In Psalms, chapter forty, verse six, the psalmist understood that the sacrifices and symbolic rituals required by God in His law were inadequate by themselves and were no substitute for genuine commitment and obedience from the heart, as in First Samuel fifteen, verse twenty-two, Isaiah one, verses eleven through seventeen, Jeremiah seven, verses twenty-two through twenty-three, and Micah six, verses six through eight. Obedience to God’s Word from the heart is better than any outward worship, service, or personal sacrifice. Saul’s sin was placing his conception of what was right above Biblical revelation. This sin of disobedience will be the focal point of the final apostasy predicted for the period before Jesus returns to the earth, as in Matthew twenty-four, verses eleven, and verse twenty-four, Second Thessalonians two, verses nine to twelve, Second Timothy four, verses three to four, and Second Peter two, respectively. Worship, praise, prayer, spiritual gifts, and service to God are hollow in His sight if not accompanied by explicit obedience to Him and His Word, as in Isaiah fifty-eight, verse two, Isaiah fifty-nine, verse two, and First Corinthians thirteen.
Likewise, the New Testament believer may participate in water baptism, the Lord’s Supper, acts of worship, or songs of praise without a heart truly devoted to God and the commandments of his Word. No religious ritual can compensate for the absence of the obedience that comes from faith, as in Romans one, verse five.
The importance of obedience is an example of The man of God from Judah in First Kings thirteen, verse nine, “For so was it charged me by the word of the LORD, saying, Eat no bread, nor drink water, nor turn again by the same way that thou camest.” However, he receives testing in verse eight, “And the man of God said unto the king, If thou wilt give me half thine house, I will not go in with thee, neither will I eat bread nor drink water in this place.” Later, the man of God fails to sustain the Word he received from God even though he was lied to: he paid with his life.
The moral of this example is that many receive a Word from God through scripture or a faithful servant and even get confirmation but do not follow through and miss the opportunity to experience a great reward from God. Sometimes, God will even bring instruction through a loved one. The message fits the situation we are experiencing right now. The problem is that many do not walk the righteous path because we choose our way of doing things, failing to listen to those we feel are correct, and not checking with God and His Word and following an unknown path that leads to disaster. Sacrifice is going our way, offering is following God’s way.