1 Samuel 15:17-23 – God wants obedience, not religious activities

Samuel confronted Saul and reminded him of how he rose to his position. He referred to the king’s humble beginning and how he was not even much in his own eyes when God made him the leader of Israel. It was the Lord who had anointed him. And he was sent on a God-given mission with specific instruction to annihilate the Amalekites and to spare nothing – man or animals. For they are placed under a ban. Samuel wanted to know why he did not obey the Lord and do as he was instructed? God specifically referred to the Amalekites as sinners. We can surmise that Saul's mission was a serious one as far as God was concerned.

Samuel pointedly asked Saul in verse 19. He asked, “Why then did you not obey the voice of the Lord, but rushed upon the spoil and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord?” This "why" question was most probing. And more than probing, it was indicting. It reflected Saul’s folly. Without a doubt to disobey God is the greatest folly. The Lord Jesus affirms this in Matthew 7:26-27, saying “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”  One more thing Samuel shows us about disobedience. It is evil in the sight of God. God abhors it.

In verses 20-21, Saul insisted that he had obeyed. He insisted that he indeed had gone on the mission as instructed by God. He mentioned the slaughter of the Amalekites but dismissed the fact that he kept Agag alive, which the Lord told him specifically not to spare anyone. Then he shifted the blame on the people in verse 21 saying, “But the people took some of the spoil, sheep, and oxen, the choicest of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” Notice how he framed his defense, “I have obeyed…but the people took….”

Samuel had heard enough. He could see how disobedient Saul was, so his words to him were:

“Has the Lord as much 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 divination,
And insubordination is as iniquity and idolatry.
Because you have rejected the word of the Lord,
He has also rejected you from being king.”

From these two verses, we see what God wants from us. We know He prefers obedience to sacrifice. And that the core of faith is obedience. God delights in us acting to fulfil His will more than anything. After all that is said and done, the one thing that matters, did we do what He says? Did we fulfil His will and purpose?  No amount of seeming spiritual activities can move the heart of God if they are not acted according to His instructions. They would be merely going through the motion and meaningless. Let us not be deceived. No amount of activities can ever compensate for our disobedience. It is a sin and as God has rejected Saul, He still repudiates disobedience. Let us be God’s obedient people!