1st Samuel 2:1-36

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1^st Samuel 2:1-36

Prayer of Hannah

“And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. 2 There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. 3 Talk no more exceedingly proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. 4 The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength. 5 They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble. 6 The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up. 7 The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. 8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, and he hath set the world upon them. 9 He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. 10 The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed. 11 And Elkanah went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest. 12 Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD. 13 And the priest’s custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant came, while the flesh was yet seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand; 14 and he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither. 15 Also before they burnt the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw. 16 And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force. 17 Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD. 18 But Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod. 19 Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. 20 And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their own home. 21 And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD. 22 Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. 23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. 24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD’s people to transgress. 25 If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall entreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them. 26 And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men. 27 And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house? 28 And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel? 29 Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? 30 Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. 31 Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house. 32 And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever. 33 And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age. 34 And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them. 35 And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever. 36 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.”

Introduction

[Audio version: https://resources.ccphilly.org/detail.asp?TopicID=&Teaching=WED647]

“We come to the end of the first chapter, Hannah having conceived, given birth to a son, which she promised if you’ll give me birth to a son, a child, I’ll give him to you all of the days of his life, and then staying with Samuel until he was weaned, probably somewhere three to four years old, then she brings him back to Shiloh, to the Tabernacle to present him to Eli the high priest and say ‘Remember me? I’m the woman who promised that if the LORD would give conception, that my son would belong to him all of the days of his life.’ It’s not the normal term of a Levite, which he was, but all the days of his life, ‘that no razor would ever come upon his head.’ Verse 27 of chapter 1, she says “For this child” speaking to Eli, “I prayed; and the LORD hath given me my petition which I asked of him:” she says “therefore also I have lent him to the LORD; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD. And he [they] worshipped the LORD there.” (verses 27-28) she recognizes he had come from him, King James says “And he” it should be “And they worshipped the LORD there.” no doubt Elkanah, Hannah and little Samuel. Beautiful play on words here, as we move through this. In the 28^th verse it says “Therefore also I have lent him,” that’s one Hebrew word, it has the idea of “returning.” And then he says “as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the LORD,” it’s a different word, “s h a u l” shaul, it’s the word as Saul, “as long as he liveth he shall be saul unto the LORD.” And the ancient rabbis take note, coincidence is not a kosher word, that that is there by God’s design, and what they say is “Samuel was really the first king of Israel, not Saul,” Saul was such a disappointment. ‘That all the days of his life he shall be SHAUL unto the LORD, he shall be Saul.’ And the ancient tradition was Samuel was a noble character, he was such a man, that he was in all reality, really above Saul, he was the first king of Israel until David was to come. So it’s a beautiful play on words, it’s just for your information, you can do whatever you want with that.

