Sunday, April 29, 2018, Evident Grace Fellowship looked at 1 Samuel 15:16-23:

1 Samuel 15:16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! I will tell you what the Lord said to me this night.” And he said to him, “Speak. 17 And Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. 18 And the Lord sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’

19 Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord?” 20 And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. 21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.” 22 And Samuel said,

“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. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.”

We attempted to answer this Big Picture Question from those verses:

Big Picture Question:  Why is it better to obey rather than to sacrifice?

We found these three answers to our Big Picture Question:

Obeying is seeing as God sees

Obedience kills pride

God delights in obedience

 

Obeying is seeing as God sees

1 Samuel 15:16 Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop! I will tell you what the Lord said to me this night.” And he said to him, “Speak. 17 And Samuel said, “Though you are little in your own eyes, are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. 18 And the Lord sent you on a mission and said, ‘Go, devote to destruction the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.’

Samuel confronts Saul about his sin.  God’s command was for King Saul to completely wipe out the Amalekites, but Saul kept the king alive and the best of the spoil.  Saving these things would have given Saul status among other kings and would have given him plenty of money.  Samuel reminds Saul that he already has status.  God made him king from the smallest of tribes.

Disobedience blinds us.  We don’t see as God sees when see.  Saul thought seeking fortune and fame was best.  Obeying God would have him a godly sight.

Obedience kills pride

19 Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord? Why did you pounce on the spoil and do what was evil in the sight of the Lord?” 20 And Saul said to Samuel, “I have obeyed the voice of the Lord. I have gone on the mission on which the Lord sent me. I have brought Agag the king of Amalek, and I have devoted the Amalekites to destruction. 21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God in Gilgal.”

When challenged as to why he sinned, Saul cannot admit why either that he did sin or why he sinned.  His pride won’t let him.  In fact, he even blames the people for sin saying that they were going to offer a sacrifice with the spoil they kept.

Obedience, however, would kill that pride because obeying God means that set aside what we think is best and trust God’s best for us.

God delights in our obedience

22 And Samuel said, “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. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of divination, and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has also rejected you from being king.”

Our sin is like witchcraft (divination) in that we seek and trust a wisdom outside of God’s.  Yes, there is forgiveness for sin, but God’s greatest delight for us is for us to obey.

The intention of God’s grace and forgiveness is to move us towards obedience.  For example, in Titus…

Titus 2:11-14 For the grace of God has been made evident, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works. 

Is there a sacrifice we are to offer today?  Yes.

Hebrews 13:15 Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

Big Picture Question:  Why is it better to obey rather than to sacrifice?

Truth: Obedience enables a pride killing sight that walks us into the delight of God.

Application: Live knowing that there is grace for every sin, but there is a grace that enables you to obey as well.

Action:  This week, actively listen to the promises of God, and pray that He will enable you to obey in one specific area in which you continually struggle.