1st Samuel 15: 13-23
13 Now when Samuel reached Saul, Saul said to him, “Blessed are you of Adonai! I have carried out Adonai’s command.”
14 But Samuel said, “Then what is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen that I hear?”
15 “They brought them from the Amalekites,” Saul replied, “for the people spared the best of the sheep and oxen to sacrifice to Adonai your God—but the rest we have utterly destroyed.”
16 “Stop!” Samuel said to Saul. “Let me tell you what Adonai said to me last night.”
“Say on,” he said.
17 Then Samuel said, “Isn’t it true, though you were insignificant in your own eyes, that you were made head of the tribes of Israel? Adonai anointed you king over Israel! 18 Then Adonai sent you on a mission and said: ‘Go and utterly destroy the Amalekites, the sinners, and wage war against them until you annihilate them.’ 19 Why then did you not obey the voice of Adonai, but rushed greedily onto the spoil—doing what was evil in Adonai’s eyes?”
20 “But I did obey the voice of Adonai,” Saul said to Samuel. “I went on the mission on which Adonai sent me, and brought back Agag the king of Amalek—and utterly destroyed the Amalekites. 21 But the people took some of the spoil, sheep and oxen—the best of what was under the ban of destruction—to sacrifice to Adonai your God in Gilgal.”
22 Samuel said:
“Does Adonai delight in burnt offerings
and sacrifices
as in obeying the voice of Adonai?[a]
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
to pay heed than the fat of rams.
23 For rebellion is like the sin of divination
and stubbornness is like iniquity
and idolatry.
Since you have rejected Adonai’s word,
He has also rejected you as king.”
When Saul is is confronted about his rebellion of carrying out Adonai's command, he changes his tone, just like man in the Garden.
I did carry out Adonai's command!
To sacrifice to YOUR God. Not his God.
Just like man in the garden. The Woman YOU gave me.
No personal responsibility.
But Let's talk about the point that Abba brought to me.
22 Samuel said:
“Does Adonai delight in burnt offerings
and sacrifices
as in obeying the voice of Adonai?[a]
Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice,
to pay heed than the fat of rams.
A common saying is that Obedience is greater that Sacrifice. But just WHAT does it mean to be Obedient? That is quite the loaded question and requires a bit of research and over 1150 different bible references.
Chapter 1: Obedience - An action word
The AHLB (Ancient Hebrew Lexicon Bible) defines the word Obedience as Sh'MAh.
This word is made of (in the most common form) a Shin - Mah - Ayin.
Shin - The Teeth
Shin is the picture of the two front teeth. It means teeth, sharp, press (like when chewing and crushing food with your jaw). It can also mean two, again, both or second from the two teeth.
Mah - The waves
Mah is the picture of water that means liquid, water and sea, mighty and massive from the size of the sea and Chaos from the storms of the sea. It was also feared as an unknown place due to the vastness. Usually used in a question as in the "sense of searching for an unknown."
Ayin - The Eye
Ayin is the picture of an eye (not like the eye of ra). It represents the idea of seeing/watching and knowledge as the eye is the window of knowledge.
Put together the word for Obedience can mean Hear, obey, publish, understand, obedient, diligently, show, sound, declare, discern, noise, perceive, tell, report.
Literally: "A careful hearing of someone or something as well as responding appropriately in obedience or action. From Shin - Mah which means Listening with the breath."
It also means: "To hear as well as to respond to what is heard. Or What is heard."
It requires active listening and active response.
Chapter 2: Obedience - The Failing of Man; The Love of God
Let's look at some of the occurrences of the word OBEDIENCE.
First Occurrence - Genesis 3:8
8 And they heard the sound of Adonai Elohim going to and fro in the garden in the wind of the day. So the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of Adonai Elohim in the midst of the Tree of the garden.
The word HEARD used here is the same word for obedience. They heard the sound of Adonai and hid themselves.
Where in your life have you heard the voice of Adonai but hid yourself in shame? Where have you heard the voice of Adonai tell you something but you did what you "thought" would be righteous but was disobedient?
Repent. Ask for forgiveness and Let us start learning to run to the Lord when he calls us near. Because he loves us so much. We can be safe in his arms.
Continue to read the story of the Man and his wife in the garden. Every time you see Heard or hear it is this word.
