TO OBEY IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE
1 Samuel 15:1-35
Key Verse 22b
“To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”
In today’s passage we see the Lord asked Saul to completely destroy the Amalekites. Saul failed to obey and lost his kingship. Today’s passage teaches us one spiritual principle which is to obey is better than sacrifice. And we want to know why is to obey better than sacrifice. We also want to know how we can obey. The truth is we all want to obey. But as we see the case of Saul it was hard for him to obey. So we want to know how we can obey. In sum we have two questions today. They are ‘why is to obey better than sacrifice’ and ‘how can we obey?’ My message has two parts. Part I. “Attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them.” (v.1-21) Part II. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord. (v.22-35)
Part I. “Attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them.” (v.1-21)
Look at verses 1-3. “Samuel said to Saul, "I am the one the Lord sent to anoint you king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the Lord. [2] This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. [3] Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.' "
These verses teach us two things about the Lord. First, the Lord is the Lord of the second chance and second, the Lord is the Lord of judgment.
First, the Lord is the Lord of second chance. Saul had already disobeyed the Lord when he did not wait Samuel and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Because of it he lost his dynasty. But now in today’s passage the Lord gave him another chance. Despite his critical past mistake the Lord gave him another chance to prove his obedience. The Lord is the Lord of the second chance. Although we do not know what kind of reward the Lord would give Saul if he obeyed the Lord it is clear that the Lord gave Saul another chance. Now Saul could demonstrate that his last disobedience was a pure mistake.
Secondly, the Lord is the Lord of judgment. The Lord’s command for Saul was to destroy the Amalekites completely. In today’s passage the word ‘totally’ appears 4 times and ‘completely’ 3 times, totalling 7 times. Amalekites is the grandson of Esau (Ge 35:12). But the Amalekites attacked the Israelites when they came out of Egypt although the Israelites did not prove the Amalekites at all. The Amalekites came to attack the Israelites who were very weak. The Israelies just came out of Egypt and they did not have any battle experience. As a nation they were like a baby but the Amalekites attacked the Israelites. They attacked the Israelites cowardly from behind where the weary and tired and lagging people were. The Lord gave the victory over the Amelelites through Joshua’ fight and Moses’ prayer. Then the Lord said to Moses in Exodus 17:14-16 “[14] Then the Lord said to Moses, "Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven." [15] Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. [16] He said, "For hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord. The Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation."”
Now several hundred years have passed and now the Lord delivered his judgment against the Amalekites through Saul. Their sin must have reached the full measure. This shows that the Lord is the Lord of judgment. Some people only know God of salvation and love and grace. But God is God of judgment and we need to fear him.
One of the reasons why people do not believe the Lord’s judgment is because he does not judge men immediately. He judges men with long patience. His long patience gives men time to repent and be saved. But many people misunderstood the Lord’s patience as his weakness and pile up their sins and be judged at God’s time. Amalekites had several hundred years to repent but they did not do. And finally the time came for the Lord to punish them.
The Lord’s command in verse 3 emphasized the total destruction of the Amalekites. He said, “totally’ destroy, ‘everything’, ‘do not spare them’, and ‘put to death’. He even listed what Saul should put to death: men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys. The Lord’s command was so specific that there was no room for Saul to misunderstand. Complete destruction of the Amalekites was the Lord’s command. It was the Lord’s judgment.
Now how did Saul carriy out the Lord’s command? Verses 4-6 reads, “[4] So Saul summoned the men and mustered them at Telaim--two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah. [5] Saul went to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the ravine. [6] Then he said to the Kenites, "Go away, leave the Amalekites so that I do not destroy you along with them; for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt." So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.”
Saul summoned soldiers and vast number of soldiers came, 210,000. Then he went to the city of Amalet and set an ambush. Then he sent away the Kenites. The Kenites are descedants of Moses’ father-in-law. They were kind to the Israelites working as eyes for the Israelites when they came out of Egpyt. The Amalekites and the Kenites did exactly the opposite when the Israelites came out of Egypt as a young nation. So Saul asked the Kenites to leave the Amalekites so that he might not destroy them together with them. Then Saul attacked the Amalekites.
Verses 7-9. [7] Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, to the east of Egypt. [8] He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. [9] But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs--everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.
If you look at the map we can see how extensive his military campaign was. The distance between Havilah and Shur was more 500 miles. But Saul and his army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs. Saul probably spared Agag as his victory trophy. The Lord clearly commanded in verse 3b “Do not spare them.” But Saul and his army spared them. They were unwilling to destroy everything that was good – the best of sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs completely. Saul was willing to destroy even women and children and infants. But he was unwilling to destroy the best of the sheep and cattle. Why? It is because he knew their value. He know how much they worth. But he destroyed everything that was despised and weak. Why? It is because transportation cost would be more expensive than their worth.
