Romans 15:4 says, “Everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures, we might have hope.”
If we look at the life of Eli and his sons, and then at the life of Hannah and her son, we learn that there are consequences for wrong choices, and blessings for right choices.
We hear of preachers today living a wealthy lifestyle and abusing their authority over God’s people. Some preachers fall from grace because of homosexual and heterosexual affairs. Some preachers have children that fail to stay close to the Lord. These things are not new, for they also happened in the Bible to great men of God. Let’s see what we can learn from what has been written in the past for our instruction.
Eli was a descendant of Aaron, and thus of the Levitical Priesthood. Eli was the priest at the temple at Shiloh, along with his two sons: Phinehas and Hophni.
Samuel was a miracle baby. His mother, Hannah, was unable to have children. Not being able to bear children was considered a curse during the times of the Old Testament. She was very depressed and cried a lot, which grieved her husband Elkanah. He tried to console her, for he loved her very much; but she could not be comforted, and spent much time in fasting. When they went to the temple to offer sacrifice, Eli thought she had been drinking strong drink and was intoxicated. Hannah assured him that she was not, but had been pouring her soul out unto the Lord. Eli was moved by the Holy Spirit to prophesy that God had granted her request, and to go in peace.
Hannah gave birth to a baby boy and named him ‘Samuel’, because, she said, “I have asked him of the Lord.” Hannah was so thankful for God removing the curse from her life that, with a vow, she dedicated Samuel unto the Lord. When Samuel was weaned, she brought him to Eli to serve in the temple for the rest of his life. Hannah also began to sing a song of praise, straight from her heart to God, for His mercy and kindness. (I Samuel 2:1-10) It reminds you of the song that Mary sang, rejoicing over Jesus. (Luke 1:46-55)
Eli taught Samuel the duties of the priesthood, and helped him to understand the voice of the Lord when He called him in the night. Soon, Samuel was receiving messages from God; and one of them was in regards to the judgment of Eli and his sons for their transgressions in the temple.
Eli judged Israel, as a priest, for 40 years, and had grown very heavy, due his sons abusing the sacrifices of the children of Israel.
Phinehas and Hophni had specific instructions from the Law of Moses about the offerings of Israel. The fat, and certain parts of the sacrifice, were to be offered to the Lord as a burnt offering upon the altar. Then, the priests could take a portion for their own consumption. However, Eli’s sons took their portion first, and evidently with some of the fat, and gave the Lord what was left. This displeased God. (see Leviticus chapter nine and Deuteronomy 18:1-5 & I Samuel chapter two)
Eli’s sons were also sleeping with the women who served at the door of the temple. Temple prostitution was a pagan practice, forbidden to the Children of Israel in Deuteronomy 23:17; and Numbers 25:1-5 associates it with idolatry.
The people talked to Eli. God sent a man of God to talk to Eli. (I Samuel 2:27) God spoke to Samuel, who talked to Eli. Eli talked with his sons, but nothing changed in their lives. God said enough chances to change, and removed his angels of protection around them, allowing them to be killed in battle with the Philistines.
The Philistines had captured the Ark of the Covenant from the temple. The Ark was Israel’s Divine protection; with it gone, so was the favor and Glory of God. The Philistines sought to return it, quickly, for they soon realized that God was not happy with their having the Ark, as they were smitten with emerods, or hemorrhoids. (I Samuel 5:6)
Samuel sends men to fight the Philistines. When a messenger from the battle came to update Eli about the battle, and to inform him of his sons dying, Eli fell from his seat; and because he was so heavy at 98 years of age, he broke his neck and died. So all three died in the same day, as the Man of God had prophesied.
Eli’s daughter-in-law (married to Phinehas) was pregnant; and when she heard that her husband and brother-in-law had died, and saw her father-in-law fall over dead, she bowed over in pain and died, giving birth to a baby boy. She cried with her last breath the name of the child: “Ichabod!” It means the Glory of God has departed from Israel!
Eli, like some of today’s preachers, forgot that it is a privilege to serve God and His people, and instead have made it a career or a job. They have forgotten that every choice has its consequences. Parents forget to teach their children this also.
James Dobson
James Dobson said, “When your children are young they will test the limits. If you tell them not to cross a certain line, they will cross it, to see what will happen. At this point your children are looking for a fight…and you ought not to disappoint them!”
Consequences
Sometimes we need to allow our children to live with some of the consequences of their wrong choices. If we don’t, they soon cross the line we have drawn, knowing that nothing will happen, for someone will always be there to bail them out. They will soon rid themselves of guilt and shame, for disrespecting us and doing wrong, because we, as Eli, will not see that there are any consequences to pay.
Hannah spent her time praying, fasting, and earnestly seeking God for her son, whom she had dedicated to Him. Because of her continual prayers, Samuel recaptured the Ark, and with it, the Glory and Blessings of God. Even in Samuel’s old age, when people challenged his leadership, desiring a king like other nations, God assured him that He was with him, and it was all part of His plan for Israel.
God Disciplines His Children
Hebrews 12:3-11 says, “Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted. In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood. 5 And have you forgotten the exhortation that addresses you as sons?
“My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord,
nor be weary when reproved by him.
For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and chastises every son whom he receives.”
It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons. Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us, and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”