OBEDIENCE IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE 1 SAMUEL 15

1 Samuel 15:17 Although you once considered yourself unimportant, have you not become the leader of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel

I love this statement by Samuel. We always have a history as believers in Christ. You see the man you call pastor right now was one time a non-believer or a sinner. I was also a non-believer and a sinner at one time. We were considered unimportant and we also viewed our self that way.  We accepted Christ and joined the family of believers. Do you remember the first time you were requested to do something before the family of believers? Do you remember the first time you stood to pray? Do you remember first time you stood to share the word of God? I know of people who missed fellowship on the day they were to share with family of believers. I know of people who prayed and everyone was left wondering did we finish praying.

All am saying is that at one time we were very young in faith. We never wanted to be told to do anything that involved us standing in front of people. God did anoint us with his spirit but as we read his word we became bold and we were no longer in fear. Saul even after been anointed as a king was also like you and me. Spirit filled Saul was in fear even after being anointed by Samuel [Read 1 Samuel 10].

1 Samuel 10:20-22 Samuel had all the tribes of Israel come forward, and the tribe of Benjamin was selected. Then he had the tribe of Benjamin come forward by its clans, and the Matrite clan was selected. Finally, Saul son of Kish was selected. But when they searched for him, they could not find him. They again inquired of the Lord, “Has the man come here yet?” The Lord replied, “There he is, hidden among the supplies.”

You see Saul considered himself unimportant. He was even in hiding when needed to stand before people as their king. The Saul we meet in 1 Samuel chapter 15 is another person. The man that was shy has now changed to be a man that is bold. Saul is now a man that does not follow Samuel instruction. Samuel told Saul the where about of his father donkey. Samuel reminds Saul “You once considered yourself unimportant”. I love this verse because it’s speaking to anyone who has forgotten who they were before God called them.

1 peter 2:10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

Peter reminds us that as Christians it was Gods mercy that made us Gods people. Jesus compared gentiles to Dogs [Matthew 15:26] but now we are Gods children through Christ Jesus by Faith.  Let’s never forget to acknowledge God. To always give God the praises he deserves. To know we are now Kings and Christ is the Kings of Kings.

1 Samuel 15:18 And then sent you on a mission and said: ‘Go and completely destroy the sinful Amalekites. Fight against them until you have annihilated them.’

God has sent every believer on a mission. God desire is that all men may come to the knowledge of Christ Jesus. Because no one goes to the father without passing through Jesus. Jesus is the way the truth and the light. God desire is that no one shall perish because of sin. God has given his son Jesus Christ to offer a sacrifice of once and for all.  Saul had a mission, we like Saul anointed by God are commissioned by Christ Jesus (our High Priest) to go and Make disciples of many nations.

Matthew 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Jesus gave us this simple mission. We have all being anointed. We are called to make disciples of many nations. Disciples in our work place, family and in every circles of our lives. We are to teach them to obey Gods word. The disciples hid after Jesus had ascended because of fear. They had seen Christ resurrected but still were in fear and when the helper came, the Holy Spirit, they went ahead and did exploit. Peter was never afraid and testified about Christ and 3000 believers were added on that day.

Saul as a king after being anointed the bible records that the Spirit of the lord came upon him and he prophesied [1 Samuel 10:6]. Saul is today’s brethren’s who received the Holy Spirit and they did prophecy and did miracles. Saul of today is the man that started in spirit but now he is walking in flesh. He has forgotten the God who anointed him. 

Saul was to completely destroy the Amalekites. The Amalekites and their possession were Gods enemy and Israel enemies. The Amalekites symbolize our sins that are at war with our soul[1 peter 2:11]. We are to strive every day to live a blameless life. Saul of today would prefer hiding some sins. Saul doesn’t want to kill the king Agag, doing away with class. The goats and the bulls are the worldly things that we don’t want leave. You see they are the fats. God is calling of us to leave them.

1 peter 2:11 Dear friends, I urge you as strangers and temporary residents to abstain from fleshly desires that war against you.

We are at war always. War of both internal and external. Peter reminds us that we are strangers and temporarily residents on this world. Everything we are trying to accumulate too much we shall leave them here on earth. We are at war with freshly desires, we like Saul are to abstain. We are to ensure we get rid of all sins in our lives. We thank God for Christ Blood that has been shed for us. All sins was forgiven but we have to walk in obedience to Gods word.

1 Samuel 15:19 So why didn’t you obey the Lord? Why did you rush on the plunder and do what was evil in the Lord’s sight?”