Because Saul knew their monetary value he was tempted by the desire to be rich when he saw the best of sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs. When Saul saw them he could not think about the Lord’s command anymore. To destroy them completely is like burning away billions of dollars in waste. But then he must have had a second thought. ‘What’s wrong to save them? They did not do anything wrong? They are just animals. I have already destroyed those Amalekites. Maybe I heard by mistake when Samuel said that I should destroy cattle and sheep. And even if I heard it correctly I can still talk to the Lord and he will understand me.”
Indeed it would be fantastic idea that we can make tons of money in the course of serving the Lord. Who does not want it? Indeed to be rich in the course of serving the Lord is very tempting. But behind the desire to be rich there is great danger.
1 Tim. 6:9-10
“People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. [10] For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
Saul was already rich as the king of the Israelites. But when he saw the best of sheep and cattle he wanted to be even richer. So he and the army spared them.
Then the Lord was grieved because of what Saul did it. Verses 10 and 11 reads, “[10] Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: [11] "I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions." Samuel was troubled, and he cried out to the Lord all that night.
To the Lord what Saul did was the same as turning away from him and not carrying out his instructions.
After crying out to the Lord whole night for Saul Samuel went to look to Saul. Verse 12 reads, “Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, "Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal."
When Samuel looked for Saul he heard a surprise news. Saul went to Carmel and there he has set up a monument in his own honor. While the Lord was grieved and Samuel was troubled Saul was happy and boastful. He went to Carmel and boasted that his own strength and wisdom brought such great victory. He probably put it writing on the monument, “Saul the Greatest! Such and such day here, King Saul, the greatest King and general has won such a victory over all the Amalekite.” He would even ask his people to memorize what he wrote. He was not concerned about the Lord’s honor although the Lord gave him victory.
Agag and huge amount of the plunder demonstrated that he indeed won smashing victory. When Samuel met Saul and what he said Samuel was more surprised. Verse 13 reads, “[13] When Samuel reached him, Saul said, "The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord's instructions." I am sure Samuel’s heart almost stopped when he heard Saul said, “I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.” But the evidence of Saul’s disobedience was right there. So Samuel said in verse 14, “[14] But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?" But Saul answered in verse 15. “[15] Saul answered, "The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest."
Saul’s excuse was “I didn’t do it. The soldiers did it. Furthermore they did it for the benefit of the Lord your God.’” They did it to sacrifice to the Lord your God. Then Saul emphasized the word ‘we’ when he mentioned about destroying the rest. “But we totally destroyed the rest.” He included himself in destroying while he did not include himself in sparing the best of the sheep and cattle.
But Samuel had to stop him. Verses 16-19 reads, “[16] "Stop!" Samuel said to Saul. "Let me tell you what the Lord said to me last night." "Tell me," Saul replied. [17] Samuel said, "Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? The Lord anointed you king over Israel. [18] And he sent you on a mission, saying, 'Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.' [19] Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?"
These verses teache us another reason why Saul failed to obey the Lord. He forgot who he was before he became king. He forgot who made him king. Once he was small even in his owe eyes but he became the head of the tribes of Israel because the Lord anointed him. When he forgot who he was and who made him king he took the Lord’s command lightly. So Samuel said, “Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?"
But what did Saul say? I believe Samuel was almost shocked when he heard what Saul said. “But I did obey the Lord.” Wow! “But I did obey the Lord.” Verses 20-21 reads, “[20] "But I did obey the Lord," Saul said. "I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. [21] The soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal."
Saul claimed that he completely destroyed the Amalekites when he said “I brought back Agag their king” with his own mouth. He still blamed it was not he but soldiers who took the best of sheep and cattle, and it was to sacrifice them to the Lord Samuel’s God at Gilgal.
Part II. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord. (v.22-35)
Let’s read verse 22. “[22] But Samuel replied: "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.”
Samuel clearly revealed that the Lord delights in obeying the voice of the Lord more than burnt offerings and sacrifices. He said, “To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” Saul disobeyed the Lord in order to sacrifice. But Samuel said, “To obey is better than sacrifice.”
Samuel further revealed what was Saul’s problem in verse 23a which reads, “For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.” It was his rebellion and arrogance. Divination is to know future event or hidden knowledge through signs and supernatural power. Idol worship is to worship something else other than the only true God. Saul never thought that he would practice divination or idol-worship. But the Lord revealed that his rebellion and arrogance is the same sin of divination and idolatry. Basically through his rebellion and arrogance Saul was worshiping himself and himself became his idol.
Now here we want to think about the reason ‘why is to obey better than sacrifice?’
1) To obey is better than sacrifice because obedience guarantees the work starts from God. But sacrifice does not necessarily guarantee the work is originated from God. There is sacrifice that comes from men like sacrifice of Saul. But by the definition of the word ‘obedience’ to obey means to obey the voice of God. So to obey guarantees the work is originated from God.
