My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; - John 10:27
Good morning. Last Sunday we began the book of 1 Samuel. We read that, during her family’s annual pilgrimage to the tabernacle, barren Hannah prayed that God would give her a son. She vowed that if God granted her petition, she’d dedicate this child to the LORD all the days of his life. Sure enough, God heard and answered Hannah’s prayer. She bore a son and named him Samuel. Once he was weaned, she honored her commitment by leaving him at the tabernacle in Shiloh under the care of Eli the priest.
Eli had 2 sons of his own who also assisted him in the tabernacle (1 Samuel 1:3). These young men were probably 20 or more years older than Samuel. Unfortunately, they were not good role models for young Samuel to admire or learn from. On the contrary, they were worthless and self-serving. Samuel was not like them at all.
I. HOPHNI AND PHINEHAS (1 Samuel 2:12-17, 22-36)
Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, did not know the LORD, nor did they follow the proper procedures regarding sacrifices and offerings. The Law clearly specified what parts of the peace offering were to be given to the priests, but they greedily desired more. So they took excessive portions for themselves from the animal sacrifices that were made. They insisted that the meat they took be raw so that they might roast it later for themselves, thereby preventing the person making the sacrifice from burning the fat as prescribed. If the sacrificer objected, they would threaten to take it by force. Their sinful behavior greatly angered the LORD and upset the people of Israel.
This corruption continued for several years. It seems rather unlikely that this could have gone on for so long without Eli’s knowledge, yet he apparently turned a blind eye to it - even though his sons were sleeping with the women who served at the tabernacle. Finally, in his old age, Eli confronted them. He warned that they were sinning against God and urged them to quit. But Hophni and Phinehas did not listen to their elderly father and continued in their evil ways. His efforts were too little, too late.
The text describes the unscrupulous men that Hophni and Phinehas became. Then it reverts back to when Samuel was still just a boy increasing in favor with both God and man. Even then, Hophni and Phinehas were already acting irreverently.
An unnamed man of God came to Eli and rebuked him for knowingly allowing his sons to practice evil in the tabernacle. He charged Eli with honoring them over the LORD. He told Eli that his family would be cut-off from serving in the LORD’s house. He prophesied that Eli’s sons would both die on the same day, neither of them reaching old age, and that Eli would weep and suffer great distress. Finally, the anonymous prophet stated that God would eventually replace Eli’s family line with a new, faithful priest whose house and lineage would endure for generations.
Some have pointed to the wickedness of Hophni and Phinehas and presumed that Eli was a terrible father - but remember that Eli effectively raised Samuel, too. The fact is, sometimes kids just go their own way. This passage is not exclusively a condemnation of Eli as a parent, but more so as a priest. He was not responsible for the behavior of his adult children, but he was responsible for the operation of the tabernacle. He knowingly allowed his sons to profane the LORD’s house without taking any meaningful steps to prevent it. As such, Eli came under God’s judgment for his inaction. For Christians today, this incident highlights the importance of church discipline and the disastrous results that will come from permitting blatant sin to go on unchecked in the LORD’s house (Matthew 18:15-20).
II. THE LORD CALLS SAMUEL (1 Samuel 3:1-9)
During the days while Samuel was ministering as a boy before Eli in the tabernacle, visions and prophetic words from the LORD were rare. God’s relative silence suggests that the people may not have desired to hear or even been receptive to His voice.
Late one night, after Eli and Samuel had gone to bed in their tabernacle rooms, the LORD called out to Samuel. He woke from his sleep and answered, “Here I am!” The boy hurried to Eli’s chamber assuming that the voice had come from him. But when he arrived Eli said that he hadn’t called for Samuel, and he sent the lad back to bed. Not long after, the LORD called out to Samuel a second time. He arose and came to Eli again. The drowsy priest told Samuel that he hadn’t called for him and sent the child back to bed. Later that night the LORD called out to Samuel for a third time. The boy rushed to Eli’s room as he had done twice before. This time, Eli perceived that it was God who was calling out to Samuel. He instructed Samuel to go lay down, and if the voice called out to him again, to answer, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.” So Samuel returned to his room and waited.
