1 Samuel 2: A Father’s Negligence
AS WE BEGIN OUR SECOND STUDY STOP IN 1ST SAMUEL, WE NOTE THAT THE FIRST 11 VERSES OF CHAPTER TWO WERE INCLUDED IN THE STUDY ASSIGNED IN CHAPTER ONE.
THOSE VERSES CONTAIN THE GREAT PRAYER OF HANNAH WHICH DETAIL HER THANKS TO THE LORD FOR OPENING HER LONG CLOSED WOMB TO CONCEIVE SAMUEL, AND TO EXPLAIN THE MATTER OF THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD.
IN THE BALANCE OF CHAPTER TWO VERSES WE ARE GRANTED A VIEW OF TWO FAMILIES MOVING IN TWO OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS.
THE FAMILY OF ELKANAH, THE HUSBAND OF HANNAH, HAD SHOWN RESPECT FOR HER VOW TO GOD TO RAISE SAMUEL AS A NAZARINE AS WELL AS DEDICATE HIM AS A SERVANT OF GOD IN THE TABERNACLE.
SAMUEL WAS LIVING AND MATURING IN THE WORSHIP CENTER AND GOD ARRANGED FURTHER BLESSINGS TO HANNAH AND HER FAMILY WITH MORE CHILDREN.
THE FAMILY OF ELI, THE HIGH PRIEST IN SHILOH AND A JUDGE OF ISRAEL, WAS MOVING STRONGLY IN A DIRECTION AWAY FROM THE LIGHT OF THE LORD AND INTO THE DARKNESS OF CORRUPTION.
THE SONS OF ELI, HOPHNI AND PHINEAS, OVERSAW PRIESTLY DUTIES AND WERE BOTH MEN OF WICKED WAYS.
THEY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THOSE WHO WISHED TO WORSHIP AND SACRIFICE AND THEIR SINS WERE HORRID AND ELI DID LITTLE IF ANYTHING TO CORRECT THIS WICKEDNESS WITHIN THE PLACE THAT WAS DESIGNED TO BE THE MOST HOLY PLACE IN ISRAEL.
THE LORD WILL SEND AN UNNAMED PROPHET TO PRONOUNCE JUDGMENT UPON THEM ALL.
THE NEGLIGENCE OF ELI TO CONFRONT THE DARK WAYS OF HIS OWN HOUSE FILLS CHAPTER TWO.
IN VERSES 12-17 THE WICKEDNESS OF THESE TWO SONS IS EXPOSED AS THEY ARE SAID TO BE “SONS OF BELIAL”.
THIS WORD REFERS IN HEBREW TO MEAN USELESSNESS, WICKEDNESS AND VILENESS.
KING SOLOMON USED SIMILAR WORDS THREE TIMES IN PROVERBS TO DESCRIBE UNGODLY PERSONS. (6:12 & 16:27 & 19:28)
HANNAH HAD USED THE SAME WORD HERSELF IN 1:16 WHEN SHE DID NOT WANT ELI TO THINK SHE WAS A DRUNKEN WOMAN AT GOD’S ALTAR.
VERSE 12 TELLS US THAT THESE TWO SONS “KNEW NOT THE LORD”.
FAITH AND OBEDIENCE WERE TWO CRUCIAL THINGS HOPHNI AND PHINEAS LACKED.
THEY CLEARLY KNEW ABOUT GOD AS THEY WERE POSING AS PRIESTS, BUT THEY DID NOT HAVE A PERSONAL RELATION WITH HIM IN THEIR LIVES AS THEY LED LIVES OF WICKED WAYS.
THEIR LIVES LEAD US TO KNOW THEY WERE LOST.
WHEN WORSHIPERS BROUGHT SACRIFICE ANIMALS TO THE TABERNACLE THESE TWO KEPT FAR MORE THAN THE PORTION ALLOWED AS THEIR OWN.
IF A WORSHIPER OBJECTED, THEY WOULD THREATEN THEM WITH VIOLENCE.
THE LAW OF MOSES IN LEVITICUS AND DEUTERNOMY CLEARLY COMMANDED A PORTION OF MEAT BE ALLOWED TO THE PRIEST AS GOD USED THAT COMMANDED PORTION TO SUSTAIN THE LIVES OF THOSE WHO SERVED HIM.
(LEVITICUS 7 & 12 & DEUTERNOMY 18)
THESE TWO WERE SELFISH MEN AND WERE BASICALLY STEALING BOTH FROM GOD AND THOSE WHO CAME TO WORSHIP GOD.
VERSE 17 CLEARLY SAYS THE SIN WAS VERY GREAT AND THAT THESE TWO MEN ABHORRED THE OFFERING OF THE LORD.
