The Priority of Obedience by Fred G. Zaspel
We all know the story. King Saul was commanded to take no spoil from the Amalekites but to destroy everything, including even the animals. When the prophet Samuel discovered the many animals Saul had kept for his own use he roundly condemned him for his disobedience. King Saul attempted to justify his actions by saying he had kept the best of the animals in order to use them for sacrifice offerings to God. Unimpressed, Samuel speaks for God: “To obey is better than sacrifice.” And as a result of Saul’s “rejection” of God, God rejected Saul—his throne would be taken away and given to another.