When Samuel said to Saul, 'To obey is better than sacrifice', he meant that

When Samuel said to Saul, 'To obey is better than sacrifice', he meant that God values obedience to His commands more than offering sacrifices. Saul had disobeyed God's instruction to completely destroy the Amalekites and their possessions. Instead, he spared the king and the best of the livestock for sacrifice. Although Saul's intention was to offer a sacrifice to God, his disobedience to God's explicit command rendered his sacrifice unacceptable to God. Therefore, Samuel emphasized the importance of obedience to God's word above offering sacrifices.