OBEDIENCE IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE -

WARNING: THIS MAY BE A WORD OF CAUTION FOR SOMEONE TODAY.

All man-made products such as medicine, food items, toys etc… are accompanied by comprehensive instruction manuals and/or labels, meticulously outlining their proper use, functions, and ingredients where applicable. Each manufacturer is entrusted with providing clear guidance, along with associated cautions and warnings regarding their product. Much akin to this, within the realm of faith, lies Christendom. When an individual earnestly commits to surrendering their life to Christ, they are bestowed with an invaluable instruction manual i.e. the Bible. This manual proves to be more than sufficient, serving as a wellspring of wisdom, guidance, reproof, correction, and invaluable training. Its purpose? – To equip us comprehensively for every noble endeavour that God has envisioned for us, while also sculpting us into a complete reflection of God’s righteous image and likeness.

After the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, sin became responsible for hindering mankind’s spiritual growth and our attainment of completeness in Christ. Sin acted as a disruptor, truncating our potential to be fully moulded into the image and likeness of God, leaving our spiritual tree stunted and in need of profound restoration. Picture a plant basking in the brilliance of sunlight, yet unable to fully absorb its nourishing rays for optimal growth. This is the effect sin had on humanity. Despite being exposed to the illuminating presence of God, our souls were so heavily contaminated by sin that our capacity to absorb spiritual truths and nourishment became tainted, preventing us from flourishing into the tree of life, perpetually nurtured by the rivers of living water, bearing forth fruits and gifts of the Spirit in boundless abundance.

Imagine a young, sprouting plant, flourishing to a modest 25% of its potential, radiating with the promise of growth. Now, envision how its very essence would transform if, at this stage of 25% development, it were to fall victim to the ravages of disease and a relentless infestation of pests. The once-promising plant would deteriorate, taking on a disfigured, unsightly appearance, marred by mould and fungus encroaching upon its leaves and stem. This vividly illustrates the condition of individuals without Christ—a state where the beauty of human potential is marred, at times appearing not just unattractive, but even unpleasant due to the encroaching influences of sin and spiritual decay.

I’ve conveyed all this to establish the groundwork for what I truly want to impart. As humans, entrusting ourselves fully to the entirety of the Bible often proves to be a challenge. Beyond just trust, we are often hesitant to seek and embrace the true understanding it offers. Instead, many find solace in clinging to either superficial interpretations or simplistic ‘baby milk’ interpretations, thereby remaining ensnared in self-righteousness and a misplaced sense of indignation while remaining severely immature.

We’ve all, at some point, been guilty of cherry-picking scriptures that align with our preferences. Concurrently, we may sideline, mishandle, or even contort the truths we find difficult to accept or follow. I’ve come to the realization that there’s no room for a casual “agree to disagree” with God. He reigns supreme, and it behooves us to humble ourselves and obey, even when our finite minds grapple with comprehending His divine pronouncements.

In 1 Samuel 15, we are presented with a stark example of Saul’s disobedience. Saul, having been anointed as the king of Israel, was entrusted with a divine mission by God. His task was to execute judgment upon the Amalekites for the harm they had inflicted upon Israel. This was a moment of reckoning for the Amalekites, and one should naturally hesitate to stand in the way of God when He is executing His righteous judgment. Astonishingly, though, such interference occurs far more frequently in our everyday lives than we might realize.

1 Samuel 15:3

“Now go and attack the Amalekites and completely destroy everything they have. Do not spare them. Kill men and women, infants and nursing babies, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.”

It’s vital to note that Saul’s mandate went beyond a mere punitive action; he was instructed to utterly obliterate the Amalekites, leaving nothing of their existence, including their very king. This emphasizes the gravity of God’s divine command, underscoring the importance of unwavering obedience to His will.

As we reach 1 Samuel 15:9, we find Saul deviating from full compliance with the given instruction. Perhaps he erroneously believed that he possessed the authority to amend and tamper with the directive as he saw fit. How often do we, too, find ourselves in the shoes of Saul? How frequently has God furnished us with precise instructions through His Word, through dreams, or conveyed them directly through chosen conduits like prophets, pastors, and apostles? And yet, how many times have we taken these divine mandates and, in our human frailty, sought to make them our own? We’re prone to the temptation of twisting them to serve our own interests, or even downplaying their gravity, mistakenly assuming they are less significant than they truly are. This tendency is a sobering reminder of the need for unswerving adherence to that which God commands.

1 Samuel 15:9

“Saul and the troops spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, goats, cattle, and choice animals,as well as the young rams and the best of everything else. They were not willing to destroy them, but they did destroy all the worthless and unwanted things.”

Let’s delve into the mindset of Saul, a mindset that regrettably remains prevalent in the Christian community even in modern times. Saul, in his actions, spared what he personally deemed favourable and destroyed what he regarded as undesirable. It’s a thought-provoking tale that resonates with our own human tendencies. At times, we fall into the trap of presuming that we possess a better understanding of what is good and right than God Himself. Ironically, it is only God who truly embodies goodness. Yet, we at times convince ourselves that we possess the wisdom to declare what God deems as wicked, to be virtuous instead.

We find ourselves entangled in a peculiar dance with divine judgment, often allowing our human emotions to eclipse it. This is frequently driven by sentiments of sympathy, empathy, and at times, even a calculated rationale rooted in what we perceive as advantageous or expedient to our own fleeting desires. This serves as a poignant reminder of the need to surrender our limited perspectives to the infinite wisdom of the Divine. This phenomenon reminds us of our intrinsic inclination to let our own perceptions of good and evil cloud our obedience to the supreme authority of God.