Man blames the wife Abba gave him for the deceit and the woman blames the serpent. They are then all cursed and separated from the Garden. Man is specifically told: "Because you listened to your wife's voice and ate of the tree"...Man is told that he Shema'd to his wife's voice to eat of the tree. He heard her and obeyed her over Abba.
Where have you listened and obeyed the voice of the "enemy", when you KNOW you are in the wrong? You can listen to those you love and still not follow after Abba or what he is calling you to. Still rebellion.
Repent. Ask for forgiveness and Let us start learning to run to the Lord when he calls us near. Because he loves us so much. We can be safe in his arms.
Chapter 3: The Other 1157 Occurrences - Abba Hears and wants us to Hear
There are 1157 other occurrences from the one I quoted above. That is 1071 verses just in the Old Testament about Abba Hearing, People Hearing, People obeying.
THIS is why it is so important who you are obedient to. Who you listen to. Who you respond to. Abba, YHVH, The King of All Kings, The Lord above all Lords wants you to hear his voice. To see his face. To walk with him in the cool of the day. Are you listening to his call? Are you hearing him calling you back to him? Are you obeying what he is telling you so that it would go well with you all the days of your life? Or are you obeying other Gods?
When you follow your own selfish desires you become your own God. You are hearing and Obeying your own will. When you listen and obey what others say (outside of Godly Council) and commit Sin, you are allowing that person to sit on the throne of you heart also.
I find it highly coincidental that Genesis says Abba SPOKE everything into existence. Why does Worship and prayer out loud change the spiritual and, consequently, the physical?
Why did Jesus speak to the wind and the waves? Why did the wind and the waves hear and obey? Why do hurtful words bring death to our spirit and, consequently, our physical selves?
The natural order is to be obedient to the one who gave us life. To hear and obey.
Not out of "fear" but out of the understanding that the Lord God, YHVH, King of the Universe, calls us near. Because he loves us so much. We can be safe in his arms.
There is no fear in hearing and obeying the only one who is Good.
If the idea of being obedient to God seems off to you, Pray and ask Abba to reveal his love for you. Obedience does not come from fear but out of Love. You ask your loved ones for advice because you respect and love them (if not why ask them?). Why would listening to what Abba says be any different? He is actually Good. He wants the best for us, even though our own selfish (I.E. SINFUL) desires don't always line up.
Chapter 4: The Still Small Voice - Hearing God
John 10 : 1 -17
“Amen, amen I tell you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters through the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice. The shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
4 “When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them; and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 They will never follow a stranger, but will run away from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 Yeshua told them this parable, but they did not understand what He was telling them.
7 So Yeshua said again, “Amen, amen I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All those who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate![a] If anyone comes in through Me, he will be saved. He will come and go and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal, slaughter, and destroy. I have come that they might have life, and have it abundantly!
11 “I am the Good Shepherd.[b] The Good Shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 12 The hired worker is not the shepherd, and the sheep are not his own. He sees the wolf coming and abandons the sheep and flees. Then the wolf snatches and scatters the sheep. 13 The man is only a hired hand and does not care about the sheep.
14 “I am the Good Shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me, 15 just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father. And I lay down My life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that are not from this fold; those also I must lead, and they will listen to My voice. So there shall be one flock, one Shepherd.
17 “For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life, so that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it up again. This command I received from My Father.”
Do you know the Voice of the Good Shepherd?
Let's pray.
Pray for a deeper understanding of what it means to be obedient to Abba.
Pray for the understanding of how to flee from the stranger.
Repent for the times you have listened to the voice of the enemy and followed after his will.
Thank the Lord for the times he has snatched you out of the mouth of the wolf. (That we so willing walk towards by following the voice of the enemy.)
Thank the Lord the what the Messiah has done for us.
Pray for a better understanding of how to not lead others astray with disobedience by learning to be obedient ourselves.
Finally, Matthew 13: 10 - 17
10 Then the disciples came and said to him, “Why do you speak to them in parables?” 11 And he answered them, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. 13 This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 Indeed, in their case the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:
“‘“You will indeed hear but never understand,
and you will indeed see but never perceive.”
15 For this people's heart has grown dull,
and with their ears they can barely hear,
and their eyes they have closed,
lest they should see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, and I would heal them.’
16 But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 17 For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.