To Obey is Better than Sacrifice

16/4/11           1 Samuel 18; 1 Chronicles 6; Psalm 11; Matthew 3       To Obey is Better than Sacrifice

Note: I have been keeping up with the daily readings but it’s been a long time since I wrote a SOAP journal entry. Today’s SOAP is actually on a verse from an earlier day’s reading, which is why the S is not in today’s reading.

S: 1 Samuel 15:22-23 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. Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”

O: Saul had already disobeyed God before without repentance, but God continued to give him chances. But this was the last straw. Even after God had Samuel confront him with his disobedience, he kept trying to weasel out of it instead of repenting, claiming that he kept the plunder in order to sacrifice it to God (which was obviously not his real motive). Hence “To obey is better than sacrifice.”

It is only after Samuel pronounced God’s judgment on him that he admitted it – but it was an insincere admission, just to try to get back his kingdom.

Even though Saul was God’s instrument of judgment on Saul, Samuel still mourned Saul, as we can see from 1 Samuel 16:1.

A: In these weeks coming up to Easter, I have been very busy – both with work, due to the upcoming accreditation (the accreditors were supposed to come in October originally but they decided to come in April instead! Mad scramble to get all the tons of paperwork ready!) – and with Easter outreach preparation – I’m in the CBC choir which is performing at three different churches (Subang, Kota Kemuning, and Puchong) as well as being the main person organizing the evangelistic skit for the Easter service at CBC Kota Kemuning.

So you could say I’ve been “sacrificing” a lot lately, but at the same time, every so often, I’d give in to temptation. You might excuse it because of the stress, but that is just an excuse. “To obey is better than sacrifice!”

Now, unlike Saul, I’m taking the opportunity to repent before it is too late. I’m following in David’s footsteps, who repented of the murder of Uriah and adultery with Bathsheba. But we must not presume on God’s grace – and even after David’s repentance, there were the negative consequences of his sins.

I am reminded of Keith Green’s song:

To obey is better than sacrifice,
I don't need your money, I want your life.
And I hear you say that I'm coming back soon,
But you act like I'll never return.

Well you speak of grace and my love so sweet,
How you thrive on milk, but reject my meat,
And I can't help weeping of how it will be,
If you keep on ignoring my words.

Well you pray to prosper and succeed,
But your flesh is something I just can't feed.

To obey is better than sacrifice.
I want more than Sunday and Wednesday nights,
Cause if you can't come to me every day,
Then don't bother coming at all.

To obey is better than sacrifice.
I want hearts of fire, not your prayers of ice.
And I'm coming quickly, to give back to you,
According to what you have done.

Live performance: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzWyZxlwGKI

Studio recording: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVvL-Ug6ruY

P: Father, I repent of my sins. I want to obey you. I lack faith sometimes in your promise that You will not allow temptation to be more than what I can stand. So I pray as the father of the epileptic boy said, “I do believe, but help me overcome my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24) In Jesus’ name, amen.