In First Samuel 15 king Saul went out to battle against
Amalek and was commanded by God to completely destroy them and everything that
belonged to them. Verse 3 says - "Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy
all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman,
child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey." God clearly commanded them
to destroy everyone and everything. However, verse 9 tells us - "But Saul and
the people spared Agag (the king of Amalek) and the best of the sheep, the
oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to
destroy them utterly; but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly
destroyed." And when Samuel questioned him about it he said - "I did obey the
voice of the LORD, and went on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and have
brought back Agag the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the
Amalekites. But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the
choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the LORD your
God at Gilgal." Samuel said, "Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and
sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than
sacrifice and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of
divination, And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry Because you have
rejected the word of the LORD, He has also rejected you from being king."
God gave him a direct command and he disobeyed it. Even though they thought that they were doing God a favor by saving the best for Him, He wasn't pleased. God will never be pleased with disobedience no matter how good our intentions are.
Jeremiah 7:22-23 - "For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. "But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you."
Before God had given the law, or even commanded anything about sacrifice He desired obedience. In fact the first two times God speaks to the children of Israel after they leave Egypt, He speaks to them about obedience. The first is in Exodus 15:26 where the Lord says - "If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer." And the second time He spoke to them He said, in Exodus 16:4 - "that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction."
The fact that the first two times He addressed Israel after they left Egypt, He spoke on obedience, makes me think that obedience is probably important to God.
Hebrews 10:6-9 says - "In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure. “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (In the scroll of the book it is written of Me)
To do Your will, O God.’” After saying above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have not desired, nor have You taken pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the Law), then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second."
God gave him a direct command and he disobeyed it. Even though they thought that they were doing God a favor by saving the best for Him, He wasn't pleased. God will never be pleased with disobedience no matter how good our intentions are.
Jeremiah 7:22-23 - "For I did not speak to your fathers, or command them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings and sacrifices. "But this is what I commanded them, saying, 'Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you will be My people; and you will walk in all the way which I command you, that it may be well with you."
Before God had given the law, or even commanded anything about sacrifice He desired obedience. In fact the first two times God speaks to the children of Israel after they leave Egypt, He speaks to them about obedience. The first is in Exodus 15:26 where the Lord says - "If you will give earnest heed to the voice of the LORD your God, and do what is right in His sight, and give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of the diseases on you which I have put on the Egyptians; for I, the LORD, am your healer." And the second time He spoke to them He said, in Exodus 16:4 - "that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction."
The fact that the first two times He addressed Israel after they left Egypt, He spoke on obedience, makes me think that obedience is probably important to God.
Hebrews 10:6-9 says - "In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have taken no pleasure. “Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come (In the scroll of the book it is written of Me)
To do Your will, O God.’” After saying above, “Sacrifices and offerings and whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin You have not desired, nor have You taken pleasure in them” (which are offered according to the Law), then He said, “Behold, I have come to do Your will.” He takes away the first in order to establish the second."
Here it talks about two orders. The first being sacrifice, and the second being
obedience. Jesus, by being obedient to the point of death (Philippians 2:8)
completely did away with the law of sacrifice. He fulfilled the law by becoming
the perfect sacrifice, and because of Him we will never need another sacrifice.
But it is Gods desire that we obey Him. That's how we show our love for Him.
Jesus said "If you love Me keep My commandments."
1 John 5:3 says - "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments;
and His commandments are not burdensome."
The verse that that Hebrews passage quotes is Psalm 40:6-8 - "Sacrifice and meal
offering You have not desired; My ears You have opened; Burnt offering and sin
offering You have not required. Then I said, "Behold, I come; In the
scroll of the book it is written of me. I delight to do Your will, O my
God; Your Law is within my heart.""
The only way we can obey the Lord is if we know His commands. How can we do them, or much less delight in doing them, unless we know them? At the end of this verse it says, "Your law is within my heart." We need to hide Gods word in our hearts that we might not sin against Him. That we might delight in obeying His commandments, and that they might not be burdensome.
1 Samuel 15:22 - "Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice."
The only way we can obey the Lord is if we know His commands. How can we do them, or much less delight in doing them, unless we know them? At the end of this verse it says, "Your law is within my heart." We need to hide Gods word in our hearts that we might not sin against Him. That we might delight in obeying His commandments, and that they might not be burdensome.
1 Samuel 15:22 - "Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice."
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