Obedience Is Better Than Sacrifice

8/3/2019 Obedience Is Better Than Sacrifice

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cObedience Is Better Than Sacrifice c

The first king of Israel Saul is our first subject study. Saul on being anointed

king was instructed by the prophet Samuel to destroy all of the Amalekite

people for they greatly hindered the children of Israel when Israel came outof Egyptian slavery. This is taking place many generations after Israel had

came into the promise land.

1 Samuel 15:1-3 Samuel also said unto Saul, The LORD sent me to anoint

thee to beking over his people, over Israel: now therefore hearken thou unto

the voice of the words of the LORD.

2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I remember thatwhich Amalek did to

Israel, how he laid waitfor him in the way, when he came up from Egypt.

3 Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and

spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox andsheep, camel and ass.

Saul is instructed to destroy all the people and their livestock.

1 Samuel 15:4-9 And Saul gathered the people together, and numbered

them in Telaim, two hundred thousand footmen, and ten thousand men of

Judah.

5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and laid wait in the valley.

6 And Saul said unto the Kenites, Go, depart, get you down from among theAmalekites, lest I destroy you with them: for ye shewed kindness to all the

children of Israel, when they came up out of Egypt. So the Kenites departed

from among the Amalekites.

7 And Saul smote the Amalekites from Havilah untilthou comest to Shur,

that isover against Egypt.

8 And he took Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed

all the people with the edge of the sword.

9But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of

the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and

would not utterly destroy them:but every thing that wasvile and refuse,that they destroyed utterly.

Saul disobeys the words of the LORDand spares the king and the livestock.


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1 Samuel 15:10-13 Then came the word of the LORD unto Samuel, saying,

11 It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to beking: for he is turned back

from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it

grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the LORD all night.

12 And when Samuel rose early to meet Saul in the morning, it was told

Samuel, saying, Saul came to Carmel, and, behold, he set him up a place,

and is gone about, and passed on, and gone down to Gilgal.

13 And Samuel came to Saul: and Saul said unto him, Blessed bethou of

the LORD: I have performed the commandment of the LORD.

Saul now lies to the prophet saying I have performed the commandment of

the LORD.

1 Samuel 15:14-15 And Samuel said, What meaneththen this bleating of the

sheep in mine ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?15 And Saul said, They have brought them from the Amalekites: for the

people spared the best of the sheep and of the oxen, to sacrifice unto the

LORD thy God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed.

Notice how Saul blames his disobedience on the people. Saul says we

saved the best to sacrifice to the LORD.

1 Samuel 15:16-21 Then Samuel said unto Saul, Stay, and I will tell thee

what the LORD hath said to me this night. And he said unto him, Say on.

17 And Samuel said, When thou wast little in thine own sight, wast thou

not made the head of the tribes of Israel, and the LORD anointed thee king

over Israel?

18 And the LORD sent thee on a journey, and said, Go and utterly destroy

the sinners the Amalekites, and fight against them until they be consumed.

19 Wherefore then didst thou not obey the voice of the LORD, but didst fly

upon the spoil, and didst evil in the sight of the LORD?

20 And Saul said unto Samuel, Yea, I have obeyed the voice of the LORD,

and have gone the way which the LORD sent me, and have brought Agag

the king of Amalek, and have utterly destroyed the Amalekites.21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things

which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy

God in Gilgal.

Samuel said to Saul, when you were little in your own sight, the LORD

anointed you king over Israel.


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This is key, when we are little in our own sight we cling to the things of

the LORD.But if we get bigheaded pride creeps in, we start to think we

know better than the LORD. We begin to think the LORDdidnt mean what

HEsaid-this is a grave danger. (ref. Pr 3:7 Be not wise in thy own eyes.)

1 Samuel 15:22 And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as greatdelight in burnt

offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD?Behold, to

obey is better than sacrifice, andto hearken than the fat of rams.

TO LISTEN AND TO OBEY AND IS BETTER THAN SARIFICE.

1 Samuel 15:23-26 For rebellion is asthe sin of witchcraft, and

stubbornness is asiniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word

of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee from beingking.

24 And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed thecommandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people,

and obeyed their voice.

25 Now therefore, I pray thee, pardon my sin, and turn again with me, that I

may worship the LORD.

26 And Samuel said unto Saul, I will not return with thee: for thou hast

rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD hath rejected thee from being

king over Israel.

Because Saul rejected the word of the LORD, he was rejected from beingking of Israel. In this setting of scripture we get an important biblical

precept, the LORDis more pleased with obedience than with sacrifices.

Exodus 19:5 Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my

covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto meabove all people: for

all the earth ismine:

The LORDconsiders us to be a treasure to HIMif we obey HISVOICE.

The ALMIGHTY doesnt desire sacrifices of animals, rather that we would

perform HIS will and obey HIS VOICE. HE desires that we would adopt HIS

attributes into our lives, attributes of love, mercy and kindness.

The life of Abraham is a study in obedience to GOD. Abraham was told by

the LORDto get up and leave his native land for a destination unknown.