Samuel was a young boy and this was his first personal encounter with the LORD. Is it any surprise that he initially mistook God’s calling for that of someone else? You or I would have probably done the same thing! Fortunately, Eli recognized what was happening and was ready to assist. Mature Christians should always be willing to help new, young, and/or less mature believers in their walk with the LORD. Through this experience, Samuel became familiar with the sound of God’s voice.
III. GOD’S MESSAGE TO SAMUEL (1 Samuel 3:10-21)
The LORD called out to Samuel once more. This time, Samuel asked God to speak. The LORD told Samuel about the judgment He’d declared against Eli for consciously permitting Hophni and Phinehas to profane the house of God. Their family would be permanently removed from the priesthood. Samuel’s prophetic message was virtually the same as that of the unnamed prophet who had already spoken to Eli.
The next morning, Eli approached Samuel and asked him to share his vision. Young Samuel was initially afraid to do so, perhaps fearing how Eli would react, but the priest insisted. So Samuel told Eli everything that the LORD had said. Shockingly, Eli didn’t seem troubled by the prophecy and somewhat callously stated, “Let God do what seems good to Him.” Eli had already heard this same rebuke from the unnamed prophet, so Samuel’s vision simply reaffirmed it. Apparently Eli had accepted his fate, as he made no efforts to change it.
In the years that followed, Samuel grew into manhood. All of Israel recognized him as a prophet of the LORD who had spoken directly with God at Shiloh. None of his prophetic words failed. Samuel was highly regarded among the people as both a priest and prophet.
CONCLUSION
Take a moment to consider this… Samuel’s boyhood calling was to rebuke and chasten his mentor, elder, and father-figure Eli. There is no doubt that this was uncomfortable and challenging for him to do. That said, even as a lad, he bravely obeyed the LORD. He delivered a difficult message. Meanwhile, Eli was sheepishly unwilling to discipline and punish his 2 sons for their sinful behavior in the tabernacle. Eli wasn’t necessarily a bad man, but he was weak. We see this same lack of courage in Pontius Pilate. May we have the strength to stand up for the LORD, even if it means reprimanding members of our own family.
Good morning. Last Sunday we began the book of 1 Samuel. We read that, during her family’s annual pilgrimage to the tabernacle, barren Hannah prayed that God would give her a son. She vowed that if God granted her petition, she’d dedicate this child to the LORD all the days of his life. Sure enough, God heard and answered Hannah’s prayer. She bore a son and named him Samuel. Once he was weaned, she honored her commitment by leaving him at the tabernacle in Shiloh under the care of Eli the priest.
Eli had 2 sons of his own who also assisted him in the tabernacle (1 Samuel 1:3). These young men were probably 20 or more years older than Samuel. Unfortunately, they were not good role models for young Samuel to admire or learn from. On the contrary, they were worthless and self-serving. Samuel was not like them at all.
I. HOPHNI AND PHINEHAS (1 Samuel 2:12-17, 22-36)
Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas, did not know the LORD, nor did they follow the proper procedures regarding sacrifices and offerings. The Law clearly specified what parts of the peace offering were to be given to the priests, but they greedily desired more. So they took excessive portions for themselves from the animal sacrifices that were made. They insisted that the meat they took be raw so that they might roast it later for themselves, thereby preventing the person making the sacrifice from burning the fat as prescribed. If the sacrificer objected, they would threaten to take it by force. Their sinful behavior greatly angered the LORD and upset the people of Israel.
This corruption continued for several years. It seems rather unlikely that this could have gone on for so long without Eli’s knowledge, yet he apparently turned a blind eye to it - even though his sons were sleeping with the women who served at the tabernacle. Finally, in his old age, Eli confronted them. He warned that they were sinning against God and urged them to quit. But Hophni and Phinehas did not listen to their elderly father and continued in their evil ways. His efforts were too little, too late.
The text describes the unscrupulous men that Hophni and Phinehas became. Then it reverts back to when Samuel was still just a boy increasing in favor with both God and man. Even then, Hophni and Phinehas were already acting irreverently.
