"Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?"
1 Samuel 15:22 NIV
Saul was king of Israel. Samuel was the Lord's prophet. The Amalekites had fought against and beaten the Israelites during the years of wandering between Egypt and the Promised Land. God was ready to settle the score.
Through Samuel, God told Saul to attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belonged to them: all the people and all the animals. So Saul went to battle with his army of 210,000 men. The Israelites completely destroyed the Amalekites but they did not completely destroy the animals. They kept the best of the cattle, calves, and lambs.
Samuel heard about it from the Lord as soon as it happened. God was displeased that Saul had not carried out his orders completely. So Samuel set out to meet Saul.
When confronted with the reality of not fully obeying God, Saul said he had kept the best animals to make sacrifices to God. He believed he had obeyed God enough since he was going to honor God with the sacrifices.
Samuel's response rings through the ages: "Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice."
Which are you trying to be better at, obedience or sacrifice? You may give up your time on Sunday morning to attend church but do you try to obey the Ten Commandments? You may give up a portion of your money in tithes and offerings but do you honor God with the rest of your money? You may go on mission trips away from home but do you share your faith as you go along your daily routine.
Obedience to God's commands is more important that sacrifices you might make. Pray that God will help you obey so that your sacrifice is meaningful.
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