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“Two Families Two Worlds Apart” • 2.15.15
• Calvary Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- As we begin our study, we have been focused in on two families that are
featured in one location. The families of Elkanah and Eli converge in Shiloh.
- Shiloh is a sacred place, but it is God's
people who determine it's use. What we have before us is both encouraging and
sobering in that regard.
- One family shines in it's response to the
Lord, while the other family shows it's contempt. We begin shortly after
Hannah's prayer of dedication to the Lord.
Intro.
• I Samuel 2:11 : "Then
Elkanah went to his house at Ramah. But the child ministered to the Lord before Eli the priest." : Elkanah went to his house but the
child Samuel ministered, staying behind in Shiloh.
- This was the son of his beloved
wife. Samuel was dear to him, but he honored Hannah's vow, first in making sure
that she followed through, which we noted in 1:23.
- "Let the Lord establish His
Word," he said, affirming his wife's vow before the Lord. The moment he
said that, he was on borrowed time with his son.
- It's not doubt that he counted
every second as precious and took every moment to hold and love his son, to
speak whatever he could into his heart, for the day would come to see him go.
- This is a dramatic moment, but
one that all who have dedicated their children must one day face. The Lord will
take you up on your vow! Your son or daughter will serve the Lord!
- Some will dread that day, but
those who are spiritually minded will know that that decision will be the best
one that they could possibly make! Elkanah was living this now!
- Elkanah has nothing to say at
Shiloh, at least nothing that is recorded for us by the Holy Spirit but his
presence here is a picture of silent pride and parental grief.
- When he went to his house having
left Samuel there, he fulfilled his side of this vow! The 12 to 15 mile trek
back to his home must have been an emotional journey.
- He went to his house at Ramah,
but the child ministered to the Lord in His house! Right away, Samuel is put to
work! Let's settle in our hearts that he's five years old when he begins.
- What a profound statement that
the Holy Spirit leaves us! A 5 year old can minister to the Lord! How does that
make you feel noting your own age?
- "I'm not qualified."
Samuel was 5. "I don't know enough." Did I mention that Samuel was 5?
"I might mess things up?" What's 10-5? Samuel was 5!
- A little fear is understandable,
given the complexity that the word "Minister" carries with it, and
the centuries of use, as well as the plethora of examples, both good and bad.
- There are certain ministers who
have set the standard in an unapproachable way. Others have been responsible
for shattered lives and broken faith. As we minister, we must be aware of this.
- And while that is the case, the
word "minister" simply means to "wait upon" in order
"to serve!" Anyone can do that and all that belong to Christ should
seek to serve Him with their best!
- Samuel did this before the face
of Eli the priest, under his watchful supervision.
- Imagine this from Eli's
perspective Here is an aged priest who is looking at the next generation, who
is joyfully going about the service of the Lord.
- I wonder what he thought as he
watched that? I wonder if it wasn't a call to him, a reminder of better days.
Samuel was a ray of sunshine in otherwise dark days in the world and at the
Tabernacle.
• I Samuel 2:12 : "Now the
sons of Eli were corrupt; they did not know the Lord." : Elkanah's son minister to the Lord,
but Eli's sons were corrupt, literally "Sons of Belial!"
- The phrase means "worthless
ones!" They were wicked, debased and as the phrase implies, worthless to
God! How is something like this possible?
- We've already noted a lazy
approach to God's work that Eli exemplified in chapter 1:9. He sat down
on the job, when priests were to be in constant motion.
- If that is how he acted
publically, how did his witness play out privately?
- If a child is to gain half of his
Father's love for God from His Father's example, then Eli's sons really had a
poor example!
- But before you accept the pagan
equation that good behavior yields good results, understand that Samuel's kids
will later be known as ones who did not walk in the faith of their Father!
- How our kids turn out is a matter
of God's grace! They will have to make their own choices, just as you make your
own choices today. Prayerfully, they will be godly choices!
- What I do know is that I want
them to have the best example possible in order to be put into the position to
do more for the Kingdom than I have done!
- This is a particular warning for
me, as I realize that Hophni and Phinehas were Pastor's kids!
- How they came to be this way is
unknown, but the root cause is well known: They did not know the Lord! They
weren't acquainted with him. They were not consciously aware of His presence.
- They knew the talk, they
understood the walk, but were imitators of what they saw rather than genuine
believers. It's dangerous to know and appease a culture and not know Christ!
- Before you think this is a
special dispensation, I declare to you that there are many Pastors today who
"minister" but are not born again Christians!
