Jeremiah 7
22 For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices:
23 But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.
1 Samuel 15
22 And Samuel said, Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of rams.
Micah 6
Wherewith shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
Deuteronomy 10
12 And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,
God is not interested in offering and sacrifice but He wants His people to obey His voice. People are often busy with outward things like activities for God but God wants that we obey Him and His word.
We often use our traditions to excuse plain obedience to God. An attitude of “I know better” than God results in losing out on revival, because God’s thoughts are not our thoughts. Why argue with God when you should just say “have your own way, Lord”?
If there was a special diet that would give 10 extra years of life we would all adopt it immediately. Any new remedy or diet that comes our way is easily obeyed though it is “the tradition of men”. We should rather “diet sin” and be obedient to God’s Holy Spirit. He doesn’t want our sacrifices; just childlike obedience.
When God’s Holy Spirit was poured out in revival we forgot about the past and got busy with God in the present tense. In revival we are constantly renewed. Every time we read the Bible, or pray, or listen to a message, it must be fresh, new and instantly obeyed. Even as we drink from the Lord we should also have a dissatisfaction in that we crave for more of His Spirit, more of God and His speaking. And, we should be more obedient.
We need to be doers of God’s word. Abraham, Moses and many others obeyed God’ voice. Hezekiah stayed close to the Lord and if Joseph had not listened to God in a dream, the Lord Jesus would have been in danger. God requires obedience, justice, mercy and that we walk humbly with Him. He requires that we do not grieve Him. As we would not want to hurt our earthly fathers, in the same way we shouldn’t hurt God and strive to please Him. He says if we obey His voice, He will be our God and we will be His people.