Obedience is Better Than Sacrifice
Thursday, November 2
2 Chronicles 26:17-19 (NKJV)
“So Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him were eighty priests of the LORD—valiant men. And they withstood King Uzziah, and said to him, “It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the LORD, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed! You shall have no honor from the LORD God.” Then Uzziah became furious; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the house of the LORD, beside the incense altar.”
Devotion
In 2 Chronicles 26:17-19, we read the story of King Uzziah. Uzziah was a good king in many ways, but he let his pride get the best of him. He went into the temple of the Lord and tried to burn incense on the altar of incense. However, this was a task that was reserved for the priests. When the priests confronted Uzziah, he became angry and refused to listen to them. As a result, Uzziah was struck with leprosy. This story is a reminder that obedience to God is better than any sacrifice we can offer.
Uzziah may have thought that he was doing something good by burning incense on the altar, but he was disobeying God's commands. As a result, he was punished. Samuel told Saul obedience is better than sacrifice (1 Samuel 15:22). Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous (Hebrews 11:4). Ananias and Sapphira were struck dead for trying to deceive God by keeping part of the money they had made from selling their land (Acts 5:3-4). These stories teach us that we should always obey God's commands, even when it is difficult. Furthermore, we should also be doers of the word, not just hearers (James 1:22). Before engaging in anything, even if we have pure intentions, we should seek and depend on the will of God (Proverbs 3:5-6), asking Him to guide our steps so that we can offer sacrifices that are sweet and pleasing to Him (Romans 12:1-2).
Today’s Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father,
I thank You for Your Word speaking to my heart today. Help me to trust and obey. Of all the things Scripture tells me to do, show me Your top three priorities for my life right now. Likewise, of all the things I do that are sinful, show me Your top three priorities for confession and repentance. Keep my heart soft before You and reveal Your will to me through Scripture, through the Holy Spirit, through wise counsel, and through circumstance. Help me to hear and obey. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen
Apply It Today
Be still and let the Holy Spirit answer today’s prayer for you. Let God show you His priorities for you at this time. When you realize God’s priorities for confession and repentance, follow through quickly. When you realize God’s priorities for obedience, consider and follow through on how to refocus your “sacrifice” for God to align with his priorities for you at this time.
Resources
- Be encouraged to walk in complete obedience to God, by listening to this short clip from the message, “Obedience is Better than Sacrifice.”
- Read about king Uzziah’s faithful and blessed life up to his point of disobedience, in 2 Chronicles 26:1-23.