Hannah’s Song

“And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.” (verse) Look at that, chapter 2, verse 1, it doesn’t say she cried, I’m sure she did. She’s handing over this young boy, 3 to 4 years old. What does a boy 3 to 4 years old understand? She’s had some discussions with him about the fact that she begged the LORD for him, and that she conceived and God had granted conception, and that she had promised him to the LORD. You know, how does a 3 to 4 year old conceptualize that? What did they do with it. This young Samuel had probably seen tears in her eyes a number of times, as she described this whole process, and said ‘One day I’m going to take you to the Tabernacle, you’re going to serve the LORD all the days of your life.’ And it’s interesting here, “And Hannah prayed,” she cried, she prayed, she worshipped. And this song, this prayer that’s written here is so beautiful, that Mary’s Magnificat in chapter 1 of Luke takes parts of this song that Hannah now lifts to the LORD, this prayer. “And Hannah prayed, and said, My heart” and the Jew recognized that as the deepest part of the being, most complete part of the being, “My heart rejoiceth in the LORD, mine horn is exalted in the LORD: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.” now her mouth over her enemies, probably Peninnah was in her mind who had mocked her those years she hadn’t conceived. But her mouth is enlarged over her enemies, not to curse them. Sometimes our mouth opens up wide to say bad things about other people. She says “my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation.” not in childbearing, in thy salvation. In all of this there’s something higher in the heart of Hannah than even Samuel, even the miraculous birth. There’s some other thing, so she said ‘Even my mouth, LORD you’re my strength, you’re my rejoicing, my mouth is open, enlarged over mine enemies, not to curse them, but my mouth is enlarged because I’m rejoicing in your salvation, I have something they don’t.’ So she’s lifted up to this place, no doubt it’s prophetic, looking to Samuel, but all the way to Christ here. She says “There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.” (verse 2) It’s very interesting, only the Jews had conception of this, she says ‘There is none holy as the LORD.’ And then again, we think of holy as saintly or having a halo around your head, or floating off the ground, or having orchestral music in the background when you speak. The Jew had a vastly different idea of holy, she says ‘There is none holy’ she says ‘as the LORD,’ and the reason, she says ‘there is none beside thee,’ the Jews understood that there was only One that had absolute existence, that was God. There was only One that absolutely existed, he existed before Creation, he existed before Time & Space, he existed, you know, he creates Time & Space, before he did that there wasn’t even Space. It wasn’t like outerspace was empty like no stars and no planets, there was nothing, that’s what we can’t conceive of. But he existed. So he’s the only one that absolutely exists, all of our existence is derived from him, without him none of us exist. There is only creation and the Creator, those are the only two things that exist, God and that which is not God, and that’s you and I, we’re that which is not God. He has absolute existence, our existence is derived from him, and remarkably she says it here, ‘there is none holy,’ that existence makes him separate or distinct, set apart from all else. “There is none holy as the LORD: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God.” what a stable strength he was in her life. “Talk no more exceedingly proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.” (verse 3) You know, when she thinks of these things, and she thinks of his greatness, she’s so tired of people bragging with arrogance, you know, he’s the only one that exists, everything else is derived from his existence, so she said ‘I’m tired of people who shoot off their mouth.’ “The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength.” (verse 4) those that stumble are strengthened by the LORD. “They that were full have hired out themselves for bread; and they that were hungry ceased: so that the barren hath born seven; and she that hath many children is waxed feeble.” (verse 5) she says people who seem like they’re on top of everything end up with nothing. And they that were hungry have ceased, from being hungry, the idea is. She says I see all of these things in the LORD. Well she hadn’t seen it before, she’d been crying, had been weeping and asking the LORD. Now all of this has come to her in a remarkable way. Look at verse 6, “The LORD killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up.” That is a remarkable conception and revelation for a Jewish woman thousands of years ago, ‘the LORD kills and he makes alive, the LORD takes down to the grave and he brings up again.’ No doubt, the resurrection. “The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up.” (verse 7) Deuteronomy chapter 8 says this, “Thou shalt remember the LORD thy God, for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers as it is this day.” He’s the one who gives power to get wealth. Ladies, if you’re not happy with how much your husband is making, you need to pray. Don’t blame him, God is the one who gives power to get wealth. You know, you see these programs on TV, you flip around, they’re as bad as the Juicers now, they all got these secret plans about how you can be a millionaire in 40 days or something. No, it says here the LORD is the one who gives power to get wealth. Hannah says “The LORD maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and lifteth up. He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes,” and how we see that as we go through the Bible, “and to make them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, and he hath set the world upon them.” (verses 7-8) She understands behind Creation there is an order. You know, today quantum physicists are starting to look at those things and understand them. One quantum physicist said “It’s almost as though everything that exists is a fog in the mind of God.” because of course they’ve come to realize, that hey, this thing here [as Pastor Joe taps the podium], it ain’t really here. As quantum physicists look at atomic structure you have the neutron and the electrons revolving around it, and if I would have a neutron in my hand the size of a basketball, it’s electron would be in California, 3,000 miles away. So everything that exists is mostly space. My wife keeps telling me that. So this is really an electrical field (as he taps the podium again) more than anything else. They say you could take the entire Earth, and if you’d remove all of the space in all of the atoms, it would fit in a bushel basket. The Earth, 24,000 miles in circumference would fit in a bushel basket if you took all of the space out of it. Hannah says here “the pillars of the earth are the LORD’s, and he hath set the world upon them.” she understands something of his Creative genius, and he's set everything the way that it is. I love this, “He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.” (verse 9) and the Hebrew indicates “he will keep, or guard, or superintend the feet of the each one that loves him.” the feet of each one that’s loves him, there’s an individual promise attached to this, the word appears plural. It says “he shall keep, he will guard, he will superintend the path and the steps of each one, each and every one that loves him.” The promise to us tonight, and I appreciate that, because I certainly need someone to superintend my path. “and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail. The adversaries of the LORD shall be broken to pieces; out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth; and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.” (verses 9b-10) ‘I’ve set my king on my holy hill Zion, the LORD in the heaven, he laughs, he holds the nations in derision,’ and so forth. “out of heaven shall he thunder upon them: the LORD shall judge the ends of the earth;” no hiding place, he’s going to judge even to the ends of the earth, “and he shall give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed.” “his Meschiach, his Messiah,” the first time it’s used in the Bible, from the lips of Hannah. What a remarkable, remarkable women, the first time that we have the term “LORD of hosts,” from a person in the Bible, from the lips of Hannah, the first time we have this word, “the anointed” from the lips of Hannah, and this beautiful song, this beautiful thing comes forth from her.

“And The Child Did Minister Unto The LORD Before Eli The Priest”

