Obedience is better than Praise and Worship, Sacrifice, Dinner, Awkward Feelings, and Free Will

Obedience is better than Praise and Worship, Sacrifice,

Dinner, Awkward Feelings, and Free Will

"Because You Said So, I Will"

Obedience is better than Praise and Worship

"Because You Said So, I Will"

Uzzah was disobedient to God during praise. He touched the Ark of the Lord and for that he died.

David and all the house of Israel were praising the LORD with all manner instruments such as described in Psalm 150.

Uzzah was so caught in the praise he loss sight of his duty. Uzzah took hold of the ark of God to steady it for the oxen shook it. This angered God and God smote him there on the spot for his error and there he died by the ark of God.

David halted the Praise and Worship service immediately. What the LORD God did displeased and angered David because the Lord had made a breach upon Uzzah.

How many Times have I been displeased and angry with God? Some might think this is so minor an infraction after all he was praising God and enjoying the praise like everyone else.

Now Consider Gods position, Uzzah was not to neglect his primary responsibility even during praise and worship. He was not paying attention to his duty to the ark and forgot he was not to touch it. David was afraid of the Lord that day, and said, "How shall the ark of the Lord come to me?" The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom.

Instead David carried it aside into the house of Obededom the Gittite. And the ark of the Lord continued in the house of Obededom the Gittite three months: and the Lord blessed Obededom, and his entire household. 2 Sam 6:1-11 (KJV)

Obedience is better than Sacrifice

"Because You Said So, I Will"

God won’t receive Israel’s sacrifices/offerings anymore. God reproves, corrects, and gives instruction in righteousness to His people for doing this evil thing. God requires and expects honor and fear from His people.

God said His priests despise His name.  And the priest asks God wherein or in what particular or respect have we despised thy name? They did not know? They did not know what they were doing? Like Cain they refused to give sacrifices that were pleasing in His sight? Did they stray away from God so far that they thought their obedience to Him did not matter to them anymore. God made it plain and simple, they were evil.

God asked them, "If then I be a father, where is mine honor? And if I be a master, where is my fear?" You have despised my name by offering polluted bread upon mine altar; you say the table of the Lord is contemptible. You offer the blind for sacrifice, and offer the lame and sick. Is it not evil? Offer it to your governor, and he will not be pleased with you, or accept your person said the Lord of hosts. And he is just a man.

Who is there even among you that would shut the doors devoid of cost, reason or advantage?

Neither do you kindle fire on my altar for devoid of cost, reason or advantage. I have no pleasure in you, said the Lord of hosts, neither will I accept an offering at your hand.

For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same my name shall be great among the Gentiles; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name, and a pure offering: for my name shall be great among the heathen, said the Lord of hosts.

But His priests profaned it saying, "The table of the Lord is polluted; and the fruit thereof, even his meat, is contemptible." His priests also said, "Behold, what weariness is it!" And you have snuffed at it, said the Lord of hosts. And you brought that which was torn, and the lame, and the sick; thus you brought an offering: should I accept this of your hand, said the Lord?

But cursed be the deceiver, which has in his flock a male, and vowed, and sacrifice unto the Lord a corrupt thing. I am a great King, said the Lord of hosts, and my name is dreadful among the heathen. Mal 1:6-14 (KJV)

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar. Psalms 51:17-19 (KJV)

Obedience is better than Dinner

"Because You Said So, I Will"

Be careful of Old Prophets for they may even lie to you.

Now there dwelt an old prophet in Bethel; and his sons came and told him all the works that the man of God had done that day in Bethel: the words which he had spoken unto the king, them they told also to their father. And their father said unto them, what way went he? For his sons had seen what way the man of God went, which came from Judah.

And he said unto his sons, Saddle me the ass. So they saddled him the ass: and he rode thereon, and went after the man of God, and found him sitting under an oak: and he said unto him, art thou the man of God that camest from Judah? And he said I am. Then he said unto him, come home with me, and eat bread.

And he said, I may not return with thee, nor go in with thee: neither will I eat bread nor drink water with thee in this place: For it was said to me by the word of the Lord, Thou shalt eat no bread nor drink water there, nor turn again to go by the way that thou camest.

He said unto him, I am a prophet also as thou art; and an angel spake unto me by the word of the Lord, saying, bring him back with thee into thine house, that he may eat bread and drink water. But he lied unto him.

So he went back with him, and did eat bread in his house, and drank water. And it came to pass, as they sat at the table, that the word of the Lord came unto the prophet that brought him back: And he cried unto the man of God that came from Judah, saying, thus saith the Lord.

Forasmuch as thou hast disobeyed the mouth of the Lord, and hast not kept the commandment which the Lord thy God commanded thee, but camest back, and hast eaten bread and drunk water in the place, of the which the Lord did say to thee, eat no bread, and drink no water; thy carcase shall not come unto the sepulchre of thy fathers.

And it came to pass, after he had eaten bread, and after he had drunk, that he saddled for him the ass, to wit, for the prophet whom he had brought back. And when he was gone, a lion met him by the way, and slew him: and his carcase was cast in the way, and the ass stood by it, the lion also stood by the carcase.

And, behold, men passed by, and saw the carcase cast in the way, and the lion standing by the carcase: and they came and told it in the city where the old prophet dwelt. And when the prophet that brought him back from the way heard thereof, he said, it is the man of God, who was disobedient unto the word of the Lord: therefore the Lord hath delivered him unto the lion, which hath torn him, and slain him, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake unto him.

And he spake to his sons, saying, Saddle me the ass. And they saddled him. And he went and found his carcase cast in the way, and the ass and the lion standing by the carcase: the lion had not eaten the carcase, nor torn the ass.

1 Kings 13:11-28 (KJV)

Obedience is better than Awkward Feelings

"Because You Said So, I Will"

And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, and saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.

And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught, a catching of fish.

And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net, Because You Said So, I Will." And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.

And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes, a catching of fish, which they had taken: And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon.

And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him. Luke 5:1-11 (KJV)

Obedience is better than Free Will

"Because You Said So, I Will"

It was perhaps the hardest thing God the Father revealed to Jesus that He had to obey. Jesus left His disciples to keep watch while He talked to God the Father. After God the Father told Jesus what the final act He must perform to take away the sins of the world, Jesus there appeared beads of sweat like droplets of blood on, His forehead.

He had to face the worse and cruelest form of death in human history. It was inflicted by the Romans. He could not defend himself like a gladiator with armor, shield, and sword. But being defenseless He was obedient unto death. It was the blood of Christ the Messiah that was required of the Father that put away sin forever. And by His death was ushered in a new covenant with better promises. 

For thus Jesus Christ suffered and died as a man for us obedient to the Father. But Jesus resurrected after three days to sit on His throne next to the Father as head of the Church. God the Father and God the Son Jesus sent God the Holy Spirit to dwell in our earthly tabernacles, our bodies.

Isaiah 53:5 (KJV)
⁵  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Galatians 3:13-14 (KJV)
¹³  Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
¹⁴  That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.

Hebrews 8:6-7 (KJV)
⁶  But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises. ⁷  For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second.

Matthew 26:42 (KJV)
⁴²  He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.