Fellowship is Good

obedience is better

Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 13

I hope you read 1 Kings 13 yesterday. If you didn’t, go ahead and do so now. It will help you understand what I’m saying here.

When the old prophet deceives the younger prophet into coming to his home for a meal, it seems that these men were drawn to each other out of a desire for fellowship. They were both prophets who lived during a time of national spiritual and moral decline. Spending time with another man who has the same kind of calling and the same perspective on life is something they both would have longed to do.

Fellowship is not just a church potluck. Fellowship can happen at a church potluck, but it is not a church potluck. Fellowship is the coming together of people. It is the sharing of life with one another. It is the strength we draw from being with, talking with, and praying with people who share our beliefs, convictions, and values, and who want the things we want out of life. Fellowship is like walking a lonely road and finding a fellow traveler whose destination is the same as ours. It is finding we aren’t, after all, walking the road alone, but have a companion to share in the burdens and joys of the journey.

Fellowship is good. But obedience is better. Nothing trumps obedience. Saul had to learn this lesson too. He was waiting around for Samuel and became concerned he wasn’t going to show. He took it on himself to take the role of priest and prophet as if being given the kingship wasn’t enough. After Samuel shows up and figures out Saul had been disobedient, he says that famous line, “To obey is better than sacrifice.”

Samuel wasn’t saying, “sacrifice is bad.” He was saying sacrifice is no replacement for obedience. Whatever you want to measure it against, obedience is better. It is better than fellowship. It is better than sacrifice. It is better than giving. It is better than praying. It is better than doing nice things for others. Again, I’m not saying that those things are bad. They aren’t. They are good.

Obedience is better.