Good Thursday to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
As the world continues to watch closely developments in Israel, the Gaza, the ‘West Bank’ and the unpredictable disastrous tactics of terrorist groups like Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthi rebels in Yemen and others, millions of older people remember the world changing events of today as Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941, and within hours America had entered WWII as US forces were sent to support and defend countries in Europe against the Nazi’s and countries in Asia under attack from the Japanese. The weapons of war in our lifetimes have included tanks, bombs, and bullets. But as we all know psychological and emotional warfare are another terrible and even deeper agony of war.
But did you know there is another war with even deeper roots than all of these… spiritual warfare. This is the battle for the soul and eternal destiny of every human being! Join me again, 3000 years ago in the Israeli town of Shiloh, as Eli the High Priest is fighting a war for the spiritual soul of his family and Israel.
In the past two days we’ve looked at the Biblical record of Eli’s two priestly sons Hophni and Phinehas who were making a mockery of their role as spiritual leaders at the Tabernacle of God in Shiloh as recorded in 1 Samuel 2. Eli had confronted his sons with the heartbreaking reports he had heard from the people about how their tactics were disrupting holy worship of Almighty God at the Tabernacle.
A spiritual battle was raging for the spiritual integrity of all that took place at the Tabernacle and the widespread effect of spiritual anarchy was affecting all of Israel. Finally, God sent a messenger to Eli with a very clear and frightening message: “Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, ‘This is what the LORD God of Israel says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal Myself to your ancestors when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? I chose your ancestor out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest… Why do you scorn My sacrifice and My offering? Why do you honor your sons more than Me…’? ‘Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares to you…’Those who honor Me I will honor, but those who despise Me will be disdained.” (1 Samuel 2:27-30)
The patience of God had run out on Eli and his priestly sons who were making a mockery of the holy priesthood in Israel. For God’s people Israel, whenever they lost their spiritual rudder, they floundered and drifted and in a state of spiritual malaise, and they often were then invaded and ravaged by neighboring enemies.
Eli and his sons were greatly privileged to be in the select family line of those God called to spiritual leadership for the people of Israel, but they had failed badly, had turned against God, and were drawing the people away from God with them. To prevent further damage to the spiritual soul of His people Israel and their respect for the priesthood, the Tabernacle and worship of Holy God, God needed to intervene and God did so with definitive judgement.
Have you noticed my friends how patient God can be with our human race which is totally dependent upon God for breath and daily life, but who so foolishly and shamefully turns our back on God, defying God to respond? Have you also noticed when God’s patience runs out and God pours out judgment it is definitive and significant?
The conclusion of the message from this man of God to Eli the High Priest was staggering: “The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so there will not be an old man in your family line… Although good will be done to Israel, in your family line there will never again be an old man. Everyone of you that I do not cut off from My altar will be spared only to blind your eyes with tears and to grieve your heart, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life. And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas will be a sign to you – they will both die on the same day.“ (1 Samuel 2:31-34)
If Eli had been initially standing while listening to the message from this man of God, by now I imagine he is unable to stand and he’s looking for a chair if he has not already collapsed, overwhelmed by the devastating power of this message of judgment from God. Long life is the desire of every man, living old enough to see several generations of his descendants and living in the joy of their success.
So, to hear that never again will any man in Eli’s family line reach old age must have been traumatic. To hear that both his wicked, priestly sons would die on the same day, in the prime of their lives, would be terrifying! Oh the price of mocking God! Oh the price spiritual leaders pay when their words or behavior turn other people away from God!!
I imagine this unnamed ‘man of God’ paused, allowing Eli to try to grasp the significance of these powerful words of judgment from God. Tears undoubtedly ran down his face as Eli contemplated the implications of what he had just heard. While unrecorded in the Biblical record, perhaps Eli, with his face buried in his hands, cried out “O God, I have failed You and Your people so badly, is there any hope for Your people Israel?’
And then the ‘man of God’ spoke a phrase of hope that has proven to be true many, many times when God comes to the rescue of a people needing a trustworthy spiritual leader. God’s assurance to Eli and all Israel was: “I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest who will do according to what is in My heart and mind.” (1 Samuel 2:35)
It was God’s promise that He would NEVER abandon His people. God would not leave them without a trustworthy shepherd. If necessary, God would remove corrupt leadership and raise up one or more who would wholeheartedly follow God in every way, and lead the people back to God!
We do not know if this was private conversation or if possibly either Hophni, Phinehas or even young Samuel may have been eavesdropping. What we do know is that for this generation of Israelites, Samuel was that ‘faithful priest’ God had miraculously raised up when He blessed prayerful Hannah with a miracle son, and she gave Samuel back to the LORD for all His life.
But in order for Samuel to BE that ‘faithful priest’ and DO what God wanted done by providing spiritual leadership which would reverse the spiritual and moral course of Israel, Samuel would have to learn to do the latter part of that powerful statement: “a faithful priest who will DO according to what is in MY heart and mind.” Somehow Samuel was going to have to learn how to discern what is in the heart and mind of God! But how? Surely Hophni and Phinehas could not teach that to Samuel and it appears even Eli was living a life far distant from an authentic relationship with God.
Tomorrow we’ll begin to discover the answer to that question which was vital for Israel 3000 years ago and is vital for your country and mine and even Israel today! As we close today, I urge us all to contemplate the severity of God’s judgment on failed spiritual leadership. What do you sense God is saying to you and me today about that?
Today’s Scripture is 1 Samuel 2:21-35.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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