Furthermore, we stand accused of adopting the Saul mindset in our own spiritual journeys. We hear from God, and our response is often to rid ourselves of external trappings of evil, focusing on outward appearances to appear righteous in the eyes of men. We tend to overlook the internal inferno of sin and disobedience that remains hidden from human sight forgetting that such an inferno remains glaringly conspicuous and repugnant in the eyes of God. It’s easy to forget that there are things we hold dear that God finds detestable, and there are practices and relationships He has clearly instructed us to release. Yet, we find ways to justify keeping them, convinced of the supposed goodness within our hearts.

We discard what our moral compass deems undesirable, while clutching onto what we perceive as too precious to relinquish—be it a prestigious job or an unsaved partner. I recollect a time when I fervently pleaded with the Lord to save an unsaved boyfriend on my behalf, all to avoid obeying His instruction to let him go. Looking back, I can now find humour in that struggle, but in that moment, there was a fierce battleground happening within my mind. This serves as a potent reminder of the profound inner conflicts we often wrestle with in our pursuit of obedience to God.

What perplexes me about us, my dear family, is our propensity to offer God an inch, yet withhold the entire yard. We strive to maintain one foot in the door, yearning for God’s blessings and protection, while purposefully leaving the other foot outside, so as to indulge in worldly pleasures that we convince ourselves are relatively harmless.

Even as I pen these words, countless individuals who identify as ‘Christians’ are gearing up to partake in the festivities of Halloween, Carnival, and an array of other activities that are clearly marked as off-limits. In their personal judgment, these pursuits don’t appear as objectionable or undesirable, and thus, they allow themselves to participate. This prevailing attitude raises poignant questions about the depth of our commitment to living in accordance with our professed faith.

Indeed, the abundance of God’s grace is undeniable. However, it’s imperative to bear in mind the divine judgment to not grieve the Holy Spirit, and to refrain from using our freedom in Christ as a pretext for persistent sinfulness. Persisting in disobedience, akin to Saul, may ultimately lead us to stand in the realm of God’s reproof. Moreover, let us be cautious not to test the God who discerns every concealed motive of our hearts, just as Saul attempted in 1 Samuel 15:20. This episode serves as a stark reminder against seeking to manipulate the Divine in any way.

1 Samuel 15:20

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

Never forget this truth: Obedience is better than sacrifice!

It’s essential to understand that we cannot do God any favours, particularly when our actions deviate from His divine will. Attempting to justify revelry or persisting in a forbidden relationship, for instance, by claiming to be a beacon of light in the darkness, is fundamentally flawed. In truth, our disobedience has already drained the oil from our lamps, leaving us like the unwise virgins, caught unprepared in the darkness of God’s judgment.

Sometimes, what one might perceive as a mere lapse in judgment can have far-reaching consequences. These missteps can lead to the loss of one’s spiritual mantle, the severing of blessings from future generations, the postponement of one’s purpose and divine blessings, and, in some cases, an unexpected journey to the judgment seat through untimely death. It’s a poignant reminder that the consequences of our actions are not always proportionate to our own perception of their severity.

The most grievous aspect of life isn’t poverty, but rather the profound pain of being rejected by God. At times, we may come to this realization belatedly, seeking repentance. However, akin to Saul, our disobedience may have already led us to miss numerous open doors and pivotal opportunities.

1 Samuel 15:22-23

Then Samuel said:

Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifices
as much as in obeying the Lord?
Look: to obey is better than sacrifice,
to pay attention is better than the fat of rams.
For rebellion is like the sin of divination,
and defiance is like wickedness and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
he has rejected you as king.

Beware of getting ensnared in the cycle of perpetual repentance for things from which you ought to have matured and moved beyond. Let go of the past, leaving behind those former behaviours that have yet to shine as God’s light in a world shrouded in darkness.

Isaiah 43:18-19

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.
Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”

May we cultivate obedience, even when God’s directives seem inconspicuous within our limited understanding. May God, in His boundless grace and mercy, extend to us the chance to rise anew, granting us entry to open doors once more, even after we’ve stumbled. May we receive His forgiveness for our acts of disobedience, and for daring to question His Word. Let us also seek His pardon for not heeding His words with the gravity they deserve.

May God bestow upon us a profound sense of peace, regardless of our circumstances, and grant us the courage to eradicate every “Amalekite” from our lives, including the possessions and individuals we may wrongly deem as inconsequential. May we be endowed with a reverential fear of the Lord, ensuring we never dare to defy the God who has intricately numbered our days on this earth.

It’s worth noting that while the manifestation of “Amalekite” may vary from one person to another on an individual level, the overarching lesson remains constant: to utterly obliterate it. We are called to obliterate anything and anyone that God stamps as anti-Christ or unaligned to His will whether we find it desirable or not. For some, their Amalekite may be an illicit affair, gambling, fornicating or even one’s occasional smoking or drunkenness. Whatever it is, obey God when He convicts you about that particular habit. In a broader sense, “Amalekite” symbolizes sin and our carnal nature, urging us to first crucify our flesh, leaving nothing of our old selves in sight. Much like Christ, we are summoned to the crucible of crucifixion, where our flesh is put to death, paving the way for our rebirth as new creations, borne of the Spirit and reprogrammed by God to wholeheartedly serve Him in both spirit and truth.

A word to the wise is sufficient. Let they who have ears to hear, hear what the Lord is saying.

N.B. God will always send HELP when you carry your cross!