SUCH WORSHIP ACTIVITY IS UNACCEPTABLE TO GOD AND WE HAVE LESSONS ON THAT MATTER FROM CAIN IN THE TIME OF THE ORIGINAL GARDEN AND NADAB AND ABIHU BRINGING STRANGE FIRE TO THE TABERNACLE IN LEVITICUS 10.
BOTH BROUGHT STRONG REBUKES FROM GOD AND THE LAST TWO LOST THEIR LIVES AS A RESULT.
THERE WAS NO HUMBLE REVERENCE IN THE HEARTS OF THESE TWO SONS OF THE HIGH PRIEST AND HE KNEW OF THESE THINGS AND DID NOT CORRECT THIS ACTIVITY.
THESE MEN WERE POSING AS RELIGIOUS LEADERS WHILE LIVING AS LAW BREAKERS IN REBELLION.
SUCH SCANDAL REMAINS A DANGER IN OUR OWN MODERN TIMES AS WE FIND NUMEROUS STORIES OF THOSE WHO POSE AS PREACHERS AND LEADERS WHO ENRICH THEMSELVES RATHER THAN SERVE.
JESUS OBSERVED THIS VERY LIFESTYLE IN THE PHARISEES AND CONDEMNED IT IN MATTHEW 23:17 AND CALLED THESE WHO DO THESE THINGS AS “BLIND GUIDES”.
VERSES 18-21 PROVIDE US A TEACHING IN CONTRAST IN THE SERVICE OF YOUNG SAMUEL.
WHILE THE WICKEDNESS OF THE SONS OF ELI WAS “VERY GREAT BEFORE THE LORD” (2:17), SAMUEL MINISTERED BEFORE THE LORD
(2:18).
SAMUEL WORE A LINEN EPHOD AND SERVED NOT ONLY ELI IN EACH DAY IN THE TABERNACLE BUT ALSO SERVED GOD. THE EPHOD WAS PERMITTED TO LEVITE PRIESTS ONLY AND HANNAH WOULD CONTINUE TO ARRIVE EACH YEAR WITH NEW ROBES FOR HER SON.
ELKANAH WAS STILL FAITHFUL TO THE TABERNACLE IN SPITE OF THE WICKED WAYS OF THE SONS OF ELI. HE REMAINED A SPIRITUAL LEADER OF HIS FAMILY AND MORE BLESSINGS CAME TO HIS FAMILY OF ADDED CHILDREN BY HANNAH.
IN VERSE 21 WE ARE GIVEN A SMALL ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY OF SAMUEL DURING THESE YEARS:
“And the child Samuel grew before the Lord.”
BEAUTIFUL COMMUNION, FELLOWSHIP, AND TOGETHERNESS EXISTED ALREADY BETWEEN GOD AND SAMUEL.
THE ONLY OTHER PERSON IN THE ENTIRE OLD TESTAMENT TO BE DESCRIBED IN THIS WAY WAS MOSES WHEN HE WAS ON MOUNT SANAI IN EXODUS 34:
“And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water.”
THE CLOSENESS OF THESE TWO MEN OF GOD TO SERVE THE LORD SEEMED TO BE PARALLEL AND BOTH WOULD GO ON TO BECOME GREATER IN THE EYES OF THE LORD.
VERSES 22-25 AGAIN TAKE UP THE SINS OF THE SONS OF ELI.
WE ARE TOLD THAT THEY NOT ONLY MADE A MOCKERY OF WORSHIP TIME, BUT ENGAGED IN SINFUL FORNICATION WITH WOMEN WHO SERVED IN THE TABERNACLE.
THE SINS OF THESE TWO POSING AS PRIESTS HAD BECOME INDENTICAL WITH THE SINS OF THE ORIGINAL PEOPLE IN CANAAN, WHICH GOD CLEARLY WARNED AGAINST AND WAS WHY HE WISHED THEM DRIVEN OUT OF THE LAND.
VERSE 22 ALLOWS A REBUKE GIVEN BY ELI MADE ONLY WHEN HE WAS “VERY OLD”. HE HAD NEGLECTED HIS DUTY TO CORRECT THESE WAYS OF WICKEDNESS AND THE TWO SONS IGNORED THE LONG OVERDUE WORDS OF THEIR FATHER.
THE LORD HAD BEEN PATIENT BUT THE CUP OF THEIR WICKEDNESS WAS OVER FULL.
IN VERSES 27-36 GOD RENDERED JUDGMENT AND SENT A PROPHET WHO IS NOT NAMED TO ELI.
