Happy Friday!
Today, we’ll be looking at the first mention of obedience versus sacrifice in Scripture (as far as I can find) found in I Samuel 15:22-23. I would encourage you to read all of chapter 15, as it goes into detail about why Samuel proclaimed the following verses to Saul:
“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, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”
Saul had disobeyed a direct command from God. God knew Saul’s heart and He knows our heart. When our motives are not honoring God, He’s the one person we can’t hide from. Samuel was not saying sacrifice isn’t important, as God had commanded sacrifices. Instead, Samuel was urging Saul to consider why he was offering the sacrifice. A sacrifice was a ritual transaction demonstrating a relationship between God and the person offering it.
God gave us religious rituals to help us understand Him and to nourish our relationship with Him. In the Old Testament, He gave the sacrificial system and circumcision, and in the New Testament, He gave baptism and the Lord’s Supper. But these practices are only helpful if they are carried out with a heart attitude of love and obedience to God. When our hearts are far from God, we can turn to these practices as a to-do list or something to check off to remain faithful to God when in fact they are empty acts. God wanted the Israelite's hearts, not their rituals, and He wants the same from us today. And what a wonderous thing to consider. God could’ve created robots who all loved and served Him, but He didn’t. He gave us free will and He wants us to choose Him.
So, here is one example that answers the question! God wants our hearts and our obedience over sacrifice. What stood out to you about this reading?
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