Bible reading: 1 Samuel 15:1-23
22 But Samuel replied,
“What is more pleasing to the Lord:
your burnt offerings and sacrifices
or your obedience to his voice?
Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice,
and submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
23 Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft,
and stubbornness is as bad as worshipping idols.
So because you have rejected the command of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.”
To summarise this passage, God instructed Saul to completely destroy the Amalekite nation including the men, women, children, babies, cattle, sheep, goats, camels, and donkeys. Though this may seem harsh, this was God’s divine judgment against the Amalekites for the many sins they committed including a time when they attacked the Israelites as they came out of Egypt, exhausted and weary (Deuteronomy 25:17-19 and Exodus 17). Instead of completely destroying the Amalekites as God instructed, Saul spared king Agag’s life and kept the best of the sheep, goats and anything else that appealed to him and his men. Saul allowed his greed and other selfish desires to overrule God’s command. He made the grave error to think himself wise enough to adjust God’s instruction as he saw fit. To make matters worse he also deceived himself into thinking that he could appease God by sacrificing some of the animals to Him (1 Samuel 15:15). But God rebuked him and stripped him of his title as king for his disobedience. Since we are told that obedience is better than sacrifice and is most pleasing to God, let us strive to walk in obedience every day.
In addition to partial obedience, delayed obedience is also a form of disobedience that is often seen as trivial; because of this, many of us may be walking in disobedience without even realising it! Since sin is a crucial factor that distances us from God and prevents effective prayer, this is also something that should not be overlooked!
Psalm 119:60-6
“I will hurry, without delay,
to obey your commands.
61 Evil people try to drag me into sin,
but I am firmly anchored to your instructions.”
This passage is a great example that highlights David’s urgency in obeying God promptly and I want to encourage you to do the same. If you feel reluctance due to fear, worry or pride, I want to encourage you to take those feelings to the Lord in prayer and ask God to help you trust Him more and give you the strength to obey despite those feelings. So if God is pressing something upon your heart to do, I implore you to make haste and walk in obedience today.
I wish you a very happy and prosperous new year! 🙂