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Abraham believes GODand leaves his homeland. Abraham is later promised

a son in his old age. Abraham waited for twenty-five years before this

happened. A promise that took twenty-five years to come true, yet Abraham

did not waiver in unbelief. Then after having received the son of promise,

Isaac, Abraham is commanded by the LORDto sacrifice his son. Abraham

again does not waiver in unbelief, but fully intends to carry out the wishes of

the LORD. Abraham is the father of faith because he always believed and

was obedient. Thus Abraham is called the friend of GOD.

James 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled which saith,Abraham believed

God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the

Friend of God.

Romans 4:3 For what saith the scripture?Abraham believed God, and it was

counted unto him for righteousness.

Righteousness is equated with belief in GOD; belief is equated with

obedience. Belief and obedience combined is defined as faith.

Romans 4:9 Faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness.

Romans 2:8-11 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the

truth, but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,

9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the

Jew first, and also of the Gentile;

10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to the

Jew first, and also to the Gentile:

11 For there is no respect of persons with God.

Obedience unto GODis equated to performing good.

Now lets to turn our attention to Jesus CHRIST. The apostle Paul makes a

statement about the LORDthat I have always found puzzling.

Hebrews 5:8 Though he were a Son,yet learned he obedience by the things

which he suffered;

Jesus learned obedience by the things that he suffered? Wait a minute - I

would have thought Jesus was always obedient to the FATHER?


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Matthew 3: 13&16-17 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto

John, to be baptized of him.

16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water:

and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God

descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I

am well pleased.

The FATHERwas well pleased with HISbeloved SON. Jesus learning

obedience by the things which he suffered, must have a deeper meaning.

Heb 10:6 In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure.

The sacrifices of animals to cover sin was insufficient, it had to be repeatedyear after year on the Day of Atonement. It temporally covered the sin but it

didnt cure the disease of sin. Lets read the full setting of Hebrews the tenth

chapter.

Hebrews 10:1-10 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and

not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they

offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the

worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

3 But in thosesacrifices there isa remembrance again madeof sins every

year.

4 For it isnot possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away

sins.

5 Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering

thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me:

6 In burnt offerings andsacrificesfor sin thou hast had no pleasure.

7 Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,)

to do thy will, O God.

8 Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings andofferingfor sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are

offered by the law;

9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God.He taketh away the first,

that he may establish the second.

10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of

Jesus Christ oncefor all.


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Lo, I come: I delight to do thy will, O my GOD. This is an OLD

TESTAMENTprophecy of what Jesus CHRISTcame to do. (Psalms 40:6-10)

Psalms 40:6-10Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast

thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required.

7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it iswritten of me,

8I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.

9I have preached righteousness in the great congregation:lo, I have not

refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.

10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart;I have declared thy

faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy lovingkindness

and thy truth from the great congregation.

Here are more OLD TESTAMENTprophecies of what Jesus CHRISTcame todo. (There are many more OLD TESTAMENTprophecies of what Jesus

CHRISTcame to do.)

Isaiah 50:5 The Lord GOD hath opened mine ear, andI was not rebellious,

neither turned away back.

Jesus was not rebellious nor did he turn back from what GODsent him to do,

die as a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.

Isaiah 50:6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that

plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting.

This is a prophecy of what CHRISTwould suffer.

Jesus CHRIST came to do the will of the FATHER. Just as GOD asked

Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac, this was a foreshadow of what the

ALMIGHTY would allow to happen to HIS SON Jesus CHRIST. The blood of

bulls and goats could never take away sin, but the blood of the only

completely righteous man could.

We read in Psalms 40:8I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is

within my heart.

Jesus delighted to do the will of the FATHER. Jesus knew what was going to

be required of him. To be appointed a sacrifice for the sins of the world.


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Matthew 26:38-39 & 42 Then saith he unto them (the disciples), My soul is

exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.

39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O

my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I

will, but as thou wilt.

42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if

this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

Jesus knew he was sent to fulfill the will of the FATHER. Jesus suffered

brutal beatings and the horrific execution of crucifixion for our sakes to take

away our sins.

Romans 5:19 For as by one mans disobedience (Adam) many were made

sinners, so by the obedienceof one (Jesus) shall many be made righteous.

Romans 16:26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the

prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made

known to all nations for the obedience of faith:

We are also to follow in the obedienceof faith!

Romans 6:16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to

obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of

obedience unto righteousness?

Romans 16:19 For your obedienceis come abroad unto all men. I am glad

therefore on your behalf: but yetI would have you wise unto that which is

good, and simple concerning evil.

2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that

exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivityevery thought to the obedience of Christ;

1 Peter 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through

sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedienceand sprinkling of the blood of

Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.


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Matthew 22:35-40 Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a

question, tempting him, and saying,

36 Master, which isthe great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart,

and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second islike unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

In closing Jesus said if you love me you will keep my commandments which

in a nutshell is to love GOD with all your heart, soul, and mind, the second

commandment is likened unto the first love your neighbor as your self.

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

John 14:23 Jesus answered and said unto him,If a man love me, he will

keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him,

and make our abode with him.

1 John 5:2By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love

God, and keep his commandments.

For the children of GODkindness and mercy are the norm.

Obedience is better than sacrifice! Shalom!


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Obedience Is Better Than Sacrifice

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