“To obey is better than sacrifice and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” 1 Samuel 15:22

King Saul was an impressive guy! Tall, handsome, charismatic, a natural leader, he was the man the people of Israel endorsed enthusiastically for their first King! Today, he might be a leading presidential candidate in the U.S. I’m sure he would have been very telegenic! A man after man’s own heart!

One day, the Lord through the Prophet gave Saul a very important task. He was to be God’s instrument to judge the Amalekites and eliminate them. The Amalekites were a roving band of terrorists who slaughtered men, women and children and were gross idolaters as well. God’s judgment lingers long, but now it was due. God knew that if they continued in their terrorism and idolatrous ways, Israel would adopt the worst of their idolatry, ever a problem for Israel.

The instructions from Samuel to Saul were explicit. He was to carry out God’s judgment completely and unsparingly, including all the sheep and cattle.

Now we get to the crux of the issue with Saul and it’s very revealing. Maybe not just with him, but maybe us as well. Saul practiced “partial obedience.” He obeyed in some things, but thought that his judgment was equal to God’s on the “good things” he wanted to allow. He had a list of excuses. Listen to what happened when Samuel came to inspect what Saul did. Saul said to Samuel when he arrived: “The Lord bless you! I have carried out the Lord’s instructions!” It was not true! This is partial obedience and sometimes people who do this tend to deceive themselves. Maybe he believed it, but Samuel simply said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears?” How easily and quickly God reveals the deceptiveness of Saul’s actions! Samuel is not beating around the bush and when God reveals our hypocrisy on something, it is time to listen up! He sees everything!

I think this is a common problem. What if someone is faithful in church attendance, but doesn’t pay his bills? Or cheats on their income taxes? Folks, partial obedience is disobedience! We can never make up in sacrifice what we surrender through disobedience! God wants our hearts!

Samuel says in verse 19, “Why did you not obey the voice of the Lord. Why did you pounce on the plunder?  (This also revealed some covetousness in Saul’s heart). Now we get the “blame game!” Saul says, “But I did obey the voice of the Lord…the soldiers took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of what was devoted to God, in order to sacrifice them to the Lord your God at Gilgal.” WOW! Not only is it the fault of others, but Saul puts a little religious spin on it! Do we ever do this?

Samuel’s answer is priceless and I hope it impacts all of us deeply! “Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination (witchcraft) and arrogance like the sin of idolatry.” 15:22-23. In other words, this kind of hypocritical attitude is equal to the worst sin in God’s sight. Saul is exposed! Now is the test! What does he do? “I have sinned, but honor me now before the elders of my people and before Israel.” Sad! His heart is revealed! He cares much more about what the people think than what God thinks!

Ask God to purify your heart today and get rid of partial obedience. He wants your whole heart!

Terry