul came to the city of Amalek and lay in wait in the valley. 6 Then Saul said to the Kenites, “Go, depart; go down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the people of Israel when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. 7 And Saul defeated the Amalekites from Havilah as far as Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive and devoted to destruction all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep and of the oxen and of the fattened calves and the lambs, and all that was good, and would not utterly destroy them. All that was despised and worthless they devoted to destruction. 10 The word of the Lord came to Samuel: 11 “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned back from following me and has not performed my commandments.” And Samuel was angry, and he cried to the Lord all night. 12 And Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning. And it was told Samuel, “Saul came to Carmel, and behold, he set up a monument for himself and turned and passed on and went down to Gilgal.” 13 And Samuel came to Saul, and Saul said to him, “Blessed be you to the Lord. I have performed the commandment of the Lord.” 14 And Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?” 15 Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen to sacrifice to the Lord your God, and the rest we have devoted to destruction.” 16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! I will tell you what the Lord said to me this night.” And he said to him, “Speak.” 17 And Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. 18 And the Lord sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’ 19 Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord?” 20 And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. 21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.” 22 And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.” 24 Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the Lord and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. 25 Now therefore, please pardon my sin and return with me that I may bow before the Lord.” 26 And 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 away, Saul seized the skirt of his robe, and it tore. 28 And Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you this day and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. 29 And also the Glory of Israel will not lie or have regret, for he is not a man, that he should have regret.” 30 Then he said, “I have sinned; yet honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may bow before the Lord your God.” 31 So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul bowed before the Lord. 32 Then Samuel said, “Bring here to me Agag the king of the Amalekites.” And Agag came to him cheerfully. Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” 33 And Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag to pieces before the Lord in Gilgal. 34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house in Gibeah of Saul. 35 And Samuel did not see Saul again until the day of his death, but Samuel grieved over Saul. And the Lord regretted that he had made Saul king over Israel.

Now verse 9 is where we really see it all begin…

That is what we are going to talk about this evening,. we are going to talk a little while about obedience and sacrifice that what it all means in relation to our walk and fellowship with the Lord our God.

Now here is something I want you to consider, I believe these two items, obedience and sacrifice go hand and in hand… and you cannot have one without the other truly.

But to do one without the other, brings failure.

Obedience versus Sacrifice

We are all aware of the impact that prayer has on our lives, and we enjoy doing it because we know it moves God to open doors.

But has it occurred to you that obedience has a vital influence on when we pray? It is very easy to pray, but when God is telling you to do something, you must do it with all joy. In verse 15 it says: “Then while it is still called today, if you would hear His voice and when you hear it, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion [in the desert, when the people provoked and irritated and embittered God against them]”.

So in other words, when you can feel yourself being convicted that God is speaking to you about something; maybe it could me to tell your neighbor that Jesus loves them, or allowing an elderly person to sit on your seat, or being kind to the one who hurt you recently. There are different ways in which we can obey God, however we should not just obey because we want a blessing for ourselves, but that we can also be a blessing onto others who are struggling with obedience.

Obedience versus Sacrifice

verse 22 says: “Samuel said: Has the Lord as great a delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams”.

Why do you think it is important to obey relative to sacrifice?

One of the reasons why obedience will always be chosen as significant is because when we obey, we are respecting Gods commands, and letting Him have His way in our lives.

Also, obedience is the response of someone who is in a relationship of trust with God.

Think of the disciples when Jesus told them to go here or there and they went and they were blessed as they followed his leading…

Obedience is better than sacrifice because we are letting God be God and staying in our proper place in Him; the place of dependence and surrender to His goodness.

Many in ritualistic based religions offer sacrifices in the hopes of gaining favor from their pagan god. They think if they offer a sacrifice, they are putting that god in a place where it must pay them back.

There are people who tell me I paid my tithes preacher, ..wow, you didn’t pay them, you are not buying anything. You give your tithe in obedience to his command.

Question: "Why is obedience better than sacrifice?"

