For the past couple weeks, the story of Samuel and Saul in 1 Samuel 15 has come up repeatedly. The phrase “obedience is better than sacrifice”, has been hitting my spirit intensely. As with anything in the Bible, there is something God wants you to learn through this story.
Here are some bullet points for you:
- Verse 3: Saul received specific instruction from God that was delivered through Samuel. The instruction was to go and “completely destroy” the entire Amalekite Nation. In other words, nothing was to be spared.
- Verse 7-9: Here we read that Saul did go forth to do what God said and went where God said to go. Although, Saul spared Agag (the Amalekite king) and destroyed everyone else. So, Saul spares the life of one man and on top of that Saul kept the best of the sheep goats, cattle, fat calves and the lambs. They saved the animals that was appealing to them (appealing to the eyes of man) and they destroyed only what was worthless or of poor quality (according to the to the wisdom and eyes of man).
- Verse 10-23: Here we see that Saul gets to experience the consequence of his own choices. Samuel asked Saul why he rushed for the plunder and do what is evil in Gods sight. Sauls action to disobey was called evil. Saul goes on to explain why he spared those animals.
- Verse 22: Samuel spoke straight forward to Saul. He made it clear that obedience to the voice of God is more pleasing to Him than our burnt offerings and sacrifices. He also told Saul that submission is better than offering the fat of rams.
- Verse 23: Samuel continues and tells Saul that rebellion is equally sinful as witchcraft and that stubbornness is just as bad as worshipping idols. This verse is where Sauls consequence to his choice to disobey Gods command is announced. God takes away Sauls position of being the chosen and anointed king.
- Verse 24: Saul admits that he has sinned by disobeying God’s commands and Samuel’s instruction. Saul goes on to say that he was afraid of his own men and did what they wanted instead.
The instruction God gave to Saul was clearly disobeyed. Saul did go where God said to go and did what God said to do BUT he made some deviations to the order God gave him. It was through his own flesh, wisdom, and understanding that Saul not only made those decisions but also initially justified them. Saul’s intention with the animals was to let his men offer them as a sacrifice to God as they wanted. Although, this was not part of the instructions given to him. Remember, God’s very instruction was for Saul to completely destroy the Amalekite nation. Saul was in a battle of either surrendering to the reverent fear of God and fear of man. God chose and anointed Saul as a leader for that time to lead out a plan that God spoke. It was King Sauls job, as an appointed leader to carry out the instructions given by God through Samuel.
In this same way, you, the people of God, tend to make decisions within the instruction given to you by God through your own knowledge, understanding and wisdom. You, the people of God, do face the battle between obeying what God said and being afraid of what people might say or think about you. In the midst of the pressure, you forget who you are and to whom you belong to. In the midst of the pressure you, forget that there are consequences to your actions. It is vital that you recognize and weigh out what is at stake before making any decision.
Gods ways and thoughts are higher than yours. He can see everything that you cannot see. You cannot overrule God’s direction and instructions given to you by just changing a couple things within it on your own; with the intention of justifying it, in hopes it will satisfy God. By making a decision like this is equivalent to us saying, “God my way is better”. By making a decision like this, knowing what God spoke to you, takes you to a dangerous place of saying, “God will give me grace.” Stop abusing His grace O people of God!
Obedience to God is a must. When He gives you, people of God, an instruction, it needs to be followed all the way and His way. You cannot change the given instruction(s). So, you don’t know what to do in a situation and ask God to release strategies and/or His plan and then you have the nerve to just go and change what He spoke? He is God, the Creator and King over all creation. How do you tend to think you are better than Him and know more than Him?
Obedience to God is a key in your walk with God along with submission, humility and full surrender before Him. Again I say, choose this day whom you serve! It all winds down to LOVE! Do you truly love Him—Elohim—I AM—Yahweh?
“Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with
all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.”
-Matthew 22:37
What this means for you right now:
In the season that completed at the end of September 2021, you may have suddenly found yourself in another level of shaking. This was God working in your life on shaking the remnants of anything unshakable that may have remained in you of the old land and of the old wine. You need to understand that in and through this season, God is now releasing His people to now walk into a flow of promises becoming physically manifested. Anything of the old is to be left behind and not brought into the new flow. Just flow in His flow. This flow is already here. As this flow has started to trickle in, you may be experiencing a battle over the territory that you are taking and gaining ground in. Stand firm!
I see a dam that has started to crack and some of the water is coming through. A trickle of the flow has already started. As some of the water is making it through, the pressure that is built up behind that dam is causing the rest of the wall to crack. Can you hear the sounds? I can hear the sounds of the wall cracking. Anytime now, that wall is going to burst and suddenly that water is going to gush through! So hang on, you’re being prepared for that flow that is coming suddenly any moment now.
The wall of Jericho is about to come down completely! That which was meant to keep you out and away from your territory will be used to get you into your expanded territory and into the place that God has specifically prepared for you.
You are in a transition to walk into the physical manifestations of the promises God has gave you. You are about to see the physically manifested fruits of your obedience to God over the years. Nothing was in vain! You are about to see it! For Behold, He does a new thing! Do you not perceive it? (Isaiah 43:18-19)
For Those Specifically Called to This Hour:
You are moving into a new land and territory that is also expanded land. This is a warning to you to walk in wholly surrender, in humility before God, fear of God, loving Him with all your heart, soul and mind. You need to understand that anything of the old wine and old land will not work in the new wine flow and the new land. It has to be obedience to God on all directions and even HOW He says to do it. As you move in obedience to God, which may be against the grain of everything and everyone you know, He will continue to do His part. It is OK to go against the grain. You are called out of this world, you are not of it. You are an ambassador of the Kingdom of Heaven who was hand picked and prepared for such a time as this!!
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world,
but let God transform you into a new person by changing
the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you,
which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
-Romans 12:2
“13 Mordecai sent this reply to Esther: “Don’t think for a moment that
because you’re in the palace you will escape when all other Jews are killed.
14 If you keep quiet at a time like this, deliverance and relief for the Jews
will arise from some other place, but you and your relatives will die.
Who knows if perhaps you were made queen for just such a time as this?
-Esther 4:13-14
Something to Ponder:
What decisions have you made, in the midst of receiving instructions, that were appealing to your eyes and made with your own wisdom, knowledge, understanding and/or fear of man? Ponder this with the Holy Spirit and lay down what He shows you and speaks to you.
There are only two options to every situation and circumstance: either your way or God’s way. Be watchful of being stubborn and prideful. Again I say, choose this day whom you shall serve! Choose wisely.
God bless you abundantly.
