Articles
Eli and his Two Sons
We read of a man named Eli in the first book of Samuel in the Old Testament. The first several chapters of 1 Samuel detail for us the birth and rise of the prophet Samuel in God’s service. Samuel’s father, Elkanah, would travel yearly to offer sacrifices to the LORD at Shiloh which is a city north of Bethel in Israel. It is here we first learn that the man Eli and his two sons, Hophni and Phineas, served as priests. Samuel’s story is a beautiful and encouraging one; however, it runs parallel to a sorrowful story of sin told in these very initial chapters.
In 1 Samuel 2:12 the bible tells us: “Now the sons of Eli were worthless men; they did not know the LORD…” Truly, whenever we hear passages like this we should be appalled and sorrowful. But this stands out even more because these men aren’t just your common everyday person; these men were priests of God! A priest was supposed to offer sacrifices to God and ensure the people’s offerings and sacrifices were accounted for. But not so with Hophni and Phineas. The text continues to tell us in 1 Samuel 2:13-17 about their evil and how they manipulated men for the sacrifices they were offering so they could fill their stomachs. They didn’t even have the courage to do it themselves, so they had the servant do their dirty work for them. Do you follow what’s going on? Even though they directly and brazenly despised God, they wanted to keep their hands “clean” so they had the servant do it for them. They also had relations with women at the doorway to the tent of meeting which was an abomination to God.
Even though they tried so hard to keep their sin quiet and a secret, the word got out. Firstly, God was well aware of their evil and sin. The eyes of God are upon all men everywhere (cf. Prov. 15:3). Secondly, word got out to Eli, their father, and he was understandably upset. As a parent, wouldn’t you be upset if you heard your children were practicing such things? Eli, however, did not rebuke his sons (cf. 1 Sam. 3:13). Would you rebuke your children? God had blessed Eli and his family, but now He was going to bring calamity and destruction upon his household. God held Eli accountable for not dealing with his sons and their sin. Some might say that seems a little harsh since he didn’t directly do any of the sins mentioned. However, the problem was too big for Eli to just overlook it.
What I want you to learn from this story is that sin, no matter how small or big it is, must be dealt with. God is Holy, and He knows exactly what we do and what’s in each and every one of our hearts. If we see our children committing sin, we must rebuke them and point them towards God’s grace. But it’s not just limited to parent-child relationships. If we see our family, friends and/or brothers and sisters in Christ practicing sin we must rebuke them and deal with it. That must not be named among the people of God. If we say we love God, then we must do whatever is necessary to destroy sin and keep it out of our lives.
If we allow even the tiniest bit of sin to go unpunished, we will suffer the consequences of such decisions. God calls us to be holy as He is holy. God killed Eli and his two sons not too long after he pronounced judgment on them. You see, people think they can hide their evil and their wicked deeds and indeed they may be able to do so from men. But God sees all and will hold us all accountable for our actions. Let’s confess our sins and lay it before the throne of God. God loves you just as much as He loved Eli and his two sons, but if we choose to reject Him, He will reject us. Sin produces death, but God gives life. Which will you choose?