So when we desire specific blessings, we also need to be conscious of God’s voice, so that it may be well with us. When you can feel God speaking to you, do not harden your heart. Yes it may be uncomfortable at first, but the more you obey, the better it will be for you, and those around you will see a difference.

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Abraham and Isaac

In reference to (the whole chapter; read when it is convenient for you please) when we read the story of Abraham and his son Isaac, you can see that Abraham was truly a man who obeyed Gods voice. God told him to kill his only Son. He was terrified, yet he still obeyed Gods voice. Isaac did not know what Abraham was doing, but the pain that Abraham must have been going through was too much for words. We can see that, despite being in a position of killing someone you love, God ‘tested’ him to see if Abraham would obey the voice of the Lord. And He did, that is when as soon as Abraham held the knife in his hand, God called “Abraham, put down your sword”. Not only that, but it also tested Abraham’s Faith in God which he did pass successfully.

So what had the Lord commanded Saul to do?

This kind of obedience (as a response to divine love) always leads to intimacy and dependence. This is why obedience is better than sacrifice.

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Prayer for Obedience

God I thank you for leading me, and I pray that Your strength and wisdom will constantly be with me as I make decisions that follow Your path. Help me to put Your Word to the test in my life so that my obedience will be a blessing to everyone who sees You working in me. Lord, help me to stay focused on You so the obstacles that come up won’t seem impossible to overcome. I know all things are possible through You, and I thank You for the privilege of doing any small task that brings You glory. Let my name be forgotten, Lord, and Yours be remembered. Amen.

God bless you all.

Answer: In , Saul chose to keep the Amalekite king Agag alive and took the plunder from the battle rather than destroy everything as God had commanded. When Samuel confronted him, Saul said, “I did obey the Lord. . . . I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal” ().

Question: "Why is obedience better than sacrifice?"

Samuel answered in , “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices / as much as in obeying the Lord? / To obey is better than sacrifice.”

Why is obedience better than sacrifice?

Two answers are given. The first answer is offered in Samuel’s response: “For rebellion is like the sin of divination, / and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. / Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, / he has rejected you as king” (). Saul’s disobedience was an act of rebellion, iniquity (sin), and idolatry.

Two answers are given.

The first answer is offered in Samuel’s response: “For rebellion is like the sin of divination, / and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. / Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, / he has rejected you as king” (). Saul’s disobedience was an act of rebellion, iniquity (sin), and idolatry.

The second answer is offered in Saul’s confession. He said, “I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the men and so I gave in to them” (). Saul admitted that his sacrifice was a transgression (sin) and was against God’s command. It was the result of seeking the approval of people.

Putting it all together, we see several reasons why obedience to God is better than making sacrifices or offerings to Him:

1) disobedience is an act of rebellion,

2) disobedience is sinful,

3) disobedience is a form of idolatry,

4) disobedience disrespects God’s Word, and

5) disobedience is based on looking good to other people rather than to God.

Still today, in our human attempts to look good in serving God, there is the temptation to perform certain religious duties rather than to truly obey God.

Even good activities, such as giving money to charity, attending church services, or praying in public, are not as important to God as obeying His commands.

Jesus criticized the teachers of His time for similar practices. notes three religious activities—fasting, public prayer, and giving to those in need—

that people often use to look good in front of other people rather than to honor God.

Matthew 6:5–8 ESV

5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Matthew 6 ESV

1 “Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. 2 “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 3 But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, 4 so that your giving may be in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 16 “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 17 But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, 18 that your fasting may not be seen by others but by your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! 24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money. 25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

As in , the problem is not the offerings but the disobedience of God’s commands and the desire for approval of people rather than the approval of God.

Obey and do what is right, their is the best sacrifice.

Let me share one more verse with you…

that people often use to look good in front of other people rather than to honor God. As in , the problem is not the offerings but the disobedience of God’s commands and the desire for approval of people rather than the approval of God.

Romans 12:1–2 ESV

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.

How would you relate this, in regard to obedience and sacrifice?

Go and do likewise

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