And it says “And Elkanah” her husband “went to Ramah to his house. And the child did minister unto the LORD before Eli the priest.” (verse 11) Now, “the child, Samuel, did minister unto the LORD,” that certainly was in age-appropriate responsibilities. In other words, Mom didn’t leave and say ‘He’s gonna sacrifice bulls, keep a close eye on him, he’s only this tall.’ No, he ministered to the LORD, it says, before Eli, the idea is, under the supervision of Eli. And this is an unusual case, because normally the Levites came at age 25, they trained for a number of years before they really stepped into office. Here is the rare case where someone who is a Levite by birth, but is committed to the LORD as a Nazarite from birth, all the days of his life, and Eli is superintending the responsibilities, and no doubt in those early years, until he had a certain amount of strength that came with maturity, scholarship was the main agenda, no doubt he was taught for many hours a day, Hebrew, the responsibilities there, no doubt, many of the things they had come out of Egypt with, no doubt he is taught remarkably here. But he ministers, it says, unto the LORD, in the things that they would allow him to do, and he did it before, under the supervision of Eli. And what an incredible influence Hannah was in the life of this little 3 or 4 year old bobbing around here at the Tabernacle now. Now, here’s the contrast, here’s the environment he’s in. “Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial;” they were worthless, they were good-for-nothing, and look, “they knew not the LORD.” (verse 12) they were there, they had no experience with the LORD at all. “And the priest’s custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant came,” one of the servants of Hophni or Phinehas “while the flesh in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand; and he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither.” (verses 13-14) Now that’s wrong, the priest was allowed the heave shoulder, the right breast, that’s specific in the Law, the law of the priests, the priests would have plenty to eat. But it says Hophni and Phinehas sent their own guys down there with some kind of little fleshhook on a chain, and when they threw something to boil or put it in a pan, they would throw the hook in and snag anything they came up with and it would belong to them. Wrong portion, wrong procedure, completely outside of what God has prescribed. Verse 15 says, “Also before they burnt the fat, the priest’s servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.” So they would come and say ‘Hey, before you boil that thing, cut off a piece of it and give it to the priest, because he likes barbeque, he don’t like boiled meat.’ Now I can’t blame him, I’d much rather have barbeque than boiled meat [except for corned beef, one of my favorite boiled meat dishes], but God prescribed that it was to be sodden, was to be boiled. And the idea of what these guys are saying, ‘I don’t eat that boiled meat, I want barbeque, so leave some of the fat on there, it’s really good, it sizzles, tastes good.’ Look, it says “And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.” (verse 16) The people knew the Law as good as the priests, the people wanted it fulfilled, they understood when the fat burned it produced what Leviticus calls “a sweet savour that rose before the LORD,” as that smoke went up. Literally it is “a savour of rest,” the burnt offering, the smoke rising, in the heart of God the Father, he saw his Son in those sacrifices. And these guys are defaming and destroying the beauty of this, and they’re holding it all in contempt. So the people are saying ‘Hey look, let them burn the fat, and then take whatever you want,’ “then he” the servant of Hophni and Phinehas “would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.” ‘You’re gonna give us what we want, or we’re gonna take it by force.’ So, interesting picture here, they are fleecing God’s flock, you know, we see it in the Church [Greater Body of Christ] today, taking things that people are not entitled to. The Lord said ‘If you love me, feed my sheep,’ he didn’t say ‘fleece my sheep,’ we see plenty of that. Just look, verse 17, “Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men” Hophni and Phinehas “abhorred the offering of the LORD” which was a shadow of things, looking forward to Christ, they scorned it, they abhorred it, they didn’t care for it, they trampled on it. And that kind of hypocrisy in ministry produces all kinds of problems. They were acting like they were entitled to something. They weren’t entitled to anything. And it was, again, Eli’s responsibility as high priest to make sure these things weren’t taking place, that his sons were not out of line. In just your home, the father, high priest of the home, it’s his responsibility to make sure the kids are doing what’s right. It’s not Sunday school’s responsibility, Sunday school is only an addendum to the home. It’s not the Christian school’s responsibility, Christian school is an addendum to the home, we can’t give anything to any kid in any value system that’s not being upheld in the home, it’s a futile exercise. It isn’t the senior high pastor or junior high pastor’s responsibility, it’s the responsibility of the parent, and we’re going to see this as we go through this, God is very clear about it. [I might say this though, my parents were good people, but they weren’t real believers. But my mother had asked me if we three kids would like to go to the Episcopal Church in town, and we said yes. It was my first exposure to the Bible and to God, who looking back now, I know he was reaching out to me, so that church, with it’s excellent pastor, had a profound influence on my life. So also realize, if God wants your child, or any child in any circumstance, he can reach out and influence that child. It happened to me.] So Hophni and Phinehas are out there destroying everything that God had made sacred to where the people even recognized it, and there’s incredible hypocrisy going on in the Tabernacle because of Hophni and Phinehas.

‘The Hand That Rocks The Cradle Rules The World’

