16 Thus says the Lord,
“Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths,
Where the good way is, and walk in it;
And you will find rest for your souls.
But they said, ‘We will not walk in it.’
17 “And I set watchmen over you, saying,
‘Listen to the sound of the trumpet!’
But they said, ‘We will not listen.’
18 “Therefore hear, O nations,
And know, O congregation, what is among them.
19 “Hear, O earth: behold, I am bringing disaster on this people,
The fruit of their [o]plans,
Because they have not listened to My words,
And as for My law, they have rejected it also.
20 “For what purpose does frankincense come to Me from Sheba
And the [p]sweet cane from a distant land?
Your burnt offerings are not acceptable
And your sacrifices are not pleasing to Me.”21 Therefore, thus says the Lord,
“Behold, I am [q]laying stumbling blocks before this people.
And they will stumble against them,
Fathers and sons together;
Neighbor and [r]friend will perish.”
This passage has a familiar theme, in among the rebellion of Israel (v. 17) and the punishment to ensue (v. 21). At first God tells them to walk in “the good way”, but they refuse. He sends “watchmen” also to tell them the right way, and the won’t listen. So God promises disaster because they have rejected His law.
Yet in v. 20 we see what is likely a response to some of their arguments. Some said, “Hey God, we offer burnt offerings of really nice stuff: frankincense imported all the way from Sheba, and even sugar cane from a distant land! Don’t you like that?” And just like Samuel told Saul centuries before, “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.”
So God confirms this in v. 20, that their burnt offerings and sacrifices are unacceptable and worthless. We might be tempted to think, “Wow, what a poor sport! Just because they won’t do things God’s way, He throws a fit…” Maybe so, perhaps the Israelites found a better way than what God gave them…
Yet that misses a very important point, because God is very practical in His dealings with us. God gave them instructions because that was what was best for them. All through the books of the law, we see time and again how much God cared for His people, to think of every little detail so they could live the best life possible.
It is the same with this very fundamental principle, that God would rather we obey than sacrifice a thousand cows. God would rather we live life according to His instructions than donate a million dollars to charity. Both are great, fantastic even, but why does God prefer the former? Because it is best for us. There might be more to it on a spiritual level, but it all comes down to the same thing. Plain and simple, God desires that which is best for us: physically, emotionally, and especially spiritually.
So many times we argue and question, we try to rationalize, much like the Israelites, “Hey God, I think I found a better way! You don’t mind if I do this my way, do you?” We need to stop, put aside our arrogance and admit the simple truth. God’s way is better. Stand firm on that fact, He is our rock, a firm foundation, the only one that cannot be shaken. His way is our best.