An unnamed man of God came to Eli and rebuked him for knowingly allowing his sons to practice evil in the tabernacle. He charged Eli with honoring them over the LORD. He told Eli that his family would be cut-off from serving in the LORD’s house. He prophesied that Eli’s sons would both die on the same day, neither of them reaching old age, and that Eli would weep and suffer great distress. Finally, the anonymous prophet stated that God would eventually replace Eli’s family line with a new, faithful priest whose house and lineage would endure for generations.
Some have pointed to the wickedness of Hophni and Phinehas and presumed that Eli was a terrible father - but remember that Eli effectively raised Samuel, too. The fact is, sometimes kids just go their own way. This passage is not exclusively a condemnation of Eli as a parent, but more so as a priest. He was not responsible for the behavior of his adult children, but he was responsible for the operation of the tabernacle. He knowingly allowed his sons to profane the LORD’s house without taking any meaningful steps to prevent it. As such, Eli came under God’s judgment for his inaction. For Christians today, this incident highlights the importance of church discipline and the disastrous results that will come from permitting blatant sin to go on unchecked in the LORD’s house (Matthew 18:15-20).
II. THE LORD CALLS SAMUEL (1 Samuel 3:1-9)
During the days while Samuel was ministering as a boy before Eli in the tabernacle, visions and prophetic words from the LORD were rare. God’s relative silence suggests that the people may not have desired to hear or even been receptive to His voice.
Late one night, after Eli and Samuel had gone to bed in their tabernacle rooms, the LORD called out to Samuel. He woke from his sleep and answered, “Here I am!” The boy hurried to Eli’s chamber assuming that the voice had come from him. But when he arrived Eli said that he hadn’t called for Samuel, and he sent the lad back to bed. Not long after, the LORD called out to Samuel a second time. He arose and came to Eli again. The drowsy priest told Samuel that he hadn’t called for him and sent the child back to bed. Later that night the LORD called out to Samuel for a third time. The boy rushed to Eli’s room as he had done twice before. This time, Eli perceived that it was God who was calling out to Samuel. He instructed Samuel to go lay down, and if the voice called out to him again, to answer, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.” So Samuel returned to his room and waited.
Samuel was a young boy and this was his first personal encounter with the LORD. Is it any surprise that he initially mistook God’s calling for that of someone else? You or I would have probably done the same thing! Fortunately, Eli recognized what was happening and was ready to assist. Mature Christians should always be willing to help new, young, and/or less mature believers in their walk with the LORD. Through this experience, Samuel became familiar with the sound of God’s voice.
III. GOD’S MESSAGE TO SAMUEL (1 Samuel 3:10-21)
The LORD called out to Samuel once more. This time, Samuel asked God to speak. The LORD told Samuel about the judgment He’d declared against Eli for consciously permitting Hophni and Phinehas to profane the house of God. Their family would be permanently removed from the priesthood. Samuel’s prophetic message was virtually the same as that of the unnamed prophet who had already spoken to Eli.
The next morning, Eli approached Samuel and asked him to share his vision. Young Samuel was initially afraid to do so, perhaps fearing how Eli would react, but the priest insisted. So Samuel told Eli everything that the LORD had said. Shockingly, Eli didn’t seem troubled by the prophecy and somewhat callously stated, “Let God do what seems good to Him.” Eli had already heard this same rebuke from the unnamed prophet, so Samuel’s vision simply reaffirmed it. Apparently Eli had accepted his fate, as he made no efforts to change it.
In the years that followed, Samuel grew into manhood. All of Israel recognized him as a prophet of the LORD who had spoken directly with God at Shiloh. None of his prophetic words failed. Samuel was highly regarded among the people as both a priest and prophet.
CONCLUSION
Take a moment to consider this… Samuel’s boyhood calling was to rebuke and chasten his mentor, elder, and father-figure Eli. There is no doubt that this was uncomfortable and challenging for him to do. That said, even as a lad, he bravely obeyed the LORD. He delivered a difficult message. Meanwhile, Eli was sheepishly unwilling to discipline and punish his 2 sons for their sinful behavior in the tabernacle. Eli wasn’t necessarily a bad man, but he was weak. We see this same lack of courage in Pontius Pilate. May we have the strength to stand up for the LORD, even if it means reprimanding members of our own family.