Obedience is Better than Sacrifice!_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

     Saul didn’t wait for Samuel to come and offer a sacrifice before a battle but offered the sacrifice himself. This is one of the main reasons Saul lost the kingdom to David, a man after Elohim’s own heart (I Sam.15:26).  Samuel told Saul that “obedience is better than sacrifice” (v. 22).  In these days Elohim is demanding obedience to His will, despite what the circumstances may look like. Elohim called Abraham to leave his country and go into a new land (Gen. 12:1). As he got into the new land, there was a famine. He could have easily questioned what Elohim said. You see, Elohim may ask you to do something and the circumstances may seem in the natural to contradict what He said but keep on pressing. Elohim is so pleased by obedience, like a father is pleased with an obedient son or daughter. When we obey what He says, it reaffirms to Him that we know that He is our Master and we are His servants.

     We can see in Deut. Chapter 28 verse 1-14 some blessings that occur as a result of being obedient: we are blessed in the city, blessed in the country, blessed going in and blessed going out, enemies that come against us one way shall leave seven ways, Elohim will open to us His good treasure…. On the other hand we can see the curses that will occur through disobedience in verses 15-68: cursed in the city, cursed in the country, cursed going in and cursed going out, fleeing seven ways when the enemy comes……. We can see some of the blessings of obedience and the curses of disobedience!

     Here are some other benefits of obedience: In Joshua 1:8 the word says that if we meditate in His word day and night and obey His word we can be prosperous.  In Mt. 7:21 Yahshua says that we can only enter the Kingdom of Heaven if we do the will of His Father.

     Look at some examples of obedience in the word: Abraham- in Gen. 22 verses 22 and 23 Elohim asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac. Elohim prevented him from doing so, testing his obedience. As a result of his obedience, Elohim said in verse 17 and 18 that He would define blessing and multiplication by how much he blesses and multiplies him and his seed. He also said that through his seed all the nations of the earth will be blessed! Look at the result of obedience!

    Noah and his whole family got delivered from the flood because He did all that Elohim commanded (Gen.6:22). Joshua defeated all the cities around him because he obeyed Elohim by destroying everybody and everything belonging to them one city at a time (Jos. 10:37). Some of the battles only took one or two days! (verses 27 and 32). Hezekiah- in 2 Kings 18:6 the word says that he “cleaved to Yahweh and departed not from following Him, but kept his commandments, which Yahweh commanded Moses. This obedience is possibly one of the reasons why Yahweh extended his life 15 years!

     Elohim told Solomon that if he would obey Him that He would lengthen his days. So, it seems that lengthening of days could be connected to obedience! (1 Kings 3:14).  Elohim told his people at Mount Sinai that if they obeyed Him that they would be a peculiar treasure unto Him above all people! (Ex. 19:5). In Matt. 4:19 Yahshua called Andrew and Peter to follow Him and that they would be fishers of men, as a result. Yahshua demonstrated the power of His Father in Him by healing all sick people that were brought to Him! (Verse24). By following Him He was showing them that they had access to the same power. If we want Yahweh to operate more in our lives then obey Him by following Him. In Matt. 7 verses 21-29 Yahshua said that not everybody that says to Him Master, Master will enter the kingdom of heaven but only those that do the will of His Father, in heaven. He also said that many will come and say we did mighty things in His Name but He will reject them and say that He never knew them. He also said in these verses that whoever does His will is like one that builds his house on a rock and that nothing can blow him off his foundation! One of the strongest foundations we can have is obedience to Yahshua and His word.  

     In Luke 5 verse 1-9 there is an incident where Yahshua tells Simon to fish some more even after they didn’t catch anything all night. He obeyed by saying “at thy word I will let down the net.” He only let down one net and as a result the net broke and he had to call his partner and his boat. The catch was so great that both ships got filled and began to sink!

     In closing, Yahshua said in John 15:7 that if we abide in Him and His words abide in us that we can ask what we will and it shall be done for us. There is no greater joy than obeying the will of Yahshua and hearing Him say to us in heaven “well done my good and faithful servant.”