1 Samuel 2:27-36
The Gravity of their Sin
God sent a prophet to Eli to remind him of the honor He gave to the house of Aaron when they were chosen as His priests out of the twelve tribes of Israel. They were privileged to serve Him and be nearest to Him. The share they receive from the people’s offerings is not just grace but a secure lot for them. And the promised ascendancy is forever! But Eli was charged of dishonoring God by honoring his sons more; fattening themselves and robbing God of the choice parts of every offering rather than being content with their daily share; and they abused their authority over the people by forcing them to their greedy will, forgetting they were all under God’s authority and will. Eli’s family betrayed the trust, bruised the grace, and broke their end of the covenant.
Application:
When someone has been given much, much will be required in return; and when someone has been entrusted with much, even more will be required (Lk.12.48, NLT).
Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly. (James 3:1, NIV)
"With great power comes great responsibility." Spiderman :>
Leaders always say it’s lonely up there. Too much pressure, usually unappreciated, takes all the blame, an object of scrutiny. But not everything is bad up there. Your name grants you access to exclusive information and influence, you have better seats, secure benefits, and people look up to you. You look great and feel great. But that you have to more than maintain. One can be a leader by appointment, through hardwork, or by default, haha! But regardless of how God placed you up there, He expects your faithfulness and diligence to rise above the given. High call? Yes. But the great thing about God as our employer is that where He sends us, He will abundantly supply. Strength, wisdom, creativity, name it! Eli’s son’s downfall is that they failed to remember they were merely stewards of the office. What God has given, He can take away. He is the Owner, and we owe Him everything. It will always be in that order.
The Grievous Sentence
'The LORD.. does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation.' (Num 14:18.)
Eli’s family was disqualified from high office and its effect rolled down their lineage. Matthew Henry mentioned some Jewish writers who found out that none from this house commonly lived above eighteen years old. That’s really primetime. God said ‘Good will be done in Israel but in your family, there will never be an old man’. Suffering is difficult enough, but staying in the pit while all others prosper will make it more burdensome. It’s like being so hungry to death and a stranger sits beside you with his fresh-from-the-pan pizza slice. Unbearable! Having no old man in the house equals no one to give sound direction, no grandchildren playing around, no future to look forward to. Some however will be spared from the cut off, but only to witness these things happening. And they will beg for the meanest job in the temple and for some coins and a crust of bread. It is really pitiful and heartbreaking. Especially for Eli whose children’s death will be the sign to the fulfillment of this judgment. It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
Application:
A pastor in Baguio made a series on the Wrath of God and it’s the first time for me then to realize how serious is God in keeping His righteous rule and in dealing with those who missed the mark. Christians are usually pampered hearing about the grace and mercy of God that we take lightly the disciplines needed in our daily battle against sin. We are not exempt when judgment day comes for we will all give an account for our life’s choices. Sometimes the pagans are better in showing reverence to their rocks for fear of displeasing them. God calls us to holy fear and to stand in awe of Him. We need to constantly remind ourselves who is God here, and never cross the line that belongs to His honor alone. 1 Corinthians 9:27 says it all: “I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” Both the servant and his service should submit to the Lordship of Christ. My character needs to match my calling, for with them I reflect the God I serve.
The God-Appointed Successor
Many believed it was Zadok who fulfilled God’s word by taking the place of Abiathar, the last high priest in Eli’s line. But that is still around two generations down. The position of being Israel’s judge will be empty. God filled that gap of leadership by raising up a boy and train him from scratch. We would normally recruit the next best person in the land. There was no mention that all Israel became corrupted because of Eli’s family, so maybe there were some close-to-righteous enough with service credentials. But God chose Samuel. Still a boy whose mind is ready to absorb everything and whose heart is not yet set to pursue anything for anyone. As for the priesthood, Israel will still have to bear the burden of being ministered to by Eli’s descendants. That implies that God accepts the worship of His people regardless of who stands in between. Of course He detests seeing immoral shepherds, but His sovereignty will overrule their service and turn it around to serve His purposes. Many bad leaderships cause people to stand up for what is right and call on to the One True God for a righteous rule. Not that darkness will make His light shine more, for darkness and light are both alike to Him. He does not need anything to complete Him, but can use even the darkness to work for Him. We cannot boast of any position or status or name, for no one is indispensable in the Lord’s service. No one can keep what God will take away. It’s high time we acknowledge Who rules above all.
Application:
Ten years ago, our Ministry Director presented to us a ten-year plan and said, “This is where we believe God is leading us, and it will come to pass whether we join Him or not. The question now is, are you coming with us?” No one is indispensable in God’s work. He can even do it alone. In His goodness He shares it with us so we can also share in His suffering and joy. The moment we turn our backs from faithful service, He will readily raise up someone in our stead, sometimes even those ‘who-would-have-ever-thought’ individuals and surprise everyone by surpassing your excellence. The God who is at work in us is the same God who can empower another. We are merely vessels with which His blessings overflow. Pride comes before destruction and an arrogant attitude precedes a fall. ‘In Christ alone’ is a good closing song reminder for us: ‘in every victory, let it be said of me. My source of strength, my source of hope, is Christ alone!’
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