TO OBEY IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE

 

1 Samuel 15:1-35 

Key Verse: 22b

“To obey is better than sacrifice,  and to heed is better than the fat of rams.”

Introduction:

Today’s passage shows that Saul is given a second chance to please the Lord. But he fails to do so. Samuel helps him to repent of his sin. But he is not willing. God has already given Saul’s kingdom to someone else. Now the Lord has rejected Saul even as king because of his disobedience. May the Lord help each of us to live according to God’s heart desire which is to obey God’s command to the full. Failing to learn from failure is not good. May the Lord help us to learn from Saul’s failure and grow as a man of obedience. 

 

1. Read verses 1-9. What message does God give Saul through Samuel? (1-3) Why does God ask him to totally destroy the Amalekites? (2, Ex 17:8, 14-17) What does Saul do? (4-9)

1-1) Read verses 1-9.

      Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one the Lord sent to anointyou king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the Lord. 2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. 3 Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”

4 So Saul summoned the men and mustered them at Telaim—two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah. 5 Saul went to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the ravine. 6 Then he said to the Kenites, “Go away, leave the Amalekites so that I do not destroy you along with them; for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.

7 Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, to the east of Egypt. 8 He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. 9 But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs—everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.

1-2) What message does God give Saul through Samuel? (1-3) 

      Samuel said to Saul, “I am the one the Lord sent to anointyou king over his people Israel; so listen now to the message from the Lord. 2 This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt. 3 Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them. Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”

1-3) Why does God ask him to totally destroy the Amalekites? (2, Ex 17:8, 14-17) 

‘I will punish the Amalekites for what they did to Israel when they waylaid them as they came up from Egypt.

Exodus 17: 8 The Amalekites came and attacked the Israelites at Rephidim.

14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this on a scroll as something to be remembered and make sure that Joshua hears it, because I will completely blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven.”

15 Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner.16 He said, “For hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord.The Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”

Amalekites are the descendants of Esau. (Genesis 36:12)

a) It is challenging to understand God’s command to destroy infants, children, and women. But it is beyond our human reason. From God’s point of view, the evil element will be persistently thriving and be a snare for God’s chosen people. 

What God commands shows God is God of judgment. Some people only believe God is God of salvation and love and do not fear God. But God is to be feared because he is God of judgment. When he judges he judges thoroughly.

One of the reasons why people do not believe God of judgment is because God rarely judge people immediately. He judges them at his time. It was the case of Amalekites too. In this way God gives enough opportunities for each one to repent and come to God. But some people misunderstand God’s patience and abuse God. But there will be time of God’s judgment without fail for those who persistently do not repent. 

b) Even after Agag was killed in today’s passage we may think that Amalekites were done. But it is not true. There were some more. “In the time of Hezekiah, the Simeonites annihilated some Amalekites on Mount Seir, and settled in their place: "And five hundred of these Simeonites, led by Pelatiah, Neariah, Rephaiah and Uzziel, the sons of Ishi, invaded the hill country of Seir. They killed the remaining Amalekites who had escaped, and they have lived there to this day." (1 Chr. 4:42–43).

In the HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Book_of_Esther"Book of Esther, the arch villain is HYPERLINK "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haman_(Bible)"Haman, an Amalekite (his origin is evident from the epithet the Agagite—i.e., descendant of the agags, Amalekite kings) that led the plot to kill the Jews. God sees through what would happen in and through the descendants of Amalekites. Behind the scene, Satan is tenacious enough to threaten and try to extinguish God’s people. So it is the war between God and His enemy.

1-4) What does Saul do? (4-9)

4 So Saul summoned the men and mustered them at Telaim—two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men from Judah. 5 Saul went to the city of Amalek and set an ambush in the ravine. 6 Then he said to the Kenites, “Go away, leave the Amalekites so that I do not destroy you along with them; for you showed kindness to all the Israelites when they came up out of Egypt.” So the Kenites moved away from the Amalekites.

7 Then Saul attacked the Amalekites all the way from Havilah to Shur, to the east of Egypt. 8 He took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and all his people he totally destroyed with the sword. 9 But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs—everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.

a) Saul obeyed 95 percent. But he allowed himself and his army to spare Agag and the best of flocks. He commanded his army to spare them according to his own idea.

But it’s not what God wants. It was the problem. 

He knows what God wants and what he was asked to do through Samuel. 

But he modifies God’s command to his own. 

b) Saul seemed to enjoy the victory of the Amalekites more and reveal his own name and honor with the evidence of capturing the king of the Amalekites. 

Then, why did he spare everything that was good? He only destroyed everything that was despised and weak. It is because he had sense of loss about destroying good things. 

His mind was not God-centered, but material-centered. 

Once the late Dr. Samuel Lee mentioned about two things we should overcome to be great men and women of God. He said, “If you overcome the temptation of self-glory seeking and greediness of material benefits, you would be great men of God.” 

Saul at first obeyed and summoned the Israelites and attacked the Amalekites. It was a good beginning! But during the victory over victory against them, he fell into temptations, revealing his own desire for his own glory and material benefits. To do the work of God and at the same time to make money – what a good idea it is! 

