Saul disobeyed God's direct command about destroying the Amalekites. He kept some of the plunder and some of the animals, ostensibly to offer them as sacrifices. Samuel shows up and calls him out. Saul tries to explain: 'But we brought the best animals to sacrifice to the Lord!' And Samuel gives this devastating response: obedience is better than sacrifice.
It's a verse that gets thrown around in churches, but I don't think we actually absorb how radical it is. We've built whole systems around sacrifices - in the Old Testament literally, in modern Christianity through giving, service, sacrifice of personal desires. And this verse is saying: that's not what God actually wants. What God wants is for you to do what He says.
I was in a meeting at church where we were discussing a really difficult decision. Someone suggested: 'Well, we could just pray harder and give more, sacrifice more, and that will please God.' And I thought of this verse. No. Sacrifice isn't the default way to deal with disobedience. Obedience is. Sometimes what God wants from you isn't your sacrifice; it's your compliance with His word. That's much harder because it requires changing your behavior, not just your giving.
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