OBEDIENCE IS BETTER

  

  The bleating of sheep on the slopes of Carmel brought a frown to Samuel's brow. The movement of oxen and donkeys in the sultry valley made his stomach turn.  But when his eyes fell upon two men in the distance, walking and talking together like friends, that was the last straw!  As he approached them, he remembered his earlier instructions to Saul:

    The Lord sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel; now therefore listen to the words of the Lord.  
   ......Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and women, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey (I Sam.15:1, 3)

    The words had been unmistakably clear and direct.  King Saul was to carry out God's plans.  It was an open-and-shut case of divine extermination without options and without opinions.  The Sovereign of heaven had spoken...and there was to be absolute, instant obedience by King Saul.  There wasn't.  That's what angered Samuel when he visited the scene of slaughter and was met by the sounds and smile of life rather than the silence and stench of death.

    With the severity of a sub-machine gun, the prophet braced the king, "What's going on?....Why do I hear and see evidence of life?....Who gave you the okay to erect a monument of yourself upon the mountain?....Where did you get the right to alter God's command?"

    Saul stuttered out a few lame answers instead of admitting his disobedience.  He tried three alternate routes.  First, he lied: "I have carried out the command of the Lord" (v.13)  Second, he rationalized: "...The people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to the Lord..." (v.15)  Third, he passed the buck: "I did obey the voice of the Lord...But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen" (vv.20-21).

    Samuel was not impressed.  He stared at King Saul and his buddy, Agag (who should have been a corpse by now), and rebuked the stubborn king as few men in the Scripture were rebuked:

    Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings 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 as iniquity and idolatry.  Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king. (I Samuel 15:22-23).

    Finally we read Saul confessed: "I have sinned" (v.24).

    The sands of time have covered over the ancient scene, but our bent to disobey is still present.  Because of this, take a long look at Samuel's rebuke once again. In summary, he said three serious things to Saul.

    To obey is better than all sorts of sacrificial activities.
    To rebel is similar to involving yourself in demonism.
    To disobey is no better than worshiping an idol.

    Powerful words!  Let's apply them in a few details of life.

    Has the Lord clearly led you to do something and yet you are saying "No" or "Not now"?  Maybe you're trying to bargain with Him, substituting something else in place of His direct advice....like Saul.  WAIT NO LONGER - OBEY!

    Is there within you a stubborn spirit that causes you to rebel, argue, and fight back, even though you know it's against His leading?  Perhaps you've bragged about your strong will or have cultivated the habit of resistance....like Saul.  REBEL NO MORE - OBEY!

    Have you developed the deceitful technique of hiding your disobedience behind the human masks of lies or rationalism or manipulation of blame...like Saul?  DECEIVE NO FURTHER - OBEY!

    The very best proof of your love for your Lord is obedience...nothing more, nothing less, nothing else.

C. Swindoll