Now it comes back again, look at verse 18, “But” here’s the contrast, “Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.” in the midst of all of this insanity and all of this sin, isn’t it interesting, that what Hannah had invested in this little boy from birth up to 3 and ½ had such an impact on his life, obviously, besides the calling of God there, that he’s managing in the middle of all of this. But “Samuel ministered before the LORD, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.” so they made a little priest outfit for him, a little Levite’s outfit ‘Ah, isn’t he cute, look at that little ephod running around there.’ “Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.” (verse 19) So Ramah is about 15 miles north of where Shiloh is. And she comes every year at a regular time for the sacrifice, and brings him a new garment, because he’s growing. So, every year she must anticipate a certain level of growth, making it a little bit bigger than he needs to. You know, moms think of all of those things. It’s a 15-mile walk one way, a 15-mile walk home, image Hannah got there more than once a year to see little Sammy. And mothers still adorn their children by their example today. Moms have a profound impact on the lives of their children. Paul says in 1^st Timothy chapter 2, verse 15 that women are saved through childbearing, now we’re saved by the blood of Jesus, it isn’t that word, the idea is, there’s a preservation in the life of a mom, all of her values, everything she is, is saved, preserved in childbearing, if she continues in faith and holiness and so forth [doesn’t apply really to moms in the world, sadly, unless they’re somewhat righteous, even on their own, which they can be, like mine was]. Paul’s basically saying ‘The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world.’ And moms, you know, step front and center, because you adorn your kids by your example. Hannah was a woman that prayed, and trusted, and praised, and came each year, more than once I’m sure to little Sammy, and talked with him and met with him, sat with him and prayed with him, and encouraged him, I’m sure, in spiritual things. But she had dedicated him before he was born. I think, how long do we wait to dedicate our kids? How long do we wait to say ‘Lord, they’re yours, they’re not mine, everything about their life belongs to you’ ? Do we wait till they’re 15 and smoking pot before we do that? There was no question in Hannah’s mind. She came every year and brought him a little coat, and every year the little coat was a little bit bigger. “And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The LORD give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the LORD. And they went unto their own home. And the LORD visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the LORD.” (verses 20-21) Isn’t it interesting, “the LORD visited Hannah,” ah, men, husbands, fathers do you think of it that way? You know, the Lord visited my wife four times, and we weren’t planning any of that, he visited her four times, and I am thankful that he did, two sons and two daughters, walking with the Lord. Overwhelmed and underserving. He’s the same, yesterday, today and forever, that’s what the Bible says. He visited Hannah, what an interesting idea. You can’t outgive God, can you. You give one kid to the LORD, he gives you five more. Elkanah said ‘Don’t give me no more, we don’t want ten running around here.’ He gave back to her three sons and two daughters, and the child Samuel grew before the LORD. What was it like, their conversations? Imagine Hannah and Elkanah talking to the rest of these little faces around the table about their older brother, ‘Why doesn’t he live home like we do? Why? Because we promised him to the LORD.’ Why?’ you know how it goes, ‘We promised if the LORD would grant birth,’ ‘Why?’ Just imagine the conversations with his younger siblings around the table, saying to them ‘We prayed, we poured out our hearts, and God was so gracious to us, and he gave us Samuel, and Samuel has a special place,’ and so do all of you, God’s going to do something with each one of you. Just imagine what that home was like, in the midst, these are still in the days of the Judges, when every man’s doing what is right in his own eyes, there’s no king in Israel. Most of them are doing, it says, what’s evil in the sight of the LORD, and here’s this remarkable home in the middle of all that. What an interesting, I would have loved to sat at that table if I knew Hebrew, and listen to them talk. [Having been a submarine sailor during the late 60s, I’d love to be in the Ward Room of any US Fast Attack submarine right now, listening to the conversations of the officers, in the middle of this war between the Ukraine and Russia, with Russia threatening to use nuclear weapons. It’d probably be some kind of replay of the movie Crimson Tide, starring Gene Hackman. I’ll say no more, don’t want to scare you folks 😊]

