Counter-Cultural Love-The Preeminence of Obedience: 1 Samuel 15:22

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1 Samuel 15:22- "But Samuel replied: 'Does the Lord delight 
in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.'"

Do you have a favorite possession? An old Bible? A favorite photo? Maybe a keepsake from your childhood? Would you ever be willing to give it away? Sacrificing valuable possessions can prove difficult even if you think God wants you to give it up.  

As noble as it may be to sacrifice a valued possession for God's purposes, this devotion will explain why obedience is always better than sacrifice for demonstrating our love for God.  

King Saul's Attitude Toward Sacrifice

The Israelites sacrificed their most valuable animal in their sacrificial system because it served as a blood substitute for their sins. Hebrews 9:22 (NLT) explains: "...according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness." God used the animal's shed blood to atone for the sins of the people.

Although God had warned His people not to abandon His covenant of forgiveness (Deuteronomy 29:22-28), they rarely obeyed His laws. Israel not only frequently forgot God's promises and laws, but they also abandoned God, Himself. 

We see this disobedient pattern when God directed Saul one time to attack Israel's enemies without sparing any person or animal (1 Samuel 15:3). However, Saul disobeyed God when he spared the king and plundered many of their finest animals. Samuel confronted Saul by saying, 

"Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder...(1 Samuel 15:17b-19b)? Saul argued back, 'But I did obey the Lord. 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...'" (1 Samuel 15:20-21).

Samuel corrected the king: "To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams" (1 Samuel 15:22). We can learn three lessons about sacrifice and obedience from Saul's story. 

Lessons on Sacrifice and Obedience

Sacrifices represented the abandonment of valuable possessions to fulfill the law, while obedience required the surrender of one's will out of love for God. While sacrificing valuable animals appeased God's anger, God established the importance of  love with obedience by commanding Israel to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your strength. These commandments I give you today are to be on your hearts" (Deuteronomy 6:5-6). Sacrifices atoned for transgressions against God, while obedience consummated their love and commitment to God. 

Saul's cavalier interpretation of the offering demonstrated that sacrifices could be defiled, while obedience always reflected a devoted heart. Even though God had commanded His people to destroy the high places of the conquered inhabitants (Numbers 33:52; Deuteronomy 12:2-3), Israel retained the alters leading them into idolatrous practices (1 Kings 12:28-32). Saul's compromising spirit may have set a precedent for later kings to use these defiled places for worship.

In contrast, the godly character of some kings revealed the relationship between obedience and a devoted heart. Each of these kings had impeccable character as indicated by intentionally abolishing idolatry. Notice their character as you read their stories of reform, while considering the relationship between their obedience and devotion to His ways. 

Hezekiah (2 Kings 18:3-6; 20:1-11; 2 Chronicles 29 & 30)    
  • Walked faithfully with wholehearted devotion

Asa (1 Kings 15:11-15; 2 Chronicles 15:8-18)   
  • Heart was fully committed to the Lord even though he didn't remove the high places

Jehoshaphat (2 Chronicles 17:3-6)    
  • Heart was devoted to the Lord

Josiah (2 Kings 22:2; 23:4-25)    
  • Did right in the eyes of the Lord, not turning to the right or left 
  • Completely followed the ways of David              
Complete obedience reflects our unconditional devotion to God and His Ways. Our key verse declares "to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams." Focus on the words obey and heed. The word for obey (shama) means to listen toward obedience. For example, God promised to bless Abraham because he listened (shama) to His voice (Genesis 22:18). This word indicates that the obedient person listens to God's direction with the intent to follow it. 

The word for heed reveals the attitude whereby we obey God. This word (qashab) means to attend or to incline your ears toward something. In other words, the person who takes heed to God's ways turns all of her attention to the voice of the Lord. So absolute obedience reflects our unconditional commitment not only to listen to the Word of God, but also to follow His Ways with the intent to obey them. 

Life Application

Jesus taught how this description of obedience relates to our love for Him. Look at John 15:10: "If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love." 

Notice the word keep. According to this verse, when we keep, attend, or guard His ways in our lives we faithfully love Him by our careful obedience. Obedience means, then, that our general attitude toward God should be attentive toward His ways with the intent to obey, but with the motive of love. To that point, my wife has always said we must do what God tells us to do, but with a happy heart. Obedience may be our intent, but love is our reason!

Like Saul, we can taint God's gifts with bad motives, pride, or inattentiveness to God (1 Samuel 13:12-13). Jesus promised, though, if we keep His commands we will remain or abide in His love. That means when we faithfully follow God's ways we remain under His covering when He victoriously provides for us through every debilitating difficulty as we rest underneath His banner of love (SS 2:4). For instance, 
  • Are you depressed or sad? He gives you His joy that is complete in Him (John 15:11)
  • Do you feel alienated from God or His people? He calls you His friend (John 15:15)
  • Do you feel unqualified to do God's call? He chooses you to join Him on mission (John 15:16)
  • Are your prayers inhibited? Jesus promises answers to prayers offered in His name (John 15:17)
We demonstrate our counter-cultural love for God by faithfully listening to the Word of God and meticulously following the Ways of God without compromise, but with a devoted heart. 

Father, as we follow the teachings of our Savior by loving you through our attentive obedience to your Word and Ways, may we demonstrate our love for you by loving one another and thereby remaining in your love. Upon Jesus' authority I pray, Amen. 

Scriptures for further study

1 Samuel 15
1 Kings 15:11-15
2 Kings 18:3-6
2 Kings 22 & 23
John 15:10-17

I recommend reading these articles. They helped in the development of this devotional. 

















This site is a devotional blog for followers of Jesus who want to explore the deeper things of God.

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