Chapter 2:11-36
1. A Greatly Needed Regime Change in Israel (2:11-26)
1 Samuel 2:11–26 (ESV)
11 Then Elkanah went home to Ramah. And the boy was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli the priest.
12 Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the Lord. 13 The custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, 14 and he would thrust it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot. All that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they did at Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there. 15 Moreover, before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give meat for the priest to roast, for he will not accept boiled meat from you but only raw.” 16 And if the man said to him, “Let them burn the fat first, and then take as much as you wish,” he would say, “No, you must give it now, and if not, I will take it by force.” 17 Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord, for the men treated the offering of the Lord with contempt.
18 Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy clothed with a linen ephod. 19 And his mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “May the Lord give you children by this woman for the petition she asked of the Lord.” So then they would return to their home.
21 Indeed the Lord visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew in the presence of the Lord.
22 Now Eli was very old, and he kept hearing all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who were serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting. 23 And he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. 24 No, my sons; it is no good report that I hear the people of the Lord spreading abroad. 25 If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the Lord to put them to death.
26 Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man.
We just looked at Hannah’s Psalm and saw that she was praying against the arrogant, proud, the wicked and those who contend with God. Now, we see the very men who fit this category.
God desired to raise up a prophet and brought Hannah to the place of crying out to God for a son. God desires to put the wicked priests to death and Hannah prays God would do so.
Worship at Shiloh was not glorifying to God. The priests were wicked and did not know God. They were out for personal gain and would even attack the worshippers should they try to deny them what they wanted.
The Book of Leviticus explains that because the priests were not allotted land and God desired them to be diligent in serving Him and interceding for the people, He provided for their needs from what people brought with them to worship. The priests were allotted a portion of the sacrifice for their food.
Leviticus 7:31–32 (ESV)
31 The priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall be for Aaron and his sons. 32 And the right thigh you shall give to the priest as a contribution from the sacrifice of your peace offerings.
What do the evil sons of Eli do? They send a thug with a pitchfork and while the meat is boiling, he jabs his fork into the pot and whatever he brings out also goes to the priests.
Even more evil God desired the fat portions to be burned on the alter first and then the meet cut up. Not the sons of Eli, they took their portion raw and cooked it with the fat on it.
It gets even worse. The evil sons of Eli are having sex with the women who worked in the temple.
No one could worship God rightly either the people were afraid that the fork guy was going to take all the sacrifice or the women who tended the temple were going there not thinking about God but if Eli’s sons were going to be there.
But God is quietly working and hope is sparked…
As we read down through this passage, did you catch the small but very important mentions of Samuel? The text goes back and forth from the sins of Eli’s sons to Samuel growing in the Lord.
11 Then Elkanah went home to Ramah. And the boy was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli the priest.
Sins of Eli’s house
18 Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy clothed with a linen ephod.
Sins of Eli’s house
26 Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man.
We can see here…God will be worshipped and He will judge the arrogant and disobedient.
God often works quietly through divine providence. When we read about the detestable sins of the priests it’s like God is reminding us…don’t forget Samuel. He is growing and serving Me and one day there will be a regime change in Israel.
I want you to notice something with me concerning whose child Samuel was…
20 Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “May the Lord give you children by this woman for the petition she asked of the Lord.” So then they would return to their home.
21 Indeed the Lord visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew in the presence of the Lord.
The meaning is somewhat hidden in English. Hannah asked for Samuel for God. She cried out for a child but Samuel would be given to God as soon as he was weened. She gave him to God. She gives her son away to God to serve Him and to become all God had intended now the Lord will give Hannah children.
As we read these verses, it’s as if Hannah’s original trial is not even barely a memory any longer. She has grown way past it. God has greatly blessed her with a family.
The old guard is slowly fading away…
the boy Samuel grew in the presence of the Lord.