Eli Attempts To Reprove His Sons, But They Don’t Listen

Now, the contrast again, verse 22, “Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.” Now we’re going to find out in chapter 4, when he keels over, he’s 98, so he’s over 80-years-old here, we’re not sure how old, but that was very old in that day. They’re having illicit sexual relationships with the women “that assembled,” the Hebrew word is “fell into ranks,” it isn’t talking about women who came there to sacrifice, there was a group of women who came there, it says, who then fell into order, they had responsibilities on a daily basis there, helping the priests, and Hophni and Phinehas are finding their way into their emotions and seducing them, and having sex with them. And it says all of Israel knows, it says their father hears, he heard all that they did, the people were complaining no doubt to Eli. And look, this is the kind of thing, it’s bad enough, theft, I just don’t like the idea of a thief, there are some things that drive me crazy. If my roof is leaking, it drives me out of my mind. I cannot sit inside if my roof is dripping. I’m out on the roof, with an aluminum ladder in an electric storm, my kids are crying ‘Daddy’s gonna die!’ I don’t care, strike me with lightning, it ain’t gonna drip in my house, I just gotta stop that. One of the other things that really bothers me is a thief, I don’t know about you guys, somehow that just bothers me. But there isn’t anything more despicable than a religious thief, somebody whose stealing in the name of the Lord, and taking what doesn’t belong to them, because not only is that something we’re going to see that God abhors. Hey, pulpits across America today are filled with unbelievers who make up their own standards on what’s moral and what’s not, and it is a Bain to the Church of Jesus Christ. And Eli hears what his sons are doing, this is the worst of it, even the Canaanites in their worship weren’t this despicable. [I think the Canaanites were that bad, based on archeological history.] Look at verse 23, “And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.” now why does he have to hear from somebody else? they’re his kids, he’s a dad. Don’t ask your kids ‘Why?’ if they’re in sin, reprove them, with the Word of God, open the Scripture and show them what they’re doing is wrong. Even if they’re going to rebel against that, you’re going to plant a seed that has a measure of authority. If you just argue with them and tell them what you think, what’s the basis of your argument? If you open this Book, and you show them what they’re doing wrong, even if they spit on it, 5 years from now when they’re ground to powder, they’re going to remember that there’s a standard, and there is authority, and they’re going to know where to come back to get things right. Don’t ask them why, who cares why, they were sinners, they were conceived in sin, born in iniquity, that’s why. It’s a no-brainer, it’s not rocket science. Reprove them, open the Scripture, talk to them. Look over in verse 29, this prophet says to Eli a little bit later on, he says ‘your problem is, you honour your sons above me.’ “Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?” He knew what was going on. Over in chapter 3, verse13, look there, the LORD speaking to Samuel, “For I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he knoweth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them not.” Why are they doing that? Because dad was not doing what he was supposed to do. He could have stepped in, even though they were adults, he could have thrown them out of the ministry, there were at least five families, five lineages that came from Aaron, there was Phineas, Ithamar, there were other young men that could step in, there’s lines of priests, there’s other men who could step in and be priests that are of Aaron’s line. He didn’t do anything here, he didn’t deal with it. Now he’s looking at them saying ‘Why are you doing such things? I hear of your evil dealings, I hear from all the people,’ “Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD’s people to transgress.” (verse 24) Oh really? Your sons are thieves, they’re immoral, they’re stealing stuff from everybody, they’re mocking the offerings and they’re having sex with the women at the Tabernacle, he said ‘You know, that’s not a good report.’ No kidding. “ye make the LORD’s people to transgress.” “you make the LORD’s people to transgress.” Matthew 18:6 talks about the millstone, it was no secret, it was no secret. David said ‘Before thee and thee only have I sinned and done this great evil in thy sight.’ No one else saw, David was very aware that God saw. Nehemiah, in chapter 13, when he talks about the sin that he encountered as he came back to Israel, he said, “In those days also I saw Jews that had married wives of Ashdod,” they married idolators, “of Ammon and Moab. And their children spake half the speech of Ashdod and could not speak the Jews language, but according to the language of each people,” the kids gravitate of course away from the LORD, they spoke half the language of Ashdod, they couldn’t speak any of the language of heaven, and he says “I contended with them, I reviled them, I smote certain of them, and I plucked off their hair.” Things were much easier back then, ‘What’s wrong with you?’ you whack somebody and pull their beard out. Ah, can’t do that anymore. But Eli should have done something like that with his sons, undoubtedly. He says ‘You make the LORD’s people to transgress.’ And then he says “If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him?” whose going to stand in the gap for him? “Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them.” (verse 25) Then it says, because now God had determined that he would slay them. Look, to every human eye, it looked like they were getting away with it, we don’t know how many years it went on. But that was not the case, God all the while had a plan. Now I tell you that, because lots of times we hear from folks in church who are sinned against, sometimes by a spouse who becomes unfaithful, goes out, becomes remarried to someone else, and we have someone whose done their best to stay true to the Lord, saying ‘It’s not right, they’re out there with a nice home and a nice white picket fence, and I’m struggling.’ No, no, they’re not getting away with anything. To human observance, it may appear that they’ve gotten away with something, but not before God, not before God. All of that has a trail to it, all of that is something he observes, all of that is something that he’s watching. God says, it says here that he challenged them, they wouldn’t listen, and then the writer of the Book of Samuel enters in, that’s “because the LORD would slay them.” You know, even in 1^st Corinthians chapter 11 when we take Communion [for Sabbath-keeping Church of God folks, Passover], ‘many are sick among you, some of you die, because you don’t judge yourselves, because you’re living in sin.’ 1^st John chapter 5:16 says ‘There is a prayer,’ you know, you should pray for those who’ve sinned, there is a sin not unto death, it seems God in his judgment decides that someone has crossed the line, and he takes them, he takes them. You think of Nadab and Abihu, it doesn’t say they were lost or went to hell, but God took them out, God took ‘em out. Ananias and Sapphira fell down dead, doesn’t say they went to hell. [Comment: the greater Body of Christ has various beliefs about hell and the “unsaved dead.” For some of these, see https://unityinchrist.com/plaintruth/battle.htm] And here, God in his wisdom and his sovereignty says they refused to listen, they continued to rebel, it says the LORD decided that he would slay them. “And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the LORD, and also with men.” (verse 26) Hey, this is a little kid in the midst of a corrupt society, in the midst of a corrupt religious system, in the midst of every carnal thing that every parent would worry about their kid getting infected with. And yet through God’s grace and Hannah’s example, the parents praying for him, this little guy grows up in the middle of all this, and it says he “was in favour with the LORD, and also with men.”

