Contemplative Bible Reading

1 Samuel 15:22-23 (New Living Translation)

22 But Samuel replied, “What is more pleasing to the Lord: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, or your obedience to his voice? Listen! Obedience is better than sacrifice, and submission is better than offering the fat of rams. 23 Rebellion is as sinful as witchcraft, and stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols. So because you have rejected the command of the Lord, he has rejected you as king.”

God is speaking to the people through the prophet Samuel. There is much in these sentences. Note the phrase, “stubbornness as bad as worshiping idols.”

Uh, perhaps there is a mistake in translation or something. Being stubborn is as bad as worshiping idols? Uh, well, there it is in black and white.

Let’s try this way of reading it. The people had a form of worship (burnt offerings and sacrifices) without true obedience and devotion. Obedience and submission were desired. The opposite cases were rebellion and stubbornness. The stubborn person offered the dead animals without anything in the heart.

The act of slaughtering animals had become an idol. The person worshiped the ceremony instead of worshiping God. This is sort of like, “I will bring home my paycheck, pay for the house, the food, the clothing, the orthodontist, and the travel soccer coach, but I won’t love my wife.” Or something like that. I will worship the duty and not love my wife.

The second way of looking at this makes some sense. Let’s not, however, disregard the first. Being stubborn is also a way of worshiping ME (I always do it my way) instead of worshiping God.