Obedience

Dear Friend, 
How are you? Hope you’re well.

Last week, I listened to Pastor John Fenn’s teaching on the book of Samuel. He talked about King Saul’s story of disobedience. And he quoted the famous verse that Samuel said to him, “Obedience is better than sacrifice.” And he shared a story of one of his students in his bible school long time ago. (I paraphrase from my recollection.) She came to him and said that she had been led by the Holy Spirit to work in nursery on Sundays. But, she was offered by the head of usher team to join the usher team. And she wanted to do that. Being an usher appealed to her ego. She would wear a jacket, a badge and so on. She would pull people out of the room, if they made noise. And people would see her. But, working in nursery is not seen by the people, and she should change dirty diapers, etc. So, Pastor John said to her, “Obedience is better than sacrifice.” And her eyes widened, as if she realized the Words speaks to her personally. And he believed she did obey since then.
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It reminded me of what Eugene Peterson wrote in a chapter titled “Work (David and Saul)” in his book, Leap over a Wall:
“… but in each instance Samuel confronted Saul with an act of disobedience against God that took place in the course of carrying out the work (1 Sam. 13:13 and 15:19). Neither act of disobedience appeared sinful. Neither involved immorality or injustice. Both of them made perfect sense in terms of military strategy; in fact, both acts were dictated by good military strategy.
Both acts of disobedience involved, interestingly and most significantly, worship. …But Saul was quite ready to side with the people in letting them worship God on their terms rather than on God’s terms. Even though it appeared that the worship of God motivated these actions, they weren’t primarily concerned with God but were motivated by Saul’s concern with the people - in the first instance, to keep them united and focused; in the second instance, to keep them happy. The people loomed large in Saul’s considerations, far larger than God. Saul was, it seems, trying to do good work, and he saw bringing God in as a way to do good work, be a good king. But “bringing God in” reversed reality. Saul was treating God as a means, as a resource. And God will not be used. …
Because work originates in God’s word and action and so readily and obviously expresses God, it also constitutes our chief area of temptation. When we’re working well, doing good work, we’re truly godlike. It isn’t much of a step to thinking ourselves gods. But if we are gods, we don’t need God, or at least don’t need him very much. The sin of Saul took place in the midst of doing good work. Saul was ruined as a God-anointed king in the course of doing his God-appointed work. Work is a far more common source of temptation than sex. Later in the David story we’ll come upon David’s sexual temptation and subsequent adultery. But David’s sexual sin wasn’t nearly as disastrous as Saul’s work sin.”   

Friend, I hope Eugene’s insight is eye-opening. Two years back, during my prayers, I realized that I had taken a mistake in discerning the Father’s will for me over the past few years. I think I wrote it here in one of my previous blogs. I always thought I must do something for God financially and do some work to help others. Doesn’t it sound good? But, His will for me wasn’t there. He doesn’t need my money, as He is Maker of all things, and He is our Provider. He wouldn’t need my work to get things done. He has myriads of angels. I do not mean that we may live a selfish life. Not at all. It’s always key to know His will and work on His terms, not on our terms. Perhaps that work may not even look like work.
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Imagine the 40 years Moses spent, herding sheep. He must have been a shepherd at my age, unobtrusive. 40 years… We may be used to thinking of Moses as a leader who led the Israelite to cross the Red Sea or who received the Ten Commandments from God firsthand. But he had to spend a third of his life, 40 years, not 4 years, as a shepherd. But he was in His perfect will for him at that time. We also know another shepherd, who was after the Father’s heart and later became a king. And our King, our Lord Jesus lived unobtrusively for 30 years, before He started His ministry. Not 3 years like Paul had to spend in Arabia, but 30 years. I believe decades of our lives here on earth would be apprenticeship to rule and reign with our King later in Millennium. And the apprenticeship may not look like what we think it should be. Hidden, ordinary, long-suffering and obeying. And His Kingdom would be literally Kingdom, I believe. So, we obey our King now and forever.

Perhaps you might have felt led by the Holy Spirit to something you’ve thought as insignificant. Perhaps something that anybody would do in daily life. Being a parent, being a spouse, praying and worshiping Him in a secret place. No matter how it looks, obedience is better than sacrifice. I pray that you and I know He is our God and King and we are not. We serve and worship Him on His terms.

Have a bliss!
Julie

And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the Lord your God, which He commanded you. For now the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.” (1 Samuel 13:13~14)