I Samuel 15:15
‘Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites, for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen, to sacrifice to the LORD your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed.”’
Samuel challenged Saul’s comment that he obeyed the Lord by asking why he kept the animals. Saul answered by saying that he did it for the Lord. Several verses later Samuel will say, “Has the LORD as much 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”, (v. 22). Giving doesn’t erase disobedience.
I’m reminded of unscrupulous individuals getting praise from religious leaders for the large donations given. Jesus demonstrated one of his strongest rebukes when he called out those who were selling things in the temple court.
Jesus explained how He feels about obedience in John 14:23, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make Our home with him.” I wouldn’t have equated obedience with love. The word obedience implies theres a struggle between opposing drives. Some would question the depth of love if there’s a competing desire. Not so. The fact that the individual chooses obedience, the Lord not only approves, but rewards that person with His company and blessing.
This fact is very freeing. We are a complicated mix of wants. It’s not wrong to have them, but only to act on them. The Lord’s great love is demonstrated by His understanding. We come to Him knowing we have these wrong thoughts. He doesn’t reject us, but rewards us for not acting on them.
I want to differentiate obsessive thoughts that we aren’t able to get rid of from willing wrong thoughts that we choose to dwell on. The first type is the one that the Lord provides mercy. The second one is sin. I John 4:20 shares a thought that isn’t tolerated, ‘If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.”‘ The Lord wants us to love everyone. Some make it more difficult.
Paul speaks of parts of his inner life that is tolerated in Romans 7:24,25, “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.” His frustration is so great that he cries out in verse 24. But the next verse shares the truth that we will always have struggles. A few verses later Paul says “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” The Lord is merciful with this part of Paul’s inner life.
What’s the difference between wrong thoughts (and behavior) that are excused and those that aren’t? It’s our attitude. Are we providing a welcome home to the thoughts or are we trying to eliminate them. In Romans 7, Paul shares his frustration in seeking to evict some of his behavior. He clearly wants it gone. This is contrasted with the I John passage in which the individual hates his brother. We all struggle with forgiveness. When we aren’t attempting to forgive is when it’s a problem.
This internal struggle is our attempt at obedience. Saul may have had it in today’s verse. He was given the command to utterly defeat the Amalekites and to bring back nothing. However, when some of his army brought back some sheep, he may have shared his opposition. That’s the good struggle. Saul’s men may have given the excuse, “We will use the sheep for sacrifices.” This may have been the rationale for disobedience.
There is no excuse to disobey. We need to repent and move on. Stay with the struggle. Lord, help us to obey. Thank You that You are merciful with our difficulties. Thank You also for the forgiveness You provide when we fall short.