Obedience or Sacrifice

"Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams."
1 Samuel 15:22

The Bible was written entirely by Jews. It was written from a unique perspective that few of us have today. After Adam and Eve fell into sin, it became necessary for man to seek atonement for their sins. So God instituted an elaborate system of sacrifices. The priests would offer these animal sacrifices to the Lord. There were specific rules which governed every step of the sacrificial ceremony.
    Even in the days of the Old Testament, God desired obedience above sacrifice. He spoke to the Israelites through the prophet Samuel, who told them that obedience to the voice of God was much better than sacrifices. This is a concept that I have struggled to understand over the course of my Christian life. After all, it was God who instituted the sacrifices. It was necessary to, in effect, postpone the sins of the people until Christ could make the ultimate sacrifice and atone for the sins of all people, those who lived before and after his death. I think I understand the oracle a little better now, as I attempt to apply the truth to my own life.
    Sacrifice is generally my attempt to satisfy God. I think; Maybe if I sacrifice something like eating my favorite food, or watching my favorite sport, or participating in my favorite activity, God will approve and I will draw closer to him. Sometimes I act on these thughts and sometimes I do not. But sacrifice is birthed out of my own insecurities. It is a default. If I am not actively in relationship and communication with him, I resort to these kinds of things to attempt to grow. But there is a much better way.
    Obedience is simply responding to what God asks me to do. When I go before the Lord and honestly tell him exactly where I am in my life, he responds by speaking back to me. I say, "God, this is what I have to offer now. I can do this much, I have this much faith, I love you this much." And he responds, "Barry, if this is true, this is what I require of you." At that point, I become responsible to obey the voice of the Lord and do what he tells me to do. When I accomplish that, I go to him again, tell him exactly where my spiritual life is, and he responds by telling me what he requires of me. It is in this way that I grow in relationship with God.
    So take an honest look at your own life. Go before God and tell him what your level of commitment is. I promise you that he will speak to you and tell you things that you can do for him within your spiritual capabilities. When you reach a greater place of faith and obedience, talk to him again, listen to hear what he says and obey that. It is in this way that you will grow in your lifelong Christian experience. You can choose to sacrifice, but you will live a life of continual striving to please God. It is much easier and satisfying to be honest with God and then obey what he says. So I say that I agree with Samuel; to obey is definitely better than sacrifice.