To Obey is Better Than Sacrifice
I
love Proverbs. There are so many wonderful and insightful verses. I
came across this one last night as I was looking for another verse...
To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. Proverbs 22:3
It immediately reminded me of 1 Samuel 15 where King Saul spared King Agag and saved the “fat of the land” against God’s direct orders to completely annihilate the Amalekites. Because of it, God rejected Saul as King and we all know the familiar verse that Samuel told Saul, “Has the Lord as great 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 Sam. 15:22)
Have you ever thought of how that verse affects your life? And I’m not talking about head-knowledge, I’m talking about heart-knowledge. We can memorize the entire Bible, but if it never means anything to us personally - if it never grips our innermost-being - it’s useless.
So... what do these verses mean? How can we apply them?
The main thing that stood out to me was the part about sacrifice. Whenever I think of sacrifices, I think of the priests in the Old Testament sacrificing the animals to God for the sins of the people and nation. And that we no longer have to make animal sacrifices because Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice. Yet, we still make sacrifices to God, don’t we? It is just another type of sacrifice; that of our time, money, and possessions. When, that is not what God wants. He wants our heart. If He has our heart, we will obey Him out of love for Him. When we're “sacrificing” something of ours to Him, it’s not even ours to offer, because He owns it all.
Why have we done that? I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s probably because it’s easier than being obedient, living righteously and justly. Have you ever looked at what those words require from us? It’s not the easiest list to live by...
“Obedience”... it makes my flesh crawl just to hear the word. We don’t like to be obedient. We’re born with an animosity towards it. Submitting and subjecting oneself to someone else is very difficult to do. Humans were created to have fellowship with God, glorify Him, and be humbly submitted to Him. Submit means: to yield or surrender (oneself) to the will or authority of another. Obey means: to carry out or fulfill the command, order, or instruction. That can be a very tall order to fulfill, more often than not. I find it’s extremely hard to do because we have an inordinate view of self (imagine that!). What we think, what we like, our views, how to do things... we all think we have the best answer for everything.
Which comes back to, as I’m sure you’ve probably guessed, pride: the Christian’s worse enemy and probably the hardest thing to deal with. As soon as you chop it down it’s back because, hey, you deserve a pat on the back because you did so well chopping it down! It’s downright frustrating. Pretty much every problem in life comes from pride.
Have you ever thought what life would be like if we were all putting everyone else’s needs in place of our own?
“Righteousness” means; meeting the standards of what is right and just; morally right; guiltless. Can we all take a moment to cringe here? Or at least that is how I’m feeling... “Morally right”... how many times have I been morally wrong? I shudder at the thought. Yet, that is what God calls us to; He desires for us to be righteous. Matthew 5:6 say’s, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Do I hunger and thirst for righteousness? Is that something I am delighting in and actively seeking?
“Just” means; guided by truth, reason, justice, and fairness. Micah 6:8 says, “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Right about now I’m starting to think, this is rather depressing.... because there is no way possible I can be obedient, righteous, and just. Have you ever tried to do those things for just one day? It’s extremely hard. In fact, it’s impossible... in our own strength. If we are trying to do these things on our own, we will fail. It’s human nature. We are pre-programmed to sin because of the fall.
But God!!
I love how God is able to do things, that are so completely impossible, so that His power is manifested through us. I can just imagine God smiling down at us like a father indulging His children. How silly our reasonings must be to Him sometimes.
If Jesus is Lord of our life, then His Spirit dwells in us enabling us to do His will and follow His commands.
To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. Proverbs 22:3
It immediately reminded me of 1 Samuel 15 where King Saul spared King Agag and saved the “fat of the land” against God’s direct orders to completely annihilate the Amalekites. Because of it, God rejected Saul as King and we all know the familiar verse that Samuel told Saul, “Has the Lord as great 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 Sam. 15:22)
Have you ever thought of how that verse affects your life? And I’m not talking about head-knowledge, I’m talking about heart-knowledge. We can memorize the entire Bible, but if it never means anything to us personally - if it never grips our innermost-being - it’s useless.
So... what do these verses mean? How can we apply them?
The main thing that stood out to me was the part about sacrifice. Whenever I think of sacrifices, I think of the priests in the Old Testament sacrificing the animals to God for the sins of the people and nation. And that we no longer have to make animal sacrifices because Jesus was the ultimate sacrifice. Yet, we still make sacrifices to God, don’t we? It is just another type of sacrifice; that of our time, money, and possessions. When, that is not what God wants. He wants our heart. If He has our heart, we will obey Him out of love for Him. When we're “sacrificing” something of ours to Him, it’s not even ours to offer, because He owns it all.
Why have we done that? I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s probably because it’s easier than being obedient, living righteously and justly. Have you ever looked at what those words require from us? It’s not the easiest list to live by...
“Obedience”... it makes my flesh crawl just to hear the word. We don’t like to be obedient. We’re born with an animosity towards it. Submitting and subjecting oneself to someone else is very difficult to do. Humans were created to have fellowship with God, glorify Him, and be humbly submitted to Him. Submit means: to yield or surrender (oneself) to the will or authority of another. Obey means: to carry out or fulfill the command, order, or instruction. That can be a very tall order to fulfill, more often than not. I find it’s extremely hard to do because we have an inordinate view of self (imagine that!). What we think, what we like, our views, how to do things... we all think we have the best answer for everything.
Which comes back to, as I’m sure you’ve probably guessed, pride: the Christian’s worse enemy and probably the hardest thing to deal with. As soon as you chop it down it’s back because, hey, you deserve a pat on the back because you did so well chopping it down! It’s downright frustrating. Pretty much every problem in life comes from pride.
Have you ever thought what life would be like if we were all putting everyone else’s needs in place of our own?
John 13:35 -
By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.
John 15:13
Greater love has no man than this, then to lay down his life for his friends.
“Righteousness” means; meeting the standards of what is right and just; morally right; guiltless. Can we all take a moment to cringe here? Or at least that is how I’m feeling... “Morally right”... how many times have I been morally wrong? I shudder at the thought. Yet, that is what God calls us to; He desires for us to be righteous. Matthew 5:6 say’s, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” Do I hunger and thirst for righteousness? Is that something I am delighting in and actively seeking?
“Just” means; guided by truth, reason, justice, and fairness. Micah 6:8 says, “And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”
Right about now I’m starting to think, this is rather depressing.... because there is no way possible I can be obedient, righteous, and just. Have you ever tried to do those things for just one day? It’s extremely hard. In fact, it’s impossible... in our own strength. If we are trying to do these things on our own, we will fail. It’s human nature. We are pre-programmed to sin because of the fall.
But God!!
I love how God is able to do things, that are so completely impossible, so that His power is manifested through us. I can just imagine God smiling down at us like a father indulging His children. How silly our reasonings must be to Him sometimes.
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
If Jesus is Lord of our life, then His Spirit dwells in us enabling us to do His will and follow His commands.
Galatians 5:22-25
But
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness,
goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is
no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its
passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the
Spirit.
Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore
we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let
us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and
let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto
Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was
set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down
at the right hand of the throne of God.
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