Obedience Above Sacrifice

"Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams" (1 Samuel 15).

Saul was going to unlawfully offer a sacrifice, an unlawful sacrifice sounds ironic, but this is what he would have done. Saul reasoned the sacrifice would please God, but in actuality he would have disobeyed God, as he was given very specific instructions to wait for the prophet. “And you shall go down before me to Gilgal; and behold, I will come down to you to offer burnt offerings and sacrifice peace offerings. You shall wait seven days until I come to you and show you what you should do” (1 Samuel 10:8). On the seventh day the people began to scatter so Saul did the sacrifice himself. Samuel arrives and asks Saul "What have you done?" This was a test of his faith and obedience. We see the root of Saul's disobedience, "I have sinned; I have indeed transgressed the command of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and listened to their voice" (1 Samuel 15:24). Saul feared the people above God.

God had given specific instructions for the king, “Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel" (Deuteronomy 17:18-20). God gives specific instructions; know His instructions, learn his instructions so as to fear him,  be humble and do not lift yourself above your brethren, and do his instructions. Do his will.

Jonathan the son of Saul alone with his armor bearer went into a garrison of the Philistines, by faith he believed that God could and would deliver the Philistines unto them, “Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised; it may be that the Lord will work for us. For nothing restrains the Lord from saving by many or by few” (1 Samuel 14:6). And God was with Jonathan, "and there was trembling in the camp, in the field, and among all the people. The garrison and the raiders also trembled; and the earth quaked, so that it was a very great trembling." A watchman reported to Saul, "there was the multitude, melting away; and they went here and there", so Saul did roll call and found Jonathan missing, he then assembled the army and they went to battle (1 Samuel 14). In the garrison of the Philistine's "every man’s sword was against his neighbor, and there was very great confusion." So the Lord saved Israel that day. 

But Saul had placed the people under oath, saying, “Cursed is the man who eats any food until evening, before I have taken vengeance on my enemies.” So none of the people tasted food. Why would Saul give such an oath, the army needed substance to fight? This was not a command from God but the people thought so, this was clearly a misuse of his authority as king. Saul was interested in what the people thought of him, for the people to see God working through Jonathan, maybe Saul reasoned they would follow him. Saul's human reasoning lost him the throne, God wanted someone who would listen and be obedient, to do his will.

"So Saul asked counsel of God, 'Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hand of Israel?' But He did not answer him that day" (1 Samuel 14:37). Saul takes this as "sin in the camp" and they cast lots which fall on Jonathan. Jonathan had joined the pursuit and had not heard the command to not eat, so he had ate of honey. When Saul heard this he was going to put Jonathan to death for breaking the command. But the people said to Saul, “Shall Jonathan die, who has accomplished this great deliverance in Israel? Certainly not!" Jonathan through faith had saved Israel, but Saul operated in his own reasoning, even to the point that he was going to kill his own son. This is a good illustration of legalism, there is no hearing, revelation, relationship with God, ultimately there is disobedience to God in the form of pride and following rules.

And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have Not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you” (1 Samuel 13:13). And God regretted making Saul king, "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" (1 Samuel 15).

Tears of Joy - Phil Wickham