Saul was after the plunder and he did evil in the eyes of the Lord. Saul of today is after the money he will get from new converts. Saul of today has forgotten the mission, He no longer teaches obedience to Gods word. You see Christ has become the stumbling block to them that walk in disobedience.

1 peter 2:8 And a stone to stumble over, and a rock to trip over. They stumble because they disobey the message; they were destined for this.

Peter informs us clearly that we stumble because of disobedience to the message. The message is clearly Christ Jesus. The four Gospel gives insight to the purpose of Christ Jesus on earth. Jesus reveals Gods kingdom. Jesus instructs us to teach new converts obedience to his words [Matthew 28:20].

1 Samuel 15:20 “But I did obey the Lord!” Saul answered. “I went on the mission the Lord gave me: I brought back Agag, king of Amalek, and I completely destroyed the Amalekites. The troops took sheep and cattle from the plunder — the best of what was set apart for destruction — to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.”

The answer “But I did obey” sounds familiar. I remember being told to till our land and deep down I never wanted to do the work. I would get to the place am supposed to till, do some shoddy work, I would cover weed with soil just to show that I had tilled as required. My parent would come checking and would ask did you till the land and the answer would be yes I did.  The instruction my parent left was that am supposed to remove the weeds but because I covered the weed I had done the job. The point of course was to ensure all weed was removed.

Saul does the same thing, does not follow instructions given. Saul is to completely destroy the Amalekites and all their belongings. He does the Job not as instructed. Saul believes that he has obeyed apart from not killing the King Agag and the best sheep and goat. Just like tilling our land I believed that I had obeyed my parent by doing the shoddy work.  You see God call for total obedience to his Word. He calls for us to do everything as instructed to the letter.

“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. For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. 

Saul says that the sheep and cattle were to be offered as sacrifice to God. Saul was so much into sacrifices and offering than obeying Gods voice. God has no delight in sacrifices and offering. The cattle to a thousand hills belongs to him. God delight in us doing his Will.  When we obey and listen to Gods will, God says it is better than sacrifices and fat of rams.

Saul was in rebellion, the act of being in disagreement with God. That is why rebellion is compared to sin of divination. Divination/Sorcery is desire to know the course of your life and wanting to change it. Saul would commit this sin later in the chapter. We have a lot of people that are in rebellion to Gods Word. They have come to be in disagreement with what the word of God says. They want to do their own will and have their life the way they want. That is why the sin is equivalent to divination.

Saul was arrogant/presumption/prideful, the act of wanting your way. Saul had come to make himself a god such that Saul never wanted to listen to God. That is why the sin is equated to Idolatry in that Saul had come to idolize himself as a king of Israel. He had forgotten who anointed him. He was now king and would do anything without being responsible to anyone. The same sin is in church today where people have come to idolize themselves. They have forgotten who called them. They have come with their own instructions. They still believe they are in line with Gods will, its a NO!!.

1 Samuel 15:23b Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.”

The word of the lord must accomplish that which is sent forth to accomplish, it will never go back void. David says that God has exalted his word above his name [psalms 138:2]. When we rejects Gods word he rejects us as Kings.

Matthew 7:21-25 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.”

That is why Jesus says that not all who call him Lord will enter Heaven only those who does the will of God the Father.

1 Samuel 15:24 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.

Saul just like today men of God are afraid of telling people the truth that obedience is better than sacrifice. They fear being rejected and have come to obey the voice of people. They have bent Gods instruction to allow people to fit. They fear people will walk out of their services if they are the told the truth. The offering basket matter more than people souls. They have sinned due to fear of people. Repent and become the good shepherd that God anointed.

1 peter 2:4-5 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ was rejected by men, who are we to be loved by men. Let’s tell the truth. Let’s rejoice for we are precious in Gods sight. We no longer offer sacrifices of sheep and cattle. We offer our bodies as living sacrifice daily.

True repentance calls for us doing away with the sins once corrected by God. Saul never killed Agag even after he was corrected. Saul was so much into himself. Acknowledging you have sinned is not important if you are not going to do anything about getting rid of the sin. Zacchaeus the tax collector shows us the best way to true repentance [Luke 19:1-10].

Conclusion

I have learnt that God will always have people ready to do his instruction even if we disagree. God will always use Samuel to kill King Agag [1 Samuel 15:33]. God will always find a faithful servant who will remind people that to obey is better than sacrifice. I have learnt am just a stranger on earth and to get eternal life I will have to walk in obedient. I want to hear my Father say "Well done good and faithful servant" [Matthew 25:21].