Judgment Comes Onto The Priestly Line

And look at verse 27, “And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house?” this man of God is anonymous, we don’t know who he is. Eli’s not getting away with anything, in another place in the Old Testament he talked through a Donkey, he does it every Sunday here. He can do that whenever he wants, he doesn’t need anybody special, it just says “And there came a man of God” Who? We don’t know, God just sends a guy there, with the Spirit on him, he doesn’t need any pedigree, he doesn’t need any degrees, we don’t need to know his name, he just shows up, the instrument of God, to speak the truth. And he says “Thus saith the LORD, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house?” ‘Didn’t I reveal myself to the house of your father Aaron when they were in Egypt, in Pharaoh’s house?’ “And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel?” (verses 27b-28) They didn’t have to take them by force, there was great provision in the offerings and sacrifices for the sons of Aaron. He said “did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel? Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?” (verses 28c-29) You know, this man of God comes and says ‘The office of the priest is a holy office, it’s set aside from everything else, through God’s grace, through God’s choosing, God’s direction, God’s election. And didn’t I provide everything that you would need within the boundaries of that framework? Why then are you kicking at my sacrifice?’ Now this is not to Hophni and Phinehas, this is to Eli the father. “Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation;” listen, ‘my sacrifice and my offering which I have commanded in my habitation,’ is he speaking about heaven or is he speaking about the Tabernacle? He’s commanded it in his habitation. You know, Solomon when he dedicates the Temple, he says ‘it’s impossible that God should dwell in a building made with hands, the heavens themselves can’t contain thee,’ but what God did, is he appointed a place where he would meet with his people, for their need, not his in a sense. He appointed a physical, geographical place, the Tabernacle at this point in time. He prescribed the way offerings and sacrifices would be offered. His presence was over the Ark of the Covenant between the wings of the cherubim over the Mercy Seat, the Shekinah Glory. He said ‘I prescribed all this from my habitation, and you’re mocking at that, you’re kicking at that?’ he says to Eli, “and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?” (verse 29) You honour your sons above me, that word “honour” means “to enrich,” it means “to make valuable, to give wealth.” What God is saying, ‘you place more value on your sons than you do on me, more value on your daughters than you do on me. I’ve given my Word, I’ve given my offerings, I’ve given order, and what are you doing?’ What he’s saying to Eli is, if you make allowance for the sins of your children, that is sin. To allow your children to sin is sin. And God’s going to hold him accountable. And how many times we see, you know, not in our churches, the churches in New Jersey. But how often we see, in the church, parents that let their kids see movies that they should never see, they let them listen to lyrics they should never listen to, they let them drink before the age of being legally drunk, which is still a sin. They let them date unbelievers, which God forbids, because they honour their kids above the Lord. [Now if your family is made up of non-believers, and your kids are non-believers, or have become so, and thus your grandkids are non-believers, then you have no authority over them. You pray for them and do the best you can, and set the best example you can to them.] They would rather be buddies to their kids than honour the God who gave those kids on loan. If they’re on loan from the LORD, and Hannah understood that, then his Word is the standard for raising them, not fondness, not fondness. We’re fond of our children, we love them, I would lay down my life for my kids. But the best thing I can do for them is to let the Word of God be the standard. Dads, let me tell you something, you come home, kids when they’re little are easier in some ways, they wear you out, when they’re real little they’re stinky and everything, but when they’re little, when they say ‘Why?!’ you say ‘Because I’m 240 lbs, and I’ll squash ya, that’s why,’ conversation’s over. But when they start to turn 13, 14, 15, God says ‘Come let us reason,’ and if he’s going to honour their ability to reason, you have to say ‘Because of this, or that, because this is what the Word says.’ But, dads, if you come home, and they’re arguing with their mom, even if mom’s wrong (you take her aside and talk to her about that later), because the first wrong is that they’re not honouring their mother who laid on a table screaming somewhere and squeezing them out into this miserable world, and they have life because of that women they’re arguing with. And they need to defer to her. There’s nowhere in the Bible that says moms are going to be perfect and right 100 percent of the time, the Bible doesn’t say that. It says “Honour your mother and your father.” They don’t have an easy job, and one day when grandkids come they’re going to enjoy you doing it all wrong. But dads, don’t do that. Don’t take kids side over mom. If mom, if you feel she’s in error about something, you talk to her about that privately alone. The best thing you can do for your kids is presenting a united front, let them know, of all human relationships, that God makes the husband and the wife one, he doesn’t make kids and parents one, he makes husbands and wives one. Look, I know there are those here with broken homes, and I know there are those here where the woman, the wife is out committing adultery, or where the husband is out taking drugs or committing adultery, and I know it comes to the point where that kid then at 13 or 14 is not just your child, your son or your daughter, they are your brother and sister in Christ, and in those circumstances I believe the right thing to do is to talk to them about what the Scripture says, and where error is. I’m talking about when mom and dad are in the home, doing their best to survive, having their marriage what God wants it to be, to provide an umbrella for the kids, don’t get caught in the trap—because the kids are going to say ‘She did this,’ and you might be thinking ‘she should be,’ don’t do that, don’t get caught in that. But because what they’re doing wrong is, fighting with their mom. You uphold her authority, talk to her later if you feel like there’s something you guys need to work out. Don’t take sides in front of them. Eli’s doing everything wrong here with these kids, he’s honouring them above the LORD, and the LORD sends the prophet to him, not to Hophni and Phinehas, to challenge him, to yell at him about what he’s doing, challenging him to take a stand. Let me ask you a question, how many people in this room, you can show me your hand, have taken a stand for the Lord, and because you’ve taken a stand for the Lord, it’s damaged a family relationship somewhere in your family? Thank you for taking a stand. You know, and one day, those family relationships will be restored. You’ve done what’s right. And we don’t want to be Pharisees, we don’t want to be ‘holier than thou,’ we never want to do that in some mean-spirited way. But there are times when we have to look at our closest friends and say ‘You know, I can’t do that, I can’t let that go on, because I love the Lord, and this is what his Word says, and I wouldn’t be loving you if I just let that go on without challenging you.’ And sometimes that can be costly. It may have been very costly for Eli, but it would have been the right thing for him to do. Matthew chapter 10 says this, Jesus speaking, ‘He that loveth father or mother more than me, is not worthy of me. He that loveth son or daughter more than me, is not worthy of me.’ You know, Eli’s hearing it from a man of God who comes to him, the disciples heard it from Jehovah-God standing right in front of them, and talking to them, and saying ‘He who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me,’ in the person of Jesus.

