Page 10 - October 2026 - Truth & Tidings

cried, “I am poured out like water, and The Lord, through the prophet Jer-
all my bones are out of joint: my heart is emiah, reminded the people of Israel
like wax; it is melted in the midst of my of the priority of obeying the Lord over
bowels” (Psa 22:14). His sacrificial, aton- sacrificing to the Lord: “I spake not unto
ing death on the cross was in dedication your fathers, nor commanded them in the
to the will of His God, in providing the day that I brought them out of the land
means of forgiveness of sins through the of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or
shedding of His own precious blood. sacrifices: But this thing commanded I
When the Philistines heard that Israel them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will
had gathered at Mizpeh, they came up be your God, and ye shall be my people:
to war against them. The people of Israel and walk ye in all the ways that I have
asked Samuel to pray to the Lord for help commanded you, that it may be well unto
against the Philistines. Samuel took a you” (Jer 7:22-23).
sucking lamb, picture of the Lord Jesus, In the life of believers, obedience to the
and offered it in sacrifice to the Lord. Word of God is absolutely essential in
The Lord answered and delivered maintaining a testimony before the world
His people from the Philistines. Samuel and in maintaining fellowship and com-
took a stone and set it up and called it munion with God. In the Word of God
“Ebenezer,” which means, “a stone of we are exhorted to walk worthy of the
help.” Samuel said, “Hitherto [up until vocation wherewith we are called (Eph
this moment] hath the LORD helped us” 4:1), to walk worthy of the Lord unto all
(1Sa 7:7-12). How true in our case as well. pleasing (Col 1:10), and to walk worthy
Looking back over the experiences of life of God, who has called us to share in His
until this present moment, we would have kingdom and in His glory (1Th 2:12).
to acknowledge the Lord’s help in our Samuel assured the people of Israel of
every circumstance. God’s faithfulness to them. He exhorted
Samuel gave instructions from the Lord them to follow the Lord and encour-
to King Saul to destroy the Amalekites, aged them with the promise of the Lord
because they had ambushed the people not to forsake them. Samuel said, “It
of Israel as they came out of Egypt. Saul hath pleased the LORD to make you his
and the people of Israel disobeyed the people.” Samuel appealed to the people
commandment of the Lord and kept the to reverence the Lord and to serve Him in
best of the sheep and cattle for themselves, truth with all their heart. He urged them
pretending to reserve them for sacrifices to consider the great things the Lord had
to the Lord. done for them (1Sa 12:21-24).
Samuel reprimanded Saul for his The apostle Paul appeals to us as be-
disobedience and reminded him that lievers, based on the love of Christ and
obeying the Lord is more important than what He has done for us, “For the love of
sacrificing to the Lord. He said, “Hath the Christ constraineth us; because we thus
LORD as great delight in burnt offerings judge, that if one died for all, then were
and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of all dead: And that he died for all, that they
the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than which live should not henceforth live unto
sacrifice, and to hearken than the fat of themselves, but unto him which died for
rams” (15:22). them, and rose again” (2Co 5:14-15).

298 TRUTH kTidings October 2026