As his mind was changed so began his eyes to see things differently. Finally, he did not care about God’s command and His instructions.

 

 

2. Read 10-15. What does the Lord say about Saul? (10-11a) What does Samuel do for Saul? (11b-12a) Where has Saul gone and why? (12b) What excuse does Saul make about what he had done? (13-15)

2-1) Read 10-15. 

10 Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: 11 “I am grievedthat I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” Samuel was troubled, and he cried out to the Lord all that night.

12 Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, “Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.”

13 When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.”

14 But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?”

15 Saul answered, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.”

2-2) What does the Lord say about Saul? (10-11a) 

10 Then the word of the Lord came to Samuel: 11 “I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions.” 

a) God was grieved that he had made Saul king. Although God gave Saul the second chance to obey his command, Saul turned away from God by falling into such temptations. 

b) God was grieved. It is God’s heart toward those who turn away from Him. 

In Matthew 23:37, the Lord said, “how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.” 

2-3) What does Samuel do for Saul? (11b-12a) 

Samuel was troubled, and he cried out to the Lord all that night.

12 Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, 

Samuel also was troubled, and he cried out to the Lord all that night. 

Why was he in trouble? It is because he was the shepherd of Saul. He cried out for both the forgiveness of Saul and God’s mercy for him.

2-4) Where has Saul gone and why? (12b) 

“Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honor and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal.”

a) While the Lord and Samuel were grieving, Saul was setting up a monument in his own honor. 

Saul revealed his hidden desire to glorify his own name. Sin found him out!  How proud he was after a victory! 

He did not recognize how God was with him and blessed him. Rather, he stole glory and honor from God for himself. 

b) With opening our spiritual eyes, we should recognize how God is helping “me” and answering “my prayer.” 

We should not think ourselves that we are capable and diligent and should not pile up our self-righteousness. Instead, we should see God’s helping hand and render glory to God. 

We are sinful men, who have the blood of Adam, seeking self-glory, and self-indulgence.

 Without the blood of Jesus, we cannot be cleansed and purified. Without the blood of Jesus, we could not be saved and bear somewhat beautiful fruit in us. 

2-5) What excuse does Saul make about what he had done? (13-15)

13 When Samuel reached him, Saul said, “The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord’s instructions.”

14 But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears? What is this lowing of cattle that I hear?”

15 Saul answered, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.”

Firstly, he said that “the soldiers brought them…” Saul did not accept his fault and his own sin. Instead, he pointed out his soldiers to cover his sins. 

Secondly, he pretended that he did something for God. Furthermore, he tried to deceive God, saying, “they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God…” 

Galatians 6:7-8 says, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”

 

** Take notice what he had said in v. 15b, they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the Lord your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.”

a) He has not have his personal faith and he called God as Samuel’s God, not His. 

He failed to internalize God’s command to his own. 

Still he put a distance between God and himself. 

He never thinks of himself as God’s servant. 

His identity was not a man of God. 

b) Without obedience or willing heart to obey, nobody is able to know who God is. 

To obey from heart is the one and only way to know who He is truly. 

May the Lord help us to know who God is through our willing obedience to his absolute command. And even one word of God is important instead of huge head knowledge. 

 

 

3. Read verses 16-23. How does Samuel rebuke Saul? (16-19) Why does Saul say that he did obey the Lord? (20-21) What does Samuel reply? (22-23) Why is ‘obedience’ better than ‘sacrifice’? (23a) What is the consequence of his disobedience? (23b)

3-1) Read verses 16-23

16 “Stop!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what the Lordsaid to me last night.” “Tell me,” Saul replied.

17 Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? TheLord anointed you king over Israel. 18 And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.’ 19 Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?”

20 “But I did obey the Lord,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. 21 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 your God at Gilgal.”

22 But Samuel replied:

“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices

    as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?

To obey is better than sacrifice,

    and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,

    and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.

Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,

    he has rejected you as king.”

 3-2) How does Samuel rebuke Saul? (16-19) 

16 “Stop!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what the Lordsaid to me last night.” “Tell me,” Saul replied.

17 Samuel said, “Although you were once small in your own eyes, did you not become the head of the tribes of Israel? TheLord anointed you king over Israel. 18 And he sent you on a mission, saying, ‘Go and completely destroy those wicked people, the Amalekites; make war on them until you have wiped them out.’ 19 Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?”

a) Samuel could not bear with him. 

 b) When Saul was called by God, he thought that he was small even in his own eyes, although he was the tallest. God saw his humility and chose him. 

By God’s grace, although he was a nobody, from the smallest tribe of Israel, God made him the head of all the tribes as king. 

Saul should remember the grace of God through his lifetime. Then, Samuel reminded God’s mission and directly confronted Saul, “Why did you not obey the Lord? Why did you pounce on the plunder and do evil in the eyes of the Lord?” 

3-3) Why does Saul say that he did obey the Lord? (20-21) 

20 “But I did obey the Lord,” Saul said. “I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. 21 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 your God at Gilgal.”