Once I heard the graduation ceremony of Fuller Seminary for Ph.ds. The dean of the department of world mission gave very interesting speech. He said, “It is okay to stay still. But never try to do something before God speaks.” It was funny because those Ph.ds were ready to work hard but he was saying ‘It is okay to stay still. Never try to do something before God speaks.” His point is to start the work of God after God speaks is so important he was preaching his people that it is okay to stay still until God speaks. What he meant is ‘we need to start to do the work of God only after God speaks.’ What he really want to say is ‘to do the work of God in a way of obeying the voice of God.’
The bible expresses to starts to do the work of God through obedience or after hearing the voice of God as ‘to do the will of God.’ There are people who try to do the work of God based on their ideas. Saul was one good example. The sacrifice he was talking about did not come from God. It was not originated from God. It came from Saul’s idea. It was Saul’s will to sacrifice. What God wanted and God’s will is to destroy everything that belongs to Amalekites. That complete destruction is originated from God but not Saul’s sacrifice.
Once I had to make a difficult decision. One of my students was exhausted because he overworked for the Lord. I heard that he went down to his home in Dana point on Saturday. My immediate instinct as a shepherd shows that he would not come to Sunday worship service the next day or even leave our ministry. My common sense says that I should visit him. But I was not so sure whether visiting him was good or not. It was because since he was exhausted and burnt out because of overworking my visiting can be interpreted as another push and burden to him. By God’s grace I did not visit him but read the bible. When I read “Where are you” which was spoken by God when he looked for Adam God spoke to me, ‘To look for someone like Adam’ is love. So I was convinced that to visit him is love rather than burden. So I immediately went down to Dana point to see my student. Then amazing thing happened. I could understand him perfectly. Most amazing thing is he said at the beginning of our conversation, “To visit me like this is love”. It is as if he knew what was my worry and gave me clear answer. He answered as if he knew what was my agony. Now I know why the Lord gave me such success that day. It is because I did not follow my common sense but the voice of the Lord. If I followed my common sense my visiting would be my work. But since I followed the voice of the Lord it was guaranteed to be God’s work.
2) To obey is better than sacrifice because to obey is to offer one’s will in his sinful nature whereas ‘sacrifice’ is to offer other creature’s flesh. So the comparison is ‘will’ vs ‘other ‘flesh’ and something ‘inside’ vs something ‘outside’.
“One’s will” or “oneself” or “I” should be surrendered to the full in order to obey God. True sacrifice comes only after one surrenders his will completely to the Lord. People can sacrifice even when they are rebellious and arrogant like Saul. They can sacrifice even when they are disobedient. But in order to obey one must surrender his will in his deep heart.
Jesus says the same truth when he talked about only those who do the will of his Father in heaven can enter the kingdom of God.
Matthew 7:21-23
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. [22] Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' [23] Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
This is one of the difficult passages that I had trouble to understand. Yet, it shows one thing very clearly. “Only he who does the will of God who is in heaven can enter the kingdom of heaven.” What about others who prophesied in Jesus’ name and in Jesus’ name drove out demons and perform many miracles? Among them there are evildoers and Jesus would say to them, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” In what sense were they evildoers? They were evildoers because they did the will of themselves. They did not do the will of God although they prophesied in Jesus’ name and drove out demons in Jesus’ name and performed many miracles in Jesus’ name. Is it possible? Yes, it is possible. In what sense did they do their will instead of the will of God? They did all these activities according to their will. They might have prophesied even when Jesus did not send them to prophesy. They could have driven out demons in Jesus’ name when Jesus did not ask them to do. They could have performed many miracles in Jesus’ name when Jesus did not ask them to do. But they did all in Jesus’ name but Jesus knew what they did. They did not do the will of the Father but the will of themselves. Jesus knew that they did all of them not for the honor of the Father in heaven but for the honor of themselves. So Jesus called them “evildoers” and he will tell them plainly, “'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'
I also know one person who does not forgive other person who hurt him. His reason is ‘if I forgive him who hurt me I am not upholding justice. In order to keep God’s justice I should not forgive him.” He is also an evildoer because he does his own will instead of the will of the Father in heaven in the name of honoring God’s justice. Although his excuse is for God’s justice he was not obeying God’s command to forgive which is so plain in the Bible. He disobeyed the Lord in the name of honoring God’s justice. To him the Lord may say, ‘to obey is better than justice.’ He is like Saul who disobeyed the Lord in the name of sacrificing for the Lord.
Hebrews 10:5-7 teaches the same truth that to obey is better than sacrifice.
