1 Samuel 2 Warning Warning

seekeroftruth

Well-Known Member
1 Samuel 2:27 Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal myself to your ancestor’s family when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? 28 I chose your ancestor out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave your ancestor’s family all the food offerings presented by the Israelites. 29 Why do you[e] scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’

30 “Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.’ But now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained. 31 The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your priestly house, so that no one in it will reach old age, 32 and you will see distress in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no one in your family line will ever reach old age. 33 Every one of you that I do not cut off from serving at my altar I will spare only to destroy your sight and sap your strength, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life.

34 “‘And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you—they will both die on the same day. 35 I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed one always. 36 Then everyone left in your family line will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread and plead, “Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat.”’”​

d, 1 Samuel 2:25 Or the judges
e, 1 Samuel 2:29 The Hebrew is plural.

This is from Bible.org.

This is where Eli goes wrong. Eli honors his sons more than he honors God (verse 29). He appears to be afraid to confront his sons and deal with them decisively, because they might dislike him or even despise him. Being the kind of sons they are, they might even kill him. Eli is more afraid of his sons than of his God. He wants his sons’ approval and affection more than he wants God’s approval and affection.. How can this be? Verse 29 suggests why Eli is so silent and passive regarding his sons’ sins. God says, “Why do you kick at My sacrifice and at My offering which I have commanded in My dwelling, and honor your sons above Me, by making yourselves fat with the choicest of every offering of My people Israel?” (verse 29).​

Eli rebukes Hannah because he wrongly thinks she is drunk, but he cannot find it in himself to rebuke his own sons for the way they obtain their meat. Eli is reluctant to terminate the very system which sustains him, the system which makes him fat.​

Now it's going to take some time for God to get things straight with these priests. Their horrible human side always takes over. Humans get used to doing something their way and it's so hard to get them to change. God gave the first priesthood to Aaron.... and a golden calf jumped out of the pot. He gave the priesthood to Korah and his family.... and He had to cause the ground to swallow them up.

Eli chose his boys over God. How many of us put our children over God? If we're honest... almost all of us can identify with Eli. If we're honest we put so much in front of God.

Based on what happened with Hannah.... and the commentary that leaked out that Eli is fat because of his plush position.... I think Eli put his position before God too. I think Eli dismissed Hannah as drunk.... I think Eli told Hannah that God would answer her prayer to get rid of her. I think Eli is politically correct.... and he plays well in church and community politics. I'm glad God is getting involved....

And.... now Eli's going to lose both his sons on the same day....

:coffee:
 
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