OBEDIENCE

What is God’s standard for obedience?  If God asks us to do 100 things and we do 99 of them flawlessly, is it acceptable to omit the last one.  Is God going to understand and round up?  Can your obedience to God be close enough like with horseshoes, hand grenades, and nuclear weapons?  What if you are in FAITH, attend Sunday School, and Worship Service, read your Bible daily, pray often, fast some, etc.  Surely, God understands when you talk about others, overeat, “borrow things from work”, cheat a little on taxes, or speed a little on the road!  Certainly, your service to Him offsets your small disobedience.  

Let us explore how the Bible answers this question with an Old Testament example.  Why do we have the Old Testament?

NKJ Romans 15:4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.

NKJ 1 Corinthians 10:11 Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

We can review the story of the mistakes of those that have gone before us in order to prevent them or to see how to recover from them. Furthermore, it gives us hope that if they (the ones in the Old Testament who were far from perfect) made it we can have hope of making it, too.  We call this “Operational Experience” or “Industry Events” in the Nuclear Power field.  We are constantly studying and training on the mistakes of others in order to prevent nuclear problems for you our public.  God had this valuable form of training figured out a long before us – go figure. 

Rabbit chase: Several years ago college students were asked to participate in a survey.  One of the questions was do you believe God understands radar?  Most of the students answered: NO.  Well, please explain to me how God made bats, who navigate with radar’s first cousin SONAR, failed to understand radar?  We call that “ignorance gone to seed.”

NKJ 1 Samuel 15:1 Samuel also said to Saul, "The LORD sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the LORD.

 2 "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. 3 'Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.' "

Let us look at the background on this story:

NKJ Exodus 17:1a Then all the congregation of the children of Israel set out on their journey from the Wilderness of Sin, according to the commandment of the LORD, and camped in Rephidim;

NKJ Exodus 17:8 Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses said to Joshua, "Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand." 10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses' hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. 14 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven." 15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-LORD-Is-My-Banner; 16 for he said, "Because the LORD has sworn: the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation."

NKJ Deuteronomy 25:17 " Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you were coming out of Egypt, 18 "how he met you on the way and attacked your rear ranks, all the stragglers at your rear, when you were tired and weary; and he did not fear God. 19 "Therefore it shall be, when the LORD your God has given you rest from your enemies all around, in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, that you will blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. You shall not forget.

NKJ Numbers 24:15 So he took up his oracle and said: "The utterance of Balaam the son of Beor, And the utterance of the man whose eyes are opened;

NKJ Numbers 24:20 Then he looked on Amalek, and he took up his oracle and said: "Amalek was first among the nations, But shall be last until he perishes."

The nation of Amalek was the “superpower” of that day; however, they chose to attack Israel when they were tired and weary because they did not fear God.  Therefore, our God judged it right for them to reap the utter destruction they tried to bring to Israel.

Back to the story:

NKJ 1 Samuel 15:4 So Saul gathered the people together and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah. 5 And Saul came to a city of Amalek, and lay in wait in the valley. 6 Then Saul said to the Kenites, "Go, depart, get down from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them. For you showed kindness to all the children of Israel when they came up out of Egypt." So the Kenites departed from among the Amalekites. 7 And Saul attacked the Amalekites, from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8 He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword.

 9 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 unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.

I have not been able to find an approximation of the number of people and animals slaughtered.  However, if two hundred and ten thousand soldiers attacked them it probably was at least that many and likely more (based on Israel being greatly outnumbered in their other battles).  Saul, after killing tens of thousands of men, women, children, and animals, felt justified in saving a token king.  Surely, he had accomplished the intent of God’s command – the destruction of the Amalekite nation.  So what could be wrong in saving one man?  What a trophy the king would make in his court.

10 Now the word of the LORD came to Samuel, saying, 11 "I greatly regret that I have set up Saul as king, for he has turned back from following Me, and has not performed My commandments." And it grieved Samuel, and he cried out to the LORD all night.

Here is wisdom: do not bring the Word of God to someone in confrontation until you are able to weep all night for him or her.  The motive of your heart must never be to destroy but rather reconciliation, if that is at all possible.

