Halfhearted Devotion

“But Samuel replied, ‘Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings 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
 

There is an inherent struggle that humanity grapples with every day: the desire to obscure, or disobey, the expressed will of God. We do not always start out with this unholy objective, but one way or another we usually find ourselves trying to reinterpret and reapply a divine doctrine that God has clearly articulated. This is sometimes referred to as halfhearted devotion. Our initial steps may be God-centered but somewhere along life’s path our heart becomes mired in self-centered pursuits, which causes us to veer away from the straight and narrow, spiritually-speaking. A fitting example of halfhearted devotion is found in the biblical example of King Saul, Israel’s first royal leader.

Last week we reviewed the setting in which the Hebrew people embarked upon the establishment of a civil governance structure. Samuel the priest attempted to dissuade his kinsmen from this danger-filled direction, but his warnings fell on deaf ears. The Israelites were bound and determined to behave and function just like all their neighboring countries. Their fellow nations had kings so the Hebrew people wanted to resemble them. The primary problem is that all the other nations were pagan and displayed no reverence for God. In effect, they were seeking to supplant God’s rule for the reign of man. Therefore, the Israelites were unknowingly charting a course for chaos, catastrophe, and carnality.    

Even though the shameful quest of the Hebrew people likely wounded God, since it was counter to His authoritative design for His followers, He granted the people their request for a king. In 1 Samuel 10:1 Saul, a Benjamite, was anointed by Samuel as king over Israel. While there were some noble qualities that Saul possessed it was his propensity for willingly choosing to reject God’s instruction and replace it with his own that ultimately undid his legacy. For example, in 1 Samuel 13 Saul formally led his army in burnt and fellowship offerings, a right that was reserved for the priests. And in 1 Samuel 15 Saul set up a monument in his own honor, clearly dishonoring God’s command to have no other gods before Him. Offense after offense made a compelling case for Saul’s removal as leader over the Hebrew people. 

And so God did eventually determine that Saul’s ancestors would not retain the privilege of reigning over the Israelites. The rebuke that Samuel gave Saul in 1 Samuel 15:22-24 is a message that resonates to every generation of God’s believers. Sacrifice means nothing without obedience. In other words, ritualistic acts are just that if there is no admiration for God embedded in the heart of the ones engaging in the ritualistic acts. Saul was called out for his continual exhibition of spiritual duplicity. On the surface, he appeared to be praising God by going through the motions of worship. But on the inside his inner thoughts were not focused on the Lord.

Saul sought the respect of the nation, but did not respect the benevolent hand of God. His casual and careless attitude toward worship cost him dearly. It is crucial that the followers of God guard the intentions of the heart. It is not enough to honor God partially, or even mostly. We need to honor Him wholeheartedly. God’s love does not go halfway and neither should our obedience. We need to give an all-out kind of effort.

 
In the end, Saul’s kingly rule reveals that halfhearted devotion is total disobedience. And God deserves better than that. He deserves our best. He deserves everything we can give. Our commitment should be genuine, sincere, and unwavering. Anything less is halfhearted devotion and halfhearted devotion does not bring glory to the God of heaven and earth.