Hebrews 10:5-7 reads, “Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; [6] with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. [7] Then I said, 'Here I am--it is written about me in the scroll--I have come to do your will, O God.' "
Our will is so strong but they are under God’s total judgment. They represent our Amalekites. We should allow our Amalekites, ourselves and our will, to be destroyed completely. So far we learned that ‘to obey’ is better than ‘sacrifice.’
Now how can we obey?
The question is the same as ‘how can we surrender ourselves and our will completely? How can we fully surrender ourselves and our will? The answer is: “through the cross of Jesus.” The Lord knows simply it is impossible for any man to destroy himself and his will completely. But there is one person who surrendered himself and his human will completely. Who is he? He is our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ completely surrendered himself and his will to the Father in heaven when he was crucified for our sins. It was not easy for him to do so because he prayed hard saying in Luke 22:42 "Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done." But he did.
His surrender of himself and his will was complete. Apostle Paul described how he could surrender himself and his will in this way. Galatians 2:20a “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me.” His complete obedience to the law was possible when he was crucified with Christ. When he was completely destroyed together with Jesus he could see that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in him. Indeed God completely destroyed Jesus by judging him to the full on the cross. In this way he opened the door for us to surrender ourselves and our will completely. Indeed we can obey through faith in Jesus’ crucifixion for us.
So only who surrenders himself and his will completely to the Lord can obey the Lord and the word of the Lord. Only those who have been completely destroyed on the cross together with Christ can obey the Lord and his word.
In verse 23b, Samuel delivered the final judgment of the Lord against Saul. “Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king."
Only after Saul heard God’s decision to reject him as king he woke up. He said in verse 24-25. “[24] Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned. I violated the Lord's command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them. [25] Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord." Although Saul finally acknowledged that he had sinned he found another excuse of his disobedience which is fear of men. “I was afraid to the people and so I gave in to them.” When he did not fear God he feared men. It sounds like he feared the people because he thought that the people would choose another king instead of him if he did not please him. He forgot God made him king.
He asked Samuel’s forgiveness instead of God. He did not seek God’s forgiveness although he said he has sinned. He only sought Samuel’s forgiveness. But king David said totally differently in Psalm 51:4a when he talked about his sin with Bathsheba. “[4] Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight”
Saul wanted quick fix and then he wanted Samuel to be with him to worship the Lord Samuel’s God. But Samuel said in verse 26. “[26] But Samuel said to him, "I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!" That was the final blow! “You have rejected the Lord and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel.” Most of people would fall down tearing their robes and sitting at sackcloth seeking God’s forgiveness before such judgment. But Saul did not do it. What did he do? Verse 27 reads, “[27] As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore.” Saul almost wanted to force Samuel to stay with him. He did not care about the Lord.
Then Samuel said in verse 28. “[28] Samuel said to him, "The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors--to one better than you. [29] He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind."
Samuel nailed the Lord’s judgment upon Saul once more. He said the Lord has given the kingdom of Israel to one of Saul’s neighbors that day. It was present perfect tense. It was already done. The kingdom of Israel was torn from Saul at that moment. He was finished as king. Furthermore Samuel told Saul that the Lord who is the glory of Israel would not change his mind. Saul sought his own glory but the glory of Israel is the Lord himself. Only he is the glory of Israel.
Then finally Saul said once more, “I have sinned.” Look at verse 30. “[30] Saul replied, "I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God."
Saul acknowledged once more that he had sinned. But he did not care about the Lord against whom he sinned. He was only worried about his honor before people. Therefore he begged Samuel to honor him before elders of his people and before Israel.
Samuel went back with Saul and Samuel obeyed the Lord by putting Agag to death. Verses 31-33 reads, “[31] So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord. [32] Then Samuel said, "Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites." Agag came to him confidently, thinking, "Surely the bitterness of death is past." [33] But Samuel said, "As your sword has made women childless, so will your mother be childless among women. And Samuel put Agag to death before the Lord at Gilgal.”
Finally verses 34 and 35 reads, “[34] Then Samuel left for Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. [35] Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel mourned for him. And the Lord was grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.”
The end is sad. Samuel would never see Saul again and the Lord was grieved. But even after today’s event Saul was king probably more than 20 more years. It would be another chance for him to repent and obey the Lord.
In conclusion, why is to obey better than sacrifice? And how can we obey? To obey is better than sacrifice because to obey guarantees the work is originated from God but sacrifice does not necessarily guarantee it. There is sacrifice that is originated from men like that of Saul. To obey is better than sacrifice because to obey requires surrenders of ourselves and our will whereas sacrifice requires surrenders of other creature’s flesh. Saul could not obey because of his desire to be rich and he became proud and rebellious. How can we obey? We can obey by crucifying ourselves and our will on the cross together with Jesus. On the cross there is complete judgment of God against our ourselves and our will which is our Amalekies. Only after we surrender ourselves and our will fully to the Lord can we bring true sacrifice.
One word: To obey is better than sacrifice
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