1 Samuel 15:22-23 Surrendering to God

 ”So Samuel said: “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. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He also has rejected you from being king.”“ I Samuel‬ ‭15‬:‭22‬-‭23‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

a. 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: Religious observance without obedience is empty before God. The best sacrifice we can bring to God is a repentant heart (Psalm 51:16-17) and our bodies surrendered to His service for obedience (Romans 12:1).

i. One could make a thousand sacrifices for God, work a thousand hours for God’s service, or give millions of dollars to His work. But all these sacrifices mean little if there is not a surrendered heart to God, shown by simple obedience.

ii. In sacrifice we offer the flesh of another creature; in obedience we offer our own will before God. Luther said, “I had rather be obedient, than able to work miracles.” (Cited in Trapp)

b. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry: A rebellious, stubborn heart rejects God just as certainly as someone rejects God by occult practices or idolatry.

i. Saul’s problem wasn’t just that he neglected some ceremony. That is how Saul thought of obedience to God. In today’s world he might say, “What? So God wants me to go to church more? All right, I’ll go.” But religious observance was not Saul’s problem; the problem was that his heart became rebellious and stubborn against God. If religious observance did not help that problem, then it was no good.

ii. It would be easy for Saul to point his finger at the Amalekites or the Philistines and say, “Look at those godless idolaters. They don’t worship the true God as I do.” But Saul didn’t worship the true God either because the real worship of God begins with surrender.

iii. “All conscious disobedience is actually idolatry, because it makes self-will, the human I, into a god.” (Keil and Delitzsch)

(Guzik)

Surrendering to God

Jeremiah 29:11 (ESV)

11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Idolatry 

Proverbs 14:12 (ESV)

12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.

Have you surrendered to Jesus?

Galatians 2:20 (ESV)

20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.

I live by faith in the Son of God, Jesus.

Do you?

Blessings