- Hophni and Phinehas were spiritual
practitioners with no fear of the most High God. Our author reveals how this
manifested itself.
• I Samuel 2:13-17 : "And the priests’ custom with the
people was that when any man offered a sacrifice, the priest’s servant would
come with a three-pronged fleshhook in his hand while the meat was boiling. Then he would thrust it into the
pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; and the priest would take for himself all
that the fleshhook brought up. So they did in Shiloh to all the Israelites who
came there. Also,
before they burned the fat, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man
who sacrificed, 'Give meat for roasting to the priest, for he will not take
boiled meat from you, but raw.' And if the man said to him, 'They should really burn the
fat first; then you may take as much as your heart desires,' he would then
answer him, 'No, but you must give it now; and if not, I will take it by force.'
Therefore the sin of the young men was very
great before the Lord, for men abhorred the offering of the Lord." :
This was the priest's practice with the people. This was not God's way. They
had hijacked the system!
- God did provide the priests with a generous
portion for their families from that which was sacrificed. God's people were to
give with that purpose in mind.
- The people were never to forsake their
offerings on account of the Levite that dwelt among them, especially as they
did so without an inheritance. (Deuteronomy 12:18,19, 14:29)
- The Levite lived off of the offering of the
people, but this action reveals a wicked, greedy heart in Hophni and Phinehas.
- The author describes what would have looked
like a barbecue to us. A person would bring a slain animal to the priest, who
would then lay it upon the altar.
- Hophni and Phinehas didn't even wait for it
to properly cook! They just took the meat right off the altar. It got worse, as
they soon demanded that the meat be given to them raw!
- The point is that the meat wouldn't even
touch the altar! No part of it would be God's! God was sharing what was His
with them. In this way, they were stealing from God and the offerer!
- Those who viewed this would object and note
that the fat should be burned first. Israel was never to eat the fat. That was
reserved for God alone as it represented the most choice portion!
- If you killed an animal, you could use the
fat for other purposes, but Leviticus 7:25 pointedly spells out that
whoever ate the fat of a sacrificed animal would be cut off from His people!
- The people knew that this was a sin and they
stood up for righteousness calling the priests to account for and abstain from
this action. What did they get for their trouble?
- The priests threatened to take the Lord's
portion by means of violence! The spiritual rebuke came and the response was
violence! "We'll just over power you!" God calls this sin, "very
great!"
- How is it greater than a regular sin? Because
it is sin related to His own Name! These men were to be HIs representatives.
Instead, they used this sacred service for their own means!
- The result of their very great sin was
blatantly blasphemous and terribly tragic among the people: The men abhorred
the offering of the Lord!
- Certain versions use the word
"despised" while others use the phrase "treated with
contempt." The actual word refers to rejecting with derision.
- There is an utter disdain for what has been
seen and men decided that this was on the level with any other religion.
- Remember that this story occurs during the
time of the Judges and that there was a religious destination close to Shiloh
which featured Micah's idol.
- Recall to your memory that there was a
comment made in that section by the author.
• Judges 18:31 : "So they set up for themselves Micah’s carved image which he
made, all the time that the house of God was in Shiloh." : At the time, I commented that this
was an indication of men's hearts, lamenting that they chose the false over the
authentic.
- But when the authentic is overrun by the
false, then there is really no difference! These men that were supposed to be
God's priests evened the spiritual playing field.
- There was virtually no difference between
God's priests and the priests of Micah's temple! Except for the scene here in
verse 18.
• I Samuel 2:18-21 : "But Samuel ministered before the Lord, even as a child, wearing a linen
ephod. Moreover
his mother used to make him a little robe, and bring it to him year by year
when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. And Eli would bless Elkanah and his
wife, and say, 'The Lord give you descendants from this woman for the loan that was
given to the Lord.' Then they would go to their own
home. And the Lord visited Hannah, so that
she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile the child Samuel
grew before the Lord." :
The priests are pathetic bullys! Why should I go to church? Because there is at
least one Samuel ministering before the Lord!
- Here he is as a child, at the most
impressionable age, not acting like these men, but wearing an ephod and
serving! He's there practicing to serve the Lord in the right way!
- Then, look at the parental support. Hannah
and Elkanah were aware of the priest's foolishness, but Hannah made Samuel a
new robe every year and Elkanah brought sacrifices!
- What does this tell you about their character
and their vow before the Lord? They kept their vow in spite of what was going
down, trusting the Lord to be big enough to protect their son!
- May I also say that they didn't keep their
vow in some minimalistic, passive aggressive way. They are actively encouraging
and practically equipping Samuel for more years of ministry!
