OBEY

OBEDIENCE OF GOD IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICES TO GOD

1 SAMUEL 15:22 NIV

BUT SAMUEL REPLIED, DOES THE LORD DELIGHT IN BURNT OFFERING AND SACRIFICES, AS MUCH AS IN OBEYING THE LORD?

TO OBEY IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE, AND TO HEED IS BETTER THAN THE FAT OF RAMS.

INTRODUCTION

JUST DO WHAT GOD ASK TO DO

JUST DO WHAT GOD TELL YOU TO DO

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BACKGROUND INFORMATION

WE DO UNDERSTAND THAT IS IS A CONVERSATION BETWEEN SAMUEL THE PROPHET AND SAUL THE KING

AS WE ENTER THIS PARTICULAR TEXT WE KNOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SAUL BACK GROUND

THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL WANTED A KING TO RULE THEM LIKE THE OTHER NATIONS AND GOD GAVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANTED. GOD HAD SAMUEL THE PROPHET TO ANOINT SAUL AS KING.

AT THE TIME WHEN THIS HAPPENED, WE SEE THAT SAUL WAS OBEYING HIS FATHER, ALL THE WHILE HE IS IN A VALLEY WHICH IS A LOW PLACE. AND HE DOESN'T SEE THAT HE IS LOST LOOKING FOR HIS FATHER’S LOST DONKEYS AS HE WAS PERSUADED TO GO SEE, THE SEER, IN THE HIGH PLACE NAME SAMUEL WHO WAS THE PROPHET.

LET’S UNDERSTAND THAT THE BIBLE CAN BE INTENTIONAL IN MUCH OF IT’S (METAPHORS) WHAT CAN BE SEEN HERE, IS THAT, THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT SAUL STATE OF BEING, BUT IT IS THE ENTIRE NATION OF ISRAEL’S STATE OF BEING AS WELL. IT CAN BE SAID THAT IT IS THE STATE OF BEING FOR ALL OF MANKIND SINCE THE FALL IN THE GARDEN OF EVE. EVEN TODAY. WE WILL NOT BE OFF IF WE CAN SEE OUR OWN SELF IN THAT SAME STATE OF BEING BEFORE WE ACCEPTED JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND SAVIOR. WE CAN’T SEE THAT WE WERE IN A LOW PLACE LOST, OBEY THE WORLD SYSTEM OF SUCCESS, LOOKING FOR SOMETHING IN LIFE THAT IS LOST, UNTIL THE HOLY SPIRIT PERSUADES US TO LOOK TO THE HIGH PLACE WHICH IS IN CHRIST JESUS. MEN OF GOD LET US THANK GOD FOR THAT.

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EXPLORATION AND EXPLANATION OF THE TEXT

WHEN WE EXPLORE THE TEXT WE SEE THAT SAMUEL IS MAKING A STATE IN REPLY MODE MEANING HE IS RESPONDING TO SOMETHING THAT WAS SAID. SO WHAT WAS SAID IN THAT CONVERSATION TO CAUSE SAMUEL TO REPLY WITH THESE WORDS.

FIRST SAMUEL HAD ASK SAUL A SERIES QUESTIONS. ONE OF THEM BEING, WHY DID YOU NOT OBEY THE LORD? BUT SAUL SAID BUT I DID OBEY THE LORD.

QUESTION? DO WE AS BELIEVERS FIND OURSELVES LIKE SAUL. WE BELIEVE WE ARE OBEYING GOD BUT WE ARE NOT FULLY OBEYING THE LORD. WE DO ONLY PART OF WHAT GOD TOLD US TO DO. ARE WE LIKE JOANA, WE DON’T WANT GOD TO HAVE MERCY ON OUR ENEMIES? OR ARE WE LIKE SAUL, WE WILL OBEY THE PEOPLE QUICKER THAN WE WILL OBEY GOD? EVEN THOUGH GOD GAVE US THE POSITION AND THE MISSION.

SOMEBODY WILL TELL US TO DO THIS OR THAT AND WE SEEMS TO GET IT DONE QUICK AND IN A HURRY. EVEN IF WHAT THEY TELL US IS AGAINST WHAT GOD TOLD US TO DO. GOD PUT SAUL IN CHARGE OF THE PEOPLE AND NOT THE PEOPLE IN CHARGE OF SAUL. GOD PUT YOU IN CHARGE OF YOUR FAMILY, YOUR MINISTRY, YOUR GROUP OF PEOPLE AT WORK THAT YOU ARE SUPERVISOR OVER. PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT GOD PUT YOU WHERE YOU ARE. EVEN THOUGH YOU FELT YOU COULD NOT BE A LEADER. YOU HAVE GOT TO SEE YOURSELF AS GOD SEES YOU. STAND UP TO WHAT GOD GAVE YOU TO HAVE DOMINION OVER. PLEASE DON’T LET IT HAVE DOMINION OVER YOU.

DON’T BE A PEOPLE PLEASE’ER AND A GOD DISPLEASE’ER. PLEASE THE ONE WHO MADE YOU. NOT THE ONE WHO PERSUADES YOU.

SAUL SAID I DID COMPLETE MY MISSION BUT THE PEOPLES, THE SOLDERS TOOK THE BEST OF THE SHEEP AND CATTLE FOR A SACRIFICE TO YOUR GOD. WHAT GOD CALLED EVIL DON’T CALL IT GOOD. THAT TAKES US WAY BACK THE GARDEN OF EVE AGAIN. TO THE TREE OF KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD AND EVIL. THE PEOPLE WAS DOING WHAT THEY THOUGH WAS RIGHT IN THEIR OWN EYES. THAT’S WHAT THAT KIND OF PUFFED - UP KNOWLEDGE WILL DO TO YOU AND ME.

DO GOD DELIGHT IN BURNT OFFERING AND SACRIFICES? SOMETHING THAT THE PEOPLE THOUGH THAT THEY WERE DOING GOD A FAVOR. THEY THOUGH THAT GOD IS REALLY GOING TO BLESS US FOR WHAT WE ARE DOING FOR HIM.

WE CAN THINK WE ARE DOING GOD A FAVOR AND HE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL TO US FOR DOING IT. ALL THE WHILE WE ARE IN A TOTAL SIN OF DISOBEDIENCE TO GOD.

SO WE HAVE TO BE VERY VERY CAREFUL IN HEEDING TO EVERY WORD THAT COMES OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD.

WHAT DOES HEEDING MEANS = TO LISTEN TO AND OBEDIENCE OF

WE NEED TO WATCH WHO WE ARE LISTENING TO AND WHO WE ARE IN OBEDIENCE OF

WE RATHER LISTEN TO AND BE IN OBEDIENCE OF;

SOCIAL TRENDS, POPULAR MOVIE STARS, AND ENTERTAINERS, SPORT FIGURES, POLITICAL VIEWS, PROSPERITY GOSPEL, AND THE LIST GOES ON. ...

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EXPLANATION OF THE TEXT

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EXAMPLE APPLICATION OF THE TEXT

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CONCLUSION