But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams.Samuel said, “Has Yahweh as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying Yahweh’s voice? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.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.And Samuel said, Hath Jehovah as great delight in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of Jehovah? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
3 sermons cite this verse
… first king of Israel, Saul, that is. Samuel's talking to Saul. And so Samuel said, has the Lord a great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice. See, Saul thought he could do whatever he wanted to do, and then he'll just have a sacrifice and everything's going to be okay. It was the heart that was the problem. And here, there's some of you here today, you got bad hearts. I'm not talking about physically, I'm talking about spiritually. You got bad hearts. You think you can do whatever you want and just, you know, I'll go to church on Sunday and everything will be okay. That's going to be your sacrifice. But that's not how it works. God's worried about your heart and God's giving you a warning today. Come back to him today. He's waiting on you. And here in a minute, I'm going to give you that opportunity. but Abel would give a blood sacrifice. …
… offers that's better than the presence of God directing your steps. Saul was making excuses, and in verse 22, Samuel replies to him, does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in what? As in obeying the Lord. And Samuel says, to obey is better than sacrifice. To obey is better than sacrifice. Why does God love for us to obey him? Because he loves us. Because he loves to bless our obedience. God loves it when we obey. Because every act of obedience is a demonstration of our love to the one who loved us first. God, I'm loving you by obeying. I'm loving you. It was John who said this, this is love for God. Do you want to know what love for God is? It's not just your worship, it's obedience. This is love to keep his commands. And his commands, what? They're not burdensome. For everyone born of God overcomes the world. The commands of God, they're not confining or restricting. They're freeing and they're liberating. …
2d. This spiritual priesthood offers to God the sacrifice of praise. Many of their sacrifices under the law were sacrifices of peace-offerings, which were mostly for thanksgiving and praise. But the spiritual sacrifice of the hearty and sincere praises of a saint, are more acceptable to God than all the bulls, and rams, and he-goats that they offered. The heartfelt praises of one true Christian, are of more account with God than all those two and twenty thousand oxen, and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep, which Solomon offered to God at the dedication of the temple, as a sacrifice of peace-offerings. Praise is called a sacrifice. Heb. xiii. 15. “By him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to his name.” Ps. l. 13, 14. “Will I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? Offer unto God thanksgiving, and pay thy vows unto the Most High;” ver. 23. “Whoso offereth praise, glorifieth me; and to him that ordereth his conversation aright, will I show the salvation of God;” Ps. lxix. 30, 31. “I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. This also shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.” Praises are therefore in Hosea called calves of our lips, because they are like calves offered in sacrifice; Hosea xiv. 2. “Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously; so will we render the calves of our lips.” Only true Christians offer those sacrifices. However hypocrites pretend to praise God, and to offer thanksgiving to him, yet they, being insincere, offer not sacrifices with which God is well pleased; they offer not spiritual sacrifices, and therefore they are not of the spiritual priesthood. In heaven especially are the saints a holy priesthood upon this account; whose work it is for ever to offer these sacrifices to God, who cease not day nor night to praise God and sing forth their ardent joyful hallelujahs. They sing a new song, a song that never will end, and never will grow old. …