22 Now Eli was very old…
Let’s also see together that it was God’s desire to put Eli’s sons to death. The meaning of verse 25 can be missed if we don’t slow down and really pay attention…
25 If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the Lord to put them to death.
Hophni’s and Phinehas’s resistance to their father’s pleading was not the reason for God’s judgement but the result of God’s judgement. The point being, God had already decided to put them to death and because they were slated for judgement, they would not listen to their father. All pleas for them to repent fell on deaf ears because God did not give them ears to hear.
This verse teaches that someone can be so obstinate and firm in rebellion that God will confirm him in it, so much so that he will remain utterly deaf to and unmoved by any warnings of judgement or pleas for repentance. —Dale Ralph Davis
Where we are to come down in all this is not to ever question God and His motives because He is always right in what He does. Our response must be to tremble at His Word and realize God is right when He decides to withhold repentance from a sinner. So, when we are given ears to hear repent in fear and trembling and never take repentance for granted.
Hophni and Phinehas had been turned over to their own sinful devises. They are a picture of Romans 1.
Romans 1:18–19 (ESV)
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them.
The text goes on to tell us that God gave them up. In other words, there is a form of God’s judgement where He simply turns them loose for Judgement.
In John Bunyan’s Pilgrim Progress, he met a man in an iron cage called Backslider who told Pilgrim that “I have so hardened my heart, that I cannot repent”.
Here we learn, God often works slowly behind the scene to bring about His desire. Eli’s sons had passed the point of no return and God withheld repentance from them. At the same time, He was raising up Samuel. We must take repentance seriously. Always be repenting and growing in the Lord. Don’t ever take repentance for granted.
2. God’s Words of Judgement to Eli (2:27-36)
27 And there came a man of God to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Did I indeed reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt subject to the house of Pharaoh? 28 Did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? I gave to the house of your father all my offerings by fire from the people of Israel. 29 Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded for my dwelling, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?’ 30 Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,’ but now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed. 31 Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house. 32 Then in distress you will look with envious eye on all the prosperity that shall be bestowed on Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house forever. 33 The only one of you whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be spared to weep his eyes out to grieve his heart, and all the descendants of your house shall die by the sword of men. 34 And this that shall come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign to you: both of them shall die on the same day. 35 And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever. 36 And everyone who is left in your house shall come to implore him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread and shall say, “Please put me in one of the priests’ places, that I may eat a morsel of bread.” ’ ”
Eli, the priest had loved his sons more than he loved God. They were evil and unsaved men who did not know God. Their sin was public and everyone knew what they were doing. Eli did nothing about it. He had taken no action to expel them from the priesthood. There was no removing them.
Eli honored his sons over God…
29 Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded for my dwelling, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?’
God begins to review with Eli all of the good blessings that came from His grace in which Eli was scorning by not acting to remove his sons from the priestly office.
So much was at stake. The worship of God was being made a laughing matter. The word hypocrite or words like it were no doubt flying around the temple. The sons were greatly hindering the people’s worship of God. God had had enough.
Eli could not control his son’s wicked and evil sin but he could at least make sure they didn’t do those evil acts as priests.
God had taken a backseat to Eli’s sons. For Eli, blood was thicker than his love and commitment to God.
One thing we learn from this prophecy is that it is a real danger to think you always have to be nice to people. Eli practiced a gutless compassion. The fear of his sons rather than the fear of God. A person who lives their life never wanting to offend anyone and equates niceness with love ignores God’s Law and despises His holiness.
We do not necessarily seek God’s honor when we spare human feelings—Dale Ralph Davis
What is God getting ready to do? The sons of Eli are going to be destroyed by God because they were destroying the worship of God. And as a sign the Lord says…they will be killed on the same day.
I have an antique Bible with tufts of hair stitched into the back black page. Each has the date the person died. I believe there are five people and they all died the same day. I’ve often wondered how they all could have died the same exact day?
In time God will utterly destroy the house of Eli and that line of priests shall be no more.
Something we learn is that God’s Word always comes to pass. His promises are for eternity and His cautions and commandments will come to pass. His purposes will always stand and no human resistance will ever hinder God’s purposes.
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