- It doesn't end with the decision. It
continues along as we encourage and support our children, doing all we can to
promote their walk with the Lord and the calling they have received!
- Every year, Eli would salute these two and
speak blessing over their lives and God blessed them wonderfully, opening
Hannah's womb five more times! This is incredible.
- Hannah's womb opened often in her latter
years. What a beautiful statement of what happens in the life of person devoted
to the Lord. In fact, Hannah is an illustration of Psalm 92:12-15.
• Psalm 92:12-15 : "The righteous shall flourish like a
palm tree, he shall
grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those
who are planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing, to declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock,
and there is no unrighteousness in Him." : Does this not sound familiar, especially given that Hannah said
that God was our Rock in her prayer!? Hannah was this flourishing, fruitful
believer!
- It can't be stated enough: It will never be
found that God gave less than you! He will always be more generous than you or
I! And look at what he did in Samuel's life! He grew before the Lord!
- That is what God intends for you and I as
well: That we grow deep in Him and that we might flourish in Him! What parent
could withhold this blessing from their children!
- As Samuel spent time before the Lord, he grew
greater and greater. That's the sense. It's not that Samuel himself was great.
It's that God's work in him was more and more noticeable.
- That comes with time spent before the Lord
and there is no substitute for that. I think of Timothy who was well spoken of
by the brethren. That comes from being around and available!
• I Samuel 2:22: "Now Eli was very old; and he heard
everything his sons did to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who
assembled at the door of the tabernacle of meeting." : Eli was very old, the Hebrew word
reflecting a consistently bowed head with his chin attached to his chest.
- He was old, but he wasn't uninformed, for he had
heard, ie. he understood everything that his sons did. They had digressed over
time into sexual immorality!
- The word "assembled" seems to have
a military connotation, meaning that these women were there in Shiloh to serve
the Lord in some capacity!
- Here are these women who are coming to serve
the living God and they are being taken advantage of, being used for Hophni and
Phineahas' pleasures!
• I Samuel 2:23-25 : "So he said to them, 'Why do you do
such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all the people. No, my sons! For it is not a good
report that I hear. You make the Lord’s people transgress. If one man sins against another, God will judge him. But if a
man sins against the Lord, who will intercede for him?' Nevertheless they did not heed
the voice of their father, because the Lord desired to kill them." : For his part, Eli vocalizes a rebuke against his sons, though
with the other Levites at his disposal, he could easily have dealt with them.
In that regard, this is a soft rebuke!
- Eli allowed his sons to continue
in their service. It was his responsibility to deal with them punitively
according to Numbers 18:1 but he refused.
- His words are correct. These are evil
dealings that were being reported to him from all the people! Eli had not
received a single report from a random congregant.
- He had received this same report from
everyone! He points his finger right at them: "You make the Lord's people
transgress!"
- The people sinned in their mind by equating
hypocrisy with God Himself and they sinned by refusing to bring their offering
to the Lord on account of the priests.
- The very people that were responsible to God
for facilitating their meeting with God, were the very ones responsible for
making God's people sin knowingly! What a double evil!
- If they had done this and it only affected
their fellow men, than that would be one thing.
- But they were stealing what was God's portion
as well as what were God's hearts and affections! Who would be able to stand
for them when God adjudicated their case?
- Who will intercede for you? Who will stand as
your advocate? They have no defense!
- This next verse fascinates me. They didn't
listen to their Father. They didn't heed his warning, either as their caring
relative or their High Priestly supervisor.
- The author writes that they did not listen
because the Lord desired to kill them! God had already decided their fate.
- Over and over again, God calls to man,
mercifully and with great love, to repent from their sins, to believe Him, in
essence to be rescued from certain doom!
- When a man hardens his heart, there comes a
time in the mind of God, when that person's course has been set and there is
nothing that can be done for them.
- That is what has transpired here. Hophni and
Phinehas have stepped over into judgment and their sentence awaited them!
- If you have ever wondered about injustice or
spiritual malpractice among those who are the Lord's ministers, remember that
He never misses anything! He will make things right!
- As for us, let this be yet another warning:
If you hear His voice today, repent and believe! Don't go another day in
obstinance! Make your peace with the Lord now!
• I Samuel 2:26 : "And the child Samuel grew in
stature, and in favor both with the Lord and men." :
There is tremendous abuse in the house of the Lord! "The priests are
corrupt! This whole thing is a sham! I'm going to spend my time
elsewhere."
- And the child Samuel grew! He grew despite
the environment! God saw through the junk and was faithful to meet Samuel
there, as He would have met anyone who