A Great House Falls

I will honor only those who honor me, and I will despise those who despise me. I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. – 1 Samuel 2:30b-31a

Eli was a good man with bad sons, a frequent phenomenon in the Bible. Eli’s two sons were supposed to assist him at the temple, but they began to take for themselves meat that was supposed to be sacrificed to God. As if that was not enough, they took the meat by force and they also slept with women who came to worship at the temple! Eli tried halfheartedly to rebuke them but was too weak to disown or dismiss them. So God condemned Eli for permitting his sons to continue their sins, thus honoring them more than the Lord. He predicted terrible, seemingly eternal punishment to the House of Eli: both his sons would die on the same day, and none of his other descendants would live a long life. In 1 Samuel 3:14, God told Eli through Samuel that because his sons committed sacrilege and he did not rebuke them, the iniquity of the house of Eli would never be expiated by sacrifice or offering. Note that God did not say that their iniquity would never be atoned for by sincere repentance and change of behavior. He just specified that ritual acts, such as bringing sacrifices, would not effect expiation.

There are lessons to learn from this tragic story. The first is that natural birth is not a qualification for spiritual service. Some families seem to have a history of service in certain fields. But men cannot inherit qualifications which fit them to be moral leaders and spiritual guides. If birth and blood and time-honored custom could qualify men for a moral service, then Eli’s sons would have been destined to be great men of God. Yet they were miserable failures. They did not know the Lord (2:12). You cannot rely on your family’s religiosity or faithful church attendance. The only thing that will help you is your own personal walk with God.

Also, when we reject the great advantages that God grants us, we become even worse sinners than the common ilk. I sometimes refer to this principle as the “Law of Light”. Everyone receives a certain amount of “enlightenment” from God. Call it grace, call it truth, call it opportunity, call it whatever you want – it comes from God and is given to every human. According to the Parable of the Talents, when we “bury” these opportunities, we do not merely remain at a spiritual stand still. Whatever light was originally given is taken away! We are left in a more darkened and sin-stained condition than we started! Therefore, make sure that whatever truth God sends your way that you react positively to it; being not just a hearer of the Word but a doer of it.