Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
“WARNING” is a powerful word, isn’t it? Warnings respected can save your life, warnings ignored can cause destruction and bring disaster into a life, a family, a community, and even a nation. History tells us that 82 years ago today a few warnings went ignored and the next day, December 7th, 1941, drew America into WWII as Pearl Harbor, Hawaii went up in flames! Some voices are saying there were warnings that went ignored in September of this year in Israel regarding increased Hamas activity, perhaps in preparation for a terrorist attack on Israel. And for every family in the world, in every generation, would you agree one of the major roles of parents is to warn their children of the dangers that await them as they move through the teen years into young adulthood?
Come with me, my friends, back to Shiloh in Israel about 1100bc. I left you there yesterday as Hannah and her husband Elkanah had consecrated their miracle son Samuel to God and entrusted him to Eli the High Priest. For the rest of his life Samuel would serve the LORD here at the Tabernacle. Everyone assumed it would be the safest place, the holiest place, the most amazing place for a little boy to grow up and serve the LORD God, because all that took place here at Shiloh, near the Tabernacle was holy worship of the God of Israel. But things are not always as they seem, are they, my friends? Shockingly, the record of 1 Samuel 2 describes the hypocrisy of Eli’s two sons Hophni and Phinehas and their defilement of their priestly role, their rejection of God, and their blatant immorality, even at the Tabernacle!
The record is painfully truthful and Eli’s warning to his sons was severe: “Now Eli, who was very old, heard about everything his sons Hophni and Phinehas were doing to the people of Israel and how they even slept with the women who served at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting, the Tabernacle. So, Eli said to his sons, ‘Why do you do such things? I hear from the people about these wicked deeds of yours. No, my sons, it is not a good report that I hear spreading among the LORD’s people. If a man sins against another man, God may mediate for him; but if a man sins against the LORD God, who will intercede for him’? Eli’s sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the LORD’s will to put them to death! And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with the people.” (1 Samuel 2:22-26)
Oh, my goodness! What a terrible situation at the Tabernacle of the LORD at Shiloh! Old Eli’s heart must have been broken and his shame must have grown by the day. His sons were humiliating their father, defiling their priestly calling, mocking God, and earning the judgement of God which most certainly would come upon them! Meanwhile young Samuel, now likely an adolescent, was faithful to his calling, persistent in his learning all the many elements of his priestly role, and pursuing a profound relationship with holy God, that apparently not even Eli had ever achieved!
Did you notice Hophni and Phinehas rejected the warning of their father? Did you also notice this shocking statement: “for it was the LORD’s will to put them to death!”? What? God wanted to kill these two young men because of their blasphemy, their blatant mockery of God, their defilement of the priesthood and the Tabernacle. Yes, my friends and it appears God actually hardened their hearts, so they rejected their father’s warning! Does that remind you of another time in Israel’s history when God hardened someone’s heart? Do you remember the Biblical description of how the Pharaoh of Egypt responded to Moses and the plagues? I notice a very interesting progression with the condition of Pharaoh’s heart, look with me at the record of the Exodus:
* In response to the plague of frogs; Ex. 8:15 says: “When Pharaoh saw there was relief from the frogs, he hardened his heart and would not listen to Moses and Aaron.”
* In response to the plague of gnats; Ex. 8:19 says: “The magicians said to Pharaoh, ‘This is the finger of God.” But Pharaoh’s heart was hard, and he would not listen…”
* In response to the plague of flies; Ex. 8:31,32 “The flies left Pharaoh and his officials and his people…But this time also Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the people go.”
* In response to the plague of boils; Ex. 9:11,12 “But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not listen to Moses…”
* In response to the plague of locusts; Ex. 10:19,20 “Not a locust was left anywhere in Egypt. But the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart and he would not let the Israelites go.”
Do you see the progression of the hardness of Pharaoh’s heart and that after several plagues God actually added to Pharaoh’s rebellion and refusal by God Himself adding to Pharaoh’s hardness of heart? Pharaoh’s hard heart caused great damage to his nation Egypt and widespread tragedy to the Egyptian people, their economy and entire society. But God was working a much larger purpose, the ultimate deliverance of the Israelite slaves.
Here in the case of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, evidently these two young men had rejected their father Eli’s example, his advice, his training of them to be priests, and even his warnings for so long, that God put into motion His purpose to pour out His judgment on these two rebellious men and raise up someone else, Samuel, who would be a faithful priest, honoring God in all he did.
That’s why that contrasting statement about Samuel is so significant: “Eli’s sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the LORD’s will to put them to death! And the boy Samuel continued to grow in stature and in favor with the LORD and with the people.” (1 Samuel 2:25,26)
Now my friends, let’s pause right here and ponder what we have seen and heard today. Do you know anyone who has disregarded, ignored or even rejected the warnings of their parents, their schoolteachers, the police of their town and they are now living in despair? You very likely know many people who claim they are not spiritually mature, nor do they have the ability to stay consistent in their pursuit of knowing God because of the dysfunction or decadent home they were raised in, or the immoral and wicked people all around them, or the profound influence of social media or pornography. When you look at Samuel, none of those excuses stand, do they? Somehow Samuel was able to keep his mind and heart pure despite the powerful influence upon his young life of these two wicked sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas.
So, I wonder what you see my friends, as you look at your life, your family, your social group and your spiritual life? Who are ignoring the warnings of God all around you? Who are paying the price now for having ignored the warnings years ago? Are you or would you like to be a Samuel, regardless of the depth of immorality or hypocrisy all around you?
I invite us all to spend a few moments in honest meditation with holy God as we worship with this song, and tomorrow we’ll come back to Shiloh, the place of worship, to see what God did about this crisis of rebellion against warnings in Eli’s family!
Today’s Scripture is 1 Samuel 2:22-26.
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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