There Are Plenty Of People In Ministry Today That Want To Make Themselves Fat With The Offerings Of God’s People--A Powerful Judgment Comes On Preachers Like That

This man of God says to Eli “Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice” ‘you’re being resentful, you’re being careless,’ “and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?” nothing new under the sun, huh? There are plenty of people in ministry today that want to make themselves fat with the offerings of God’s people. In fact, that’s all you hear, ‘More offerings, dig deep! You people aren’t giving, you need to give!’ cut me a break is what you need to do. Ah, different subject, don’t let anybody do that to you. ok? Give, because you love Jesus with all your heart, if you put 20 bucks in the offering and say ‘I can’t believe they pass that bucket around, all these chicken buckets, with all the money I give, why don’t they get some nice solid baskets around here!’ just keep the 20 bucks and eat pizza, that’s all you’re going to get for it anyway. You put 5 bucks in because you love Jesus, that comes back, that comes back. They were consuming the offerings, the sacrifices in a wrong, greedy way, “Wherefore the LORD God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever:” the line of Aaron, “but now the LORD saith, Be it far from me;” please underline it in your Bible “for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house.” he’s talking about a judgment on the whole lineage, cutting off the arm had the idea of your strength, doings, your activity, who you are as a family that’s going to be cut off. “And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever.” (verses 30-32) Now probably seeing an enemy in the habitation, you’re going to find out a little bit later that God’s going to give the Ark over to the Philistines for a season. “And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age. And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them.” (verses 33-34) and we will come to that, it was fulfilled. And he says “And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.” (verse 35) Now certainly Jesus most fulfilled that, but the line of Zadok, through Phineas, one of the other families of Aaron, “I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.” (verse 35) of course, interesting, as we come to the Book of Ezekiel, during the 1,000 year reign, the LORD says this, interestingly, chapter 44 he says, “And the Levites that are gone away far from me” now Ezekiel is speaking in the prophetic future tense of something that’s happening then, he says “the Levites that are gone away from me, when Israel went astray, which went astray away from me after their idols, they shall even bear iniquity, yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the house, and ministering to the house, they shall slay the burnt offering and sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them” before the people “to minister unto them.” So he says the priestly families that turned away, when we come into the Kingdom Age, they’re still going to have a place, I’m going to give them a place, but their place is going to be to kill the sacrifice and to stand before the people, to minister to the people. And then he says this, “But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok that kept the charge of my sanctuary, when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me, to minister to me, they shall stand before me, to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the LORD God. Thy shall enter into my sanctuary, they shall come near to my table, to minister to me, they shall keep my charge.” The Levitical families that turned away, these other things of the priests, they’ll have a place in my Kingdom, but they’re going to minister to the people, that’s their punishment, ministering to the people. But the house of Zadok that was faithful to me, they’re gonna come to me, not to the people, they’re gonna minister to me, they’re going to be in my presence, not the presence of the people. And he says ‘They’re going to partake of my table.’ It’s very remarkable, when you study that Millennial Temple, there’s no Ark, there’s no Table of Incense, there’s none of that, all there is, inside the Holy of Holies, is a singular wooden table, and he says ‘Those priests, of the house of Zadok are going to come there, and sit there, at that table, with me.’ What a privilege, what a privilege. You and I have that privilege now, Sunday night we’re going to sit at that table with the Lord, as it were, we’re going to partake of Communion, I encourage you to come. [Comment: Also, all resurrected, immortal sons and daughters of God will sit at the Wedding Table of the Lamb of God, at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, cf. Revelation 19:7-10] When we do it, he says ‘as often as you break this bread and drink this cup, you do show forth the Lord’s death, until he comes,’ because in the Millennial Kingdom, we don’t partake of the Lord’s supper, no Communion, and in the Old Testament they didn’t partake of it, just you and I, the Church of the Firstborn, the Bride of Christ, we get to partake of that Table, we get to partake of it. [Comment: the Sabbath-keeping Churches of God partake of it once a year, during their Christian Passover service, as a Memorial of the Lord’s death and that Last Supper, as they believe the early churches of God did in Jerusalem, Judea and Asia Minor, from the time of the apostles, through John, Polycarp and Policrates up in Asia Minor and Ephesus did, on the 14^th Nisan, as recorded in The Post & Antinicene Fathers, which the Catholic Bishop in Rome was trying to get them to cease doing, and about 200 years later, when Constantine banned this practice as well as all Sabbath/Holy Day observances of the early Christian churches of God throughout Asia Minor and the Roman Empire. Just a bit of unpopular Church History 😊 see https://unityinchrist.com/history2/earlychurch1.htm] Isn’t it interesting? In the Old Testament the sacrifices looked forward to Christ, who would come. During the Millennial age the sacrifices are memorials, they look back to the One who was slaughtered on the cross, who died, and people in the Millennium are in by faith, they’re going to have to believe that this King let his beard be ripped out, let his face be spit on, that he was mocked and scourged and nailed to a cross, they’re going to have to believe that to be born-again during the Kingdom Age [just as we do, by the way, now, that won’t change, except they’ll be able to see Jesus in person whenever he appears to them out of the Temple precinct where he will reside, in Jerusalem]. So the ages of the Old Testament and the Millennial Kingdom, in sacrifice look to the middle, as it were, to Christ, he died on the cross. You and I, the Bride of Christ, the Church of the Firstborn, we get to partake of his Table, it is our privilege that he has given to us, to gather together. And look, Jesus said “Do this,” he didn’t say think about it, here’s a suggestion, why don’t you try this once in awhile,’ he said “do this, do this,” he wants us to do it, do this in remembrance of me. Here, this prophet says ‘I’m going to stop your line,’ it came from Aaron, ‘and I’m going to use one of the other lines of Aaron,’ “I will raise up to myself a faithful priest that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.” We’re going to meet Zadok in the life of David and Solomon and his lineage. “And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a piece of bread.” (verse 36) He said, ‘the time’s going to come when the house of Zadok is going to be running things, and those that are left of your house are going to come and beg, please, let me have a place again,’ and he says it’s not going to happen. So, interesting, Eli dealt with. [God called me into the greater Body of Christ through the Worldwide Church of God in 1970, while Herbert W. Armstrong was alive, along with his son Garner Ted Armstrong. Although Herbert Armstrong was apparently innocent of any corruption, many of those under him were not, and God judged that entire denomination, and destroyed it as a Sabbath-keeping Church of God denomination. A lot of the later history of this church-denomination fits right into God’s judgment against Eli the high priest, but probably as a sign of Herbert’s innocence, God waited to judge the Worldwide Church of God until after Herbert’s death. Let this history here about the Worldwide Church of God’s demise be a warning to all who would try to fleece God’s flock of called out ones, his very children in Christ. I don’t care if you’re a preacher or church leader in a Sabbath-keeping Church of God or a Sunday-keeping church or denomination. Mess with God’s kids, he’ll mess with you, big-time. For an accurate and detailed history of that denomination-church, see https://www.unityinchrist.com/wwcofg/wwcofgod.html]

