SCRIPTURE
But Samuel Replied: “What I some pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices or your obedience to His voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than the offering of rams. Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols…”
1 Samuel 15:22-23
OBSERVATION
Saul blew it big time! It seems that he had good intentions, but his good intentions were contrary from what God required of him. God send Samuel to give clear instructions for Saul to follow. But Saul ended up acting in rebellion and stubbornness. Some one had a good idea! Keep the king alive and keep the best of the cattle. These are good ideas, but they were contrary from God’s direction. And when confronted, Saul was trying to excuse his behavior in very spiritual ways. In the context of the passage we see two important character flaws in Saul that caused him to act this way. In verse 12 we see that he was busy trying to build a monument for himself. And in verse 24 he admits that he was afraid of the people so he did what they demanded. Saul’s behavior was not insignificant. The Scripture equals his behavior with witchcraft and the worship of idols. Obedience to God’s ways is what matters the most.
APPLICATION
Sometimes our intentions may be really good, but if they oppose or undermine what the authority set by God instructs, we are walking in rebellion, which is as sinful as witchcraft. Rebellion and stubbornness cannot be minimized. We cannot make excuses about it. We need to simply follow orders and obey willingly. We may think that there are better solutions, or that there are more rewarding and smarter options. It doesn’t matter. When we undermine the God’s instructions given to us through our spiritual authorities, we are walking in a very sinful path. And the enemy is going to deceive us and make us think that it is not a big deal.
In my own life I’ve paid a big price to be obedient. But there are many instances where I was rebellious, undermined my authorities, and became stubborn about following their instructions. This is something that I cannot allow in my character at all. I cannot minimize it. I must be aware when I’m rationalizing my motives and actions. I need to move and act inside the boundaries of divine direction given through spiritual authorities.
PRAYER
Dear Heavenly Father, please forgive me for all the times when I walked in rebellion and stubbornness. Please clean my heart and change it. Make it so sensitive to these two menaces. Help me to resist them with everything I have. Make me humble so I can follow instructions flawlessly and help me to be submitted to your ideas, not the good ideas of someone else of myself. Amen.
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