In 1 Samuel 15, we read about a confrontation between the prophet Samuel and King Saul. Near the beginning of the passage, God instructed Saul to lead the Israelites in battle against the Amalekites and “utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them” (1 Samuel 15:3).
Saul’s Disobedience.
Despite these clear instructions, “Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them” (1 Samuel 15:9).
Because of Saul’s disobedience, God expressed regret for His decision to make Saul king (1 Samuel 15:11). Thus, Samuel, after spending the night crying out to the Lord, found Saul the next day and confronted him regarding his sin. Although King Saul tried to deflect Samuel’s accusations, Saul’s willingness to spare both the best of the livestock and the king of Amelek stood as evidence of his disobedience.
And while he tried to argue that the intentions of the people were good—they spared the animals to sacrifice to God (1 Samuel 15:21), the truth, as expressed by Samuel, is that God would rather have man obey His will than alter His commands for even seemingly good reasons.
Stating this point, Samuel asked: “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 Samuel 15:22).
The Point of the Text.
The point of the text is quite simple: God wants man to obey His will.
If we learn anything from Saul’s example on this occasion, let us learn that obeying God is more important than doing what we think is best. This is especially true when it comes to God’s plan for man’s salvation.
Therefore, the writer of Hebrews said of Jesus: “He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Hebrews 5:9). Consequently, if we wish to be saved, we must obey the Savior.
God required obedience from King Saul, and He requires it from us.
Chad Ramsey preaches for the Gloster Street Church of Christ in Tupelo, Mississippi. You can access their Bible classes and Chad’s sermons on Gloster Street’s YouTube page.
Chad was - and still is - “my preacher” from when I spent my high school and early college years at Gloster Street. I’m thankful to be able to share some of his writings with you.
Amen 🙏 live the Article