Practical Application To All Of This

The challenges, look, practical application, never think you’re wasting time with your kids, the little ones, telling them about the Lord, talking to them about him, don’t talk to your three-year-old about Five-Point-Calvinism, ok. But talk to them about the Lord. Jesus said ‘Suffer the little ones to come unto me, for such is the Kingdom of God.’ They have hearts and minds that can perceive and understand, and you can invest in them, grandma’s and grandpa’s, invest in them, invest in them. They sit on your lap, just whisper in their ear ‘Jesus,’ just say it to them over and over and over, Jesus. You know, if you have an unsaved son or daughter and the little ones are going to go home and say ‘Who is Jesus? Grandpa always says “Jesus,” whose Jesus?’ You have incredible opportunity to invest in them. And God will use it, he will put his hand on it, he will use it. Parents, don’t let your kids rule the roost, if you really love them, make your marriage the most important relationship, besides Jesus Christ, do not honour them above this Book. Don’t do it, it may mean a battle now, but it will yield fruit in later years, that will save their eternity, you take a stand, you join the battle. And it isn’t easy, it isn’t easy. Look, when I was 13 years old, I was in the Boy Scouts, 1963. Kids are 13 now, you know what they’re doing, largest users, new users of pornography in the United States are 11 to 13 year-olds, that’s how the world’s changed. Again, I was a kid, elementary school, every day, the principle got the whole school in the auditorium, said the Pledge of Allegiance, one nation under God, prayed, and read a Psalm, every day. You know, you’re 5 or 6 years old, going to class thinking ‘This is one nation under God, we prayed this morning,’ whatever you think, that makes an impact on you when you were a kid. There were Blue Laws, anybody remember Blue Laws? You couldn’t buy anything that involved work on Sunday, we’ve changed, haven’t we. [In Westerly, Rhode Island the Blue Laws for the entire town, city, revolved around not working or being able to buy anything on the Sabbath, Saturday, as the whole town was mostly Sabbath-keeping church of God believers (see https://unityinchrist.com/history/historycog1.htm)] We’ve changed. But he hasn’t changed. The man and a culture can be corrupt, but a Samuel can still grow up in the middle of it. And a Hannah and an Elkanah can still have a Godly home. And it can affect the course of a nation, a people, by just being a good steward over what God has given to them. Not by aspiring to great things, but by being stewards over the one life, or the five little life’s that come after that. I encourage you to do that. And read ahead, next week we’re going to have the LORD speaking to Samuel…[transcript of a connective expository sermon on 1^st Samuel 2:1-36, given by Pastor Joe Focht, Calvary Chapel of Philadelphia, 13500 Philmont Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19116]