Obedience

Obedience Is Better Than Sacrifice

And Samuel said, Hath the LORD as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.; (1Sa 15:22)
: To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.; (Pr 21:3)
: Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.; (Deuteronomy 11:1); Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you. Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you. Your eyes have seen what the LORD did because of Baalpeor: for all the men that followed Baalpeor, the LORD thy God hath destroyed them from among you. But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are alive every one of you this day.; (Deuteronomy 4:1-4)
Nothing is new since the above passages of scripture were penned. All the prophets, Jesus of Nazareth, Paul, Peter and the other writers of the New Covenant came to confirm the law, to show that God's will had not changed. In the Old Covenant, when a conscientious Israelite broke the law, he sacrificed blood (life), to God. Instead of his life being taken for his sin, a substitute life was taken. This started with Adam and Eve when God gave them bloody skins to wear after they regretted their sin of disobedience to Him. Innocent animals were slain and their blood was spilled to replace the death of the two. God cannot condone (overlook) sin, therefore life blood had to be taken. However, God, in His love for those He created in His likeness, who were each given a soul and a spirit, used an innocent creature's blood as a substitute.

When beasts that were less than perfect were sacrificed, it was a sign to God and everyone who witnessed it, that the person concerned was going through the motions of sacrifice without the remorse of having committed the sin.: The burden of the word of the LORD to Israel by Malachi. I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob's brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever. And your eyes shall see, and ye shall say, The LORD will be magnified from the border of Israel. ¶ A son honoureth his father, and a servant his master: if then I be a father, where is mine honour? and if I be a master, where is my fear? saith the LORD of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee? In that ye say, The table of the LORD is contemptible. And if ye offer the blind for sacrifice, is it not evil? and if ye offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? offer it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee, or accept thy person? saith the LORD of hosts. And now, I pray you, beseech God that he will be gracious unto us: this hath been by your means: will he regard your persons? saith the LORD of hosts. Who is there even among you that would shut the doors for nought? neither do ye kindle fire on mine altar for nought. I have no pleasure in you, saith the LORD of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand. For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye have profaned it, in that ye say, The table of the LORD is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible. Ye said also, Behold, what a weariness is it! and ye have snuffed at it, saith the LORD of hosts; and ye brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus ye brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand? saith the LORD. But cursed be the deceiver, which hath in his flock a male, and voweth, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing: for I am a great King, saith the LORD of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen.; (Malachi 1:1-14)

The Pharisees and Saducees did the same in the days of Jesus' public ministry and so it is today, when people go to church and take communion without remorse for the sins that they have committed, they heap damnation on to themselves:: Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse. For first of all, when ye come together in the church, I hear that there be divisions among you; and I partly believe it. For there must be also heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest among you. When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's supper. For in eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. What? have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? shall I praise you in this? I praise you not. For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.; (1 Corinthians 11:17-32)

You see, the law of God is still the same, Jesus, who came to replace the curse of the law with the freedom of the law confirmed it:: For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.; (Matthew 5:18.)

When He gave His life blood on the cross, He replaced the ritual of the Old Covenant with the renewing of the New Covenant. When we believe and accept that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah), when we really take Jesus Christ as our Lord, we become new creatures in Him and the old rules pass away. We are no longer under the law, the law was made for the lawless, God has placed a new heart in us and we receive the presence of the Holy Spirit within us. This is an unseen miracle and results in us learning, with time, in becoming more like Jesus:: I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching; Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality. Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits. Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men. If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.; (Romans 12:1-18); For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.; (Philippians 2:13)
This means that we shall enjoy doing God's will, if for no other reason that Jesus would like that and we love Him, He is our Lord; so the great commandment should be willingly and joyfully applied in our lives:: And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord: And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.; (Mark 12:29-32)

We will learn not to think of ourselves first, when we work at obeying the law of the land we live in, even when we know of all the graft, bribery and evil taking place in the corridors of authority, when we believe God when He says:: Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.; (Romans 12:19-21)

We should leave God to His business and do that which we know God wants of us, out of love for our Lord, spending our time thinking and doing good instead of evil. And this we shall learn when we study His word with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives within each of us.: Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things? For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ.; (2 Corinthians 2:14-17); And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:; (2 Corinthians 9:8)

When we, with the help and comfort of the Holy Spirit, do God's work in this world, we destroy the power of the god of this world, who is Satan.

Someone once stated to this writer that it was too difficult to be a disciple, with his work load and responsibilities of bringing up a family, he just didn't have the time. What he was actually saying was that God was not important enough in his life, he could give God the sacrifice of an imperfect animal, God wouldn't notice, God would accept what he was giving; namely his tithes and his work in the organisation in the church.

If you were a child of Abraham in the Old Covenant, you were driven like a donkey with the stick of the law. If you are a child of Abraham according to the New Covenant, you are led like a donkey with a carrot on a stick, a carrot of promises of rewards; but the destination is the same.

Here are some verses of scripture that are applicable to the subject at hand, please read them in context:: By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name:; (Romans 1:5); For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.; (Romans 5:19); Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?; (Romans 6:16); For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.; (Romans 16:19); But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith:; (Romans 16:26); Let your women keep silence in the churches: for it is not permitted unto them to speak; but they are commanded to be under obedience, as also saith the law.; (1 Corinthians 14:34); And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him.; (2 Corinthians 7:15); Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;; (2 Corinthians 10:5); And having in a readiness to revenge all disobedience, when your obedience is fulfilled.; (2 Corinthians 10:6); Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say.; (Philemon 1:21); Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered;; Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.; (1 Peter 1:2); And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the LORD hath said will we do, and be obedient.; (Exodus 24:7); And thou shalt put some of thine honour upon him, that all the congregation of the children of Israel may be obedient.; (Numbers 27:20); When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;; (Deuteronomy 4:30); As the nations which the LORD destroyeth before your face, so shall ye perish; because ye would not be obedient unto the voice of the LORD your God.; (Deuteronomy 8:20); Strangers shall submit themselves unto me: as soon as they hear, they shall be obedient unto me.; (2 Samuel 22:45); As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.; (Proverbs 25:12); If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:; (Isaiah 1:19); Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? did not the LORD, he against whom we have sinned? for they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient unto his law.; (Isaiah 42:24); And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.; (Acts 6:7); For I will not dare to speak of any of those things which Christ hath not wrought by me, to make the Gentiles obedient, by word and deed,; (Romans 15:18); For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.; (2 Corinthians 2:9); Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ;; (Ephesians 6:5); And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.; (Philippians 2:8); To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.; (Titus 2:5); Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things; not answering again;; (Titus 2:9); As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance:; (1 Peter 1:14)