12 So when Samuel rose early in the morning to meet Saul, it was told Samuel, saying, "Saul went to Carmel, and indeed, he set up a monument for himself; and he has gone on around, passed by, and gone down to Gilgal." 13 Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed are you of the LORD! I have performed the commandment of the LORD." 14 But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?" 15 And Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; and the rest we have utterly destroyed."

Ever been caught lying about eating cookies with cookie crumbs on your mouth?

16 Then Samuel said to Saul, "Be quiet! And I will tell you what the LORD said to me last night." And he said to him, "Speak on." 17 So Samuel said, "When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not the LORD anoint you king over Israel?

Many have been called while “little in their own eyes”; however, the Lord’s blessing causes them to become puffed up with pride.  They leave their first love and think to please God in their ability.  Arrogance blinds one from ignorance.

18 "Now the LORD sent you on a mission, and said, 'Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed.' 19 "Why then did you not obey the voice of the LORD? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of the LORD?" 20 And Saul said to Samuel, "But I have obeyed the voice of the LORD, and gone on the mission on which the LORD sent me, and brought back Agag king of Amalek; I have utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21 "But the people took of the plunder, sheep and oxen, the best of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice to the LORD your God in Gilgal." 22 Then Samuel said: "Has 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 heed than the fat of rams. 23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, And stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He also has rejected you from being king." 24 Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned, for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD and your words, because I feared the people and obeyed their voice. 25 "Now therefore, please pardon my sin, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD." 26 But Samuel said to Saul, "I will not return with you, for you have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you from being king over Israel." 27 And as Samuel turned around to go away, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. 28 So Samuel said to him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you. 29 "And also the Strength of Israel will not lie nor relent. For He is not a man, that He should relent." 30 Then he said, "I have sinned; yet honor me now, please, before the elders of my people and before Israel, and return with me, that I may worship the LORD your God." 31 So Samuel turned back after Saul, and Saul worshiped the LORD. 32 Then Samuel said, "Bring Agag king of the Amalekites here to me." So Agag came to him cautiously. And Agag said, "Surely the bitterness of death is past." 33 But Samuel said, "As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women."

And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before the LORD in Gilgal.

This is one of my favorite verses in the Bible.  The zeal of Samuel to do God’s will no matter the cost.  The man who wept all night for Saul is now butchering Agag before the Lord and Saul.  Saul claimed to bring back sacrifices for the Lord and Samuel prepared the first one – Agag!

34 Then Samuel went to Ramah, and Saul went up to his house at Gibeah of Saul. 35 And Samuel went no more to see Saul until the day of his death. Nevertheless Samuel mourned for Saul, and the LORD regretted that He had made Saul king over Israel.

NKJ 1 Samuel 16:1 Now the LORD said to Samuel, "How long will you mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go; I am sending you to Jesse the Bethlehemite. For I have provided Myself a king among his sons."

While we look at the number of times we have obeyed God, He is looking at those times we fail to obey Him.  How many sins kept Moses out of the Promised Land even after his daring rescue of the Israelite hostages?  Only one (see Numbers 20:10-12).

What about this couple in the New Testament?

NKJ Acts 5:1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession. 2 And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3 But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself? 4 "While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God." 5 Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things.6 And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him. 7 Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 And Peter answered her, "Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?" She said, "Yes, for so much." 9 Then Peter said to her, "How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out." 10 Then immediately she fell down at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband. 11 So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things.

They gave most of the money to the Lord.  However, they kept back part of the money but claimed to give it all.  That means they gave a lot of money to the church.  God is not measuring your obedience by what you do but rather what you fail to do.  God is not measuring your spiritual maturity by those areas in which you have matured but rather in the areas you have not.

Here is an example of someone who completed her obedience.

NKJ Mark 12:41 Now Jesus sat opposite the treasury and saw how the people put money into the treasury. And many who were rich put in much. 42 Then one poor widow came and threw in two mites, which make a quadrans. 43 So He called His disciples to Himself and said to them, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; 44 "for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood."

God measures your giving not by what you give but what you keep!  The widow kept nothing.

God measures your obedience not by what you do but what you fail to do!

NKJ 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.