Thursday, October 11, 2012

Questions, Questions, Questions

Today's question is one that Samuel asked Saul in 1 Samuel 15:22: "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?"

In this situation Saul had disobeyed the Lord's command about destroying all of the cattle of a conquered people. Saul was the king and Samuel was a prophet of the Lord. Saul had been told to destroy all of the herds and flocks of the Amalekites. Saul's excuse for disobeying was that he kept some alive so that he could offer them as sacrifices to the Lord.

Don't we often do similar things? We rationalize what God has commanded and try to adjust it to what we think we should do in order to side-step the direct command of God.

Samuel's answer to his own question is helpful for all of us to consider: "Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft and presumption is as iniquity and idolatry."

Rebellion is a serious thing to God and rebellion doesn't require shaking a fist in God's face. Rebellion is as simple as just not doing what God asks us to do.

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