THE PROPHET REMINDED ELI OF THE HONOR AND PRIVILEGE GIVEN TO HIS TRIBE AND HIS OWN FAMILY.
GOD CHOSE THEM TO SERVE HIM AND HAD PROVIDED A PART OF HIS LAW TO SUSTAIN THEM BUT THIS FAMILY HAD NO APPRECIATION OR RESPECT FOR THE LORD’S GIFT TO THEM.
THROUGH THE MOUTH OF THIS PROPHET GOD ASKED A SIMPLE QUESTION IN VERSE 29:
“Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering?”
THIS WAS A WORD PICTURE TO SAY THAT ELI AND HIS SONS DESPISED THE HOLY OFFERINGS.
BECAUSE ELI HAD DONE NOTHING TO CORRECT THIS AWFUL BEHAVIOR, HE WAS AS MUCH TO BLAME AS THE SONS.
ELI HONORED HIS SONS MORE THAN GOD AND HIS NEGLIGENCE PROVED IT.
FURTHER PROOF WAS THE FACT THAT ELI LOVED EATING THE STOLEN MEAT. LATER IN 1ST SAMUEL 4:18 WE SEE THAT ELI IS DESCRIBED AS “HEAVY”, MEANING OVERWEIGHT.
THE PROPHET PRONOUNCED DEATH UPON HOPHNI AND PHINEAS BUT ALSO UPON THE ENTIRE FAMILY, WITH NONE OF THE FAMILY TO COME BEING ALLOWED TO SERVE GOD.
VERSE 35 TEACHES THAT GOD FOUND A “FAITHFUL PRIEST” TO SERVE HIM .
THE JUDGMENT SHOWN AFTER MUCH PATIENCE IS A WARNING.
WE SHOULD BE AWARE HOW SERIOUS GOD TAKES THE MATTER OF WORSHIP.
WORSHIP MUST COME FROM A HUMBLE HEART THAT RECOGNIZES THE SUPERIORITY OF THE LORD IN ALL MATTERS OF OUR LIVES.
OUR ACTIONS MUST REFLECT THAT FACT TO PLEASE THE LORD.
GOD TOLD ELI THROUGH HIS PROPHET THAT BOTH SONS WOULD DIE TOGETHER ON THE SAME DAY TO END THEIR SINFUL LIVES.
WE WILL SEE IN 1ST SAMUEL 4 THAT THE WORD OF GOD THROUGH HIS PROPHET WAS FULFILLED EXACTLY AS PROMISED.
THE CONTINUAL WAR AGAINST THE PHILISTINES WAS WAGING AND ALL ISRAEL WENT OUT AGAINST THIS ENEMY.
THE PHILISTINES KILLED OVER 4,000 MEN OF ISRAEL IN A MAJOR BATTLE AND ISRAEL BROUGHT OUT THE ARK OF THE COVENANT TO TURN THE BATTLE IN THEIR FAVOR.
ANOTHER 30,000 MEN OF ISRAEL WERE THEN KILLED BY THE PHILISTINES, INCLUDING BOTH SONS OF ELI, ON THE SAME DAY AS GOD HAD FORETOLD.
A COURIER ARRIVED TO TELL ELI THAT THE BATTLE HAD BEEN LOST AND THE ARK HAD BEEN CAPTURED BY THE ENEMY.
ELI WAS 98 YEARS OLD, WITH DIM EYES THAT COULD NOT SEE, AND BEING MUCH OVERWEIGHT, FELL BACKWARD AT THE TERRIBLE NEWS, AND DIED OF A BROKEN NECK FROM THE FALL.
IN THIS MOMENT VERSE 4:22 TEACHES THAT THE GLORY HAD DEPARTED FROM ISRAEL.
MOST SCHOLARS BELIEVE THE WORD OF GOD TO BRING FORWARD A “FAITHFUL PRIEST” WAS NOT A REFERENCE TO SAMUEL, WHOSE CALLING WE WILL STUDY IN CHAPTER THREE.
PERHAPS THE REFERENCE WAS TO THE HOUSE OF ZADOK WHO SERVED GOD DURING THE MONARCHY PERIOD.
FOR THE CURRENT TIME, TABERNACLE LEADERSHIP WAS UNFORTUNATELY A “LAME DUCK” LEADERSHIP UNTIL SAMUEL HIMSELF IS CALLED TO RENDER GOD’S ORDER TO ANOINT HUMAN KINGS REQUESTED BY THE PEOPLE.
THESE LESSONS REQUIRE US TO PONDER IN OUR MODERN WORSHIP WHETHER WE PLEASE THE LORD BY HEARTFELT HUMILITY OR
PLEASE ONLY OURSELVES IN OUR WORSHIP.