It was a second chance for Saul to repent and confess his sin. But Saul was still stubborn and insisted, “But I did obey the Lord. I went on the mission the Lord assigned me. 

I completely destroyed the Amalekites and brought back Agag their king. 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 your God at Gilgal.” 

Again Saul defends himself and justified.

3-4) What does Samuel reply? (22-23) 

22 But Samuel replied:

“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices

    as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord?

To obey is better than sacrifice,

    and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination,

    and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.

Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,

    he has rejected you as king.”

3-5) Why is ‘obedience’ better than ‘sacrifice’? (23a) 

For rebellion is like the sin of divination,

    and arrogance like the evil of idolatry.

a) Samuel revealed to Saul what is more valuable and important before God. God delights in obeying the voice of God. 

To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams. 

Therefore, we should listen to the word of God carefully and obey his word.  

Nothing is more important than listening the word of God in this distracted world. 

b) God seeks obedient people as his servants. Acts 13:22 says, “After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’” 

God could use David very preciously because he did everything God wanted him to do. David listened to God’s voice very carefully and obeyed him with full trust.

 

This should be our attitude in order to please God. 

We should not satisfy ourselves just with our sacrifice or offering the fat of rams. First of all, we should listen to the word of God carefully and obey His will. 

We should listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit by meditating on the word of God and live by the Spirit with the obedient heart.

 

“For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.” 

c) Samuel explains that disobedience comes from rebellion against God. It is like the sin of divination, seeking fortune from other supernatural power. 

God hated such sin. Also disobedience comes from arrogance. 

The arrogance is like the evil of idolatry, which God also hates. 

Proverbs 16:18 says, “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.” God opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble.

3-6) What is the consequence of his disobedience? (23b)

Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,

    he has rejected you as king.”

4. Read verses 24-35. What is Saul’s explanation for his sin? (24) What does he beg Samuel to do? (25) How does Samuel reply? (26) What happens as Samuel turns to leave? (27-29) What does Saul want Samuel to do? (30) What does Samuel do? (31,26) How does Samuel carry out the Lord’s command? (32-33) How does Saul’s failure affect both Samuel and the Lord? (34-35)

4-1) Read verses 24-35.

24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated theLord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them. 25 Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord.”

26 But Samuel said to him, “I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!”

27 As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. 28 Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you. 29 He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind.”

30 Saul replied, “I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God.” 31 So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord.

32 Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites.”

Agag came to him confidently,[HYPERLINK "http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Samuel%2015&version=NIV1984#fen-NIV1984-7593c"c] thinking, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”

33 But Samuel said,

“As your sword has made women childless,

    so will your mother be childless among women.”

And Samuel put Agag to death before the Lord at Gilgal.

34 Then Samuel left for Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. 35 Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel mourned for him. And the Lordwas grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.

4-2) What is Saul’s explanation for his sin? (24) 

24 Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned. I violated the Lord’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them. 

“I have sinned.” But his repentance was not authentic. True repentance is turning heart to God and being humble as a sinner.

 But he still wanted Samuel to help him save his face before the people. 

He still was humanistic and sought his own honor before men. 

4-3) What does he beg Samuel to do? (25) 

25 Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord.”

4-4) How does Samuel reply? (26) 

26 But Samuel said to him, “I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the Lord, and the Lord has rejected you as king over Israel!”

4-5) What happens as Samuel turns to leave? (27-29) 

27 As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. 28 Samuel said to him, “The Lord has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors—to one better than you. 29 He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind.”

4-6) What does Saul want Samuel to do? (30)

30 Saul replied, “I have sinned. But please honor me before the elders of my people and before Israel; come back with me, so that I may worship the Lord your God.” 

 4-7) What does Samuel do? (31,26)

31 So Samuel went back with Saul, and Saul worshiped the Lord.

or him. And the Lordwas grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.

 4-8) How does Samuel carry out the Lord’s command? (32-33) 

32 Then Samuel said, “Bring me Agag king of the Amalekites.”

Agag came to him confidently,[HYPERLINK "http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Samuel%2015&version=NIV1984#fen-NIV1984-7593c"c] thinking, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”

33 But Samuel said,

“As your sword has made women childless,

    so will your mother be childless among women.”

And Samuel put Agag to death before the Lord at Gilgal.

4-9) How does Saul’s failure affect both Samuel and the Lord? (34-35)

34 Then Samuel left for Ramah, but Saul went up to his home in Gibeah of Saul. 35 Until the day Samuel died, he did not go to see Saul again, though Samuel mourned for him. And the Lordwas grieved that he had made Saul king over Israel.

In conclusion;

      

This passage shows how sad it is to see Saul’s failure about God’s absolute command. We are living in the generation where we encourage each other to do whatever we feel fit. But being a part of majority does not mean we are always right. What really counts is to build up one’s personal faith in the Lord. May the Lord help us to outgrow cultural sickness (rebellion and arrogance) in our subconscious level and adopt absolute attitude of obedience to the word of God positively and willingly. May America be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Amen. 

One word: to obey is better than sacrifice