Do You Hear What I Hear?

1 Samuel 15;1-35; Hosea 6:6; John 15:10

To obey is better than sacrifice. That is one of the more popular phrases in scripture that we often memorize. And it seems so obviously true, doesn't it? But how well are we obeying? And what is the context from which this statement comes anyway?

King Saul had been given instruction from the Lord through Samuel to wipe out the Amalekites completely... every person and all livestock... for attacking Israel as they left Egypt. When Saul had completed the battle he reported to Samuel that he had "carried out the command of the Lord" (1 Sam. 15:13). Samuel asks Saul "[T]hen what is this sound of bleating sheep and lowing of oxen that I am hearing?" What Saul didn't know was that the Lord had already revealed to Samuel that Saul indeed had not carried out His commands. Saul had spared King Agag and brought back the best of the sheep and oxen... to "sacrifice to the Lord." He had been partially obedient and tried to justify the rest. But partial obedience is disobedience.

It is easy to criticize Saul as we read this passage. But isn't that just like us? We often partially obey the command of the Lord and then try to justify our actions. We can get very spiritual with our excuses too. We might even convince ourselves that we are doing the right thing. But we can't fool God. If it is not full obedience, it is disobedience.

We will never reach perfection as long as we live in these earthly bodies, but we must strive to do God's will. In fact, Jesus gives this frightful warning in Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. (NASB) Thankfully, through God's mercy, our obedience need not be perfect, only penitent. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  1 John 1:9 (NASB) So Thank Him today for His mercy, and then commit to fully obey His command!

1 Samuel 15:22 (NASB) 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.

Pastor Mike Deese