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Good morning dear “Walking with Jesus” friends,
We all have experienced being called to account by parents or teachers or perhaps even the police. But what is it like when GOD calls someone to account?
I invite you to open your Bibles with me today and let’s rejoin the story of Eli, his priestly sons, and the boy Samuel at the Tabernacle of God at Shiloh in the historical period of about 1100bc.
1 Samuel 2:27 says “Now a man of God came to Eli and said to him, ‘This is what the LORD says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal Myself to your father’s house when you were in Egypt under Pharaoh? I chose your father out of all the tribes of Israel to be My priest…” The moment of God accountability for Eli has come!
We do not know who this person is, identified as ‘a man of God’. That phrase is often used in the Bible for a special prophet. A person to whom God entrusts a specific message, to be delivered to a specific person or people at a specific point in time. 1 Kings 13:1 is another example very similar to this one with Eli.
Sometimes these prophets were well known and even wrote the messages God gave them, and we have many in our Bible. Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Joel, Amos, Jonah, Haggai etc. On this occasion in 1 Samuel 2, this ‘man of God’ is nameless, and as far as we know, this is his only appearance in the Biblical record.
Eli was the High Priest of the people of Israel. The High Priest was a role inherited from Aaron, Moses brother, and his descendants. It was a high and holy calling, a sacred privilege. Among other things, it was only the High Priest who could enter the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle, where the Ark of the Covenant was, and meet with God. He went in there annually on the Day of Atonement, (Leviticus 16) to pray for himself and his people Israel, and make atonement for sin.
The High Priest was expected to be a man who studied often the Torah and other Holy writings of God. He was expected to be a man of prayer, who met with God frequently and was able to discern when God was saying something important to His people Israel. His primary role was to keep the people of God focused on God, living true to God’s commands, following God obediently and dealing with sin forthrightly.
Whenever the people came to Shiloh to worship, the High Priest’s role was to be sure they had significant worship experiences and returned to their homes refreshed and renewed in their relationship with God.
Finally, the High Priest could not do all this alone, thus he had the responsibility of recruiting, training and overseeing the work of other priests who served the people in their spiritual vitality and worship. In this case Eli had brought his two sons Hophni & Phinehas into the priesthood and they assisted their father in the sacred priestly duties at Shiloh. Perhaps the people assumed one of them might someday follow their father and inherit the High Priesthood?
But as we saw yesterday, 1 Samuel 2:12 says “Eli’s sons were wicked men; they had no regard for the LORD.” Evidently Eli was aware of this, as we saw in verses 22-25, and even challenged his sons on their wicked and immoral behavior, but to no avail. They were rebellious boys with hard hearts and paid no attention to their father Eli. The evil they were breeding in this place of holy worship was so offensive to God verse 25 says “…it was the LORD’s will to put them to death.”
Please look closely at the message this man of God brought to Eli as we see in verses 27-34. God’s primary accusation is found in verse 29 “Why do you scorn My sacrifice and offering that I prescribed…Why do you honor your sons more than Me…?” Perhaps you notice Eli does not argue with God, nor does he make excuses. He knows God’s call to account is accurate and fair. This is important my friends, for each and all of us, every living person, will one day stand in account before Holy God. That promise is made in Hebrews 4:13; 2 Corinthians 5:10 and Revelation 20:12,13.
Please note, when each of us stands in that accounting before God, there will be no need to argue with God or plead excuses. God is all knowing and has seen it all with His own eyes, so when God recounts for us what He has seen or heard, we will only be able to admit it is true and accept God’s judgment. That’s what happened here to Eli.
Do you see what God’s judgment was for Eli, in verses 30-34? First, “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… in your family line there will never be an old man.” (verses 31,32)
Secondly, there would be nothing but heartbreak and tears in their lives. Thirdly, both of Eli’s sons Hophni and Phinehas will die on the same day! We will see the truth of that in chapter 4.
As you and I stand there alongside Eli listening to this pronouncement from this “man of God”, I wonder what you are feeling, and what do you think Eli is feeling inside? Evidently there was nothing Eli could say. I imagine he lowered his head in shame and simply let the horrible truth sink deeply into his heart. He had failed badly, as as father and a spiritual man, the High Priest. I would guess the tears of shame rolled down his face.
But the man of God was not finished. God wanted Eli to know He was determined to help His people regain their spiritual vitality and so the next words from the man of God are among the most significant in history: “I will raise up for Myself a faithful priest, who will do what is in My heart and mind.” (1 Samuel 2:35)
This statement is the heart of God for humanity in all generations. If you look closely, you’ll see God has raised up men and women who have a passion to love God, know God, listen to God, and be fully obedient to anything God tells them, in every generation. Some have been high profile followers of God like Billy Graham or DL Moody or Hudson Taylor. Who else do you see God has raised up to follow Him obediently?
But also millions of ordinary people like you and me have been raised up by God and followed Him wholeheartedly, and have done so out of the limelight, with no fanfare, and very faithfully. I believe my parents were like that, maybe yours were too. I’m hoping “Walking with Jesus”, is helping many people around the world be men and women like that in our day.
While Eli didn’t evidently know who this ‘man of God’ was talking about, as we will see in days to come, the boy Samuel was that man God was raising up in that generation. I’d like to invite us to reflection as we close today, my friends. First, reflection on the fact that each of us will stand in accountability before God one day. Is there anything the Holy Spirit of God is bringing to your memory that should be confessed and repented of now, so when that day comes, your sin is covered by the blood of Jesus?
Secondly, while none of us can turn the clock back and redo the past, could it be God has raised YOU up, at this stage of your life, to be Samuel in your family, your network of friends, maybe even your church? Will you pursue knowing God so well you can discern when God speaks to you and will you then follow Him wholeheartedly and carefully so God can accomplish through you what will bring Him great glory?
Thirdly, look around, especially at the generations that follow you, in your extended family and network of relationships. Do you see a young Samuel out there? Is God asking you to come alongside that young Samuel as a prayer partner, an encourager? I often wonder, other than his mother Hannah and father Elkanah who visited him once a year, who else did young Samuel have to pray with, discuss the issues of life with, pursue knowing God with? Maybe you could be that person for a young Samuel God shows you, who is just getting started?
Oh Lord God, thank you that with you there is justice. Thank you that there will be an accounting with You for everyone, and evil will be held to account. Thank you that forgiveness is available because of Jesus and His full payment for our sin. Thank you that you keep raising up Samuel’s in our day. Are you asking us to be Samuel’s? Are there some young Samuel’s you want us to encourage and partner with?
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“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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