Year of the Bible: Part Five of Twelve Sample

Obedience is Better than Sacrifice

The prophets in Israel were one way for the people to hear from God. Samuel gave King Saul the message that God was ready to avenge the mistreatment of His people by the Amalekites, who had attacked Israel after they escaped Egypt. God told Saul to destroy His enemy, so Saul and his army set out to do just that.

Saul’s army was victorious and destroyed all the people. However, Saul and his men were unwilling to kill the Amalekite king, the choicest animals, and the best of everything else. In his pride, Saul honored himself first and then offered sacrifices to God from the spoils.

The heart motivation behind a sacrifice mattered deeply to God. He was not merely interested in a ritual. Saul offered sacrifices to God from the choicest spoils from the battle. Seems holy, right? The problem is that he did not obey. God didn’t want anything the Amalekites had; He simply wanted them destroyed.

Similarly, when we do something in the name of the Lord, our heart’s motivation matters. Obeying what God asks of us shows that we value Him and His way of doing things. Our rationale may make more sense, but our understanding is not as vast as His.

This might seem harsh, but Saul had one job: to destroy the Amalekites. When caught in his deception, Saul made excuses and justified himself. The disobedient heart of Saul nullified any piety that a sacrifice would have exhibited. His response showed that he was bent toward his rationale rather than following the way of God.

Maybe Saul thought he could convince God to value the effort of his sacrifice, even in the face of disobedience. We know that God loves relationships and being able to trust His chosen ones. Saul violated God’s trust, so Samuel told him that God regretted making Saul king and would take away his kingdom. We know God understands the end from the beginning. His way is best, even if we cannot make sense of it. He wants us as His partners in accomplishing His will, but we must be willing to do things His way.

Question: When, like Saul, have you cared more about the opinions of others more than obeying God's instructions?

Prayer: Ask God for the supernatural strength to obey Him fully. We need the power of the Holy Spirit to obey God completely. Ask God for the humility to allow yourself to rely on His strength to follow His plan for you, not your way.