1 Samuel 15:1-3 Then Samuel said to Saul, “The LORD sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel; now therefore, listen to the words of the LORD. “Thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt. ‘Now go and strike Amalek and utterly destroy all that he has, and do not spare him; but put to death both man and woman, child and infant, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’”
God gave an instruction to Saul through Samuel - the King was to war against Amalek and utterly destroy its inhabitants. King Saul partially obeyed this instruction of the Lord. He did go to war against the Amalekites, but refused to utterly destroy its inhabitants - 1 Samuel 15:7-9 So Saul defeated the Amalekites, from Havilah as you go to Shur, which is east of Egypt. He captured Agag the king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to destroy them utterly; but everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.
We cannot, and must not choose which commands and laws of God we want to obey and which ones we want to disregard. God does not mince words. Whatever He tells us is for a very good reason. He seeks the heart that will totally worship and obey Him in spirit and in truth. God is looking for men and women who seek Him whole heartedly, not half heartedly. King Saul decided on which of God's directions he wanted to follow, and which ones he wanted to discard, as though God was not wise enough to give those specific instructions. God was not amused. Saul acted as if he needed to assuage God on half obeying Him, thus sacrificed to Him some of the animals he was meant to destroy.
The impudence! King Saul was indirectly mocking God, maybe that was not his intention, but to sacrifice to God what He has specifically asked you to destroy is untenable. Does God seek our sacrifices, even when we do not obey Him? Is God in dire need of our praises, even when we deliberately live in sin? Can we pacify God with our offerings , when we are not willing to change our hearts?
Your obedience or sacrifice? Which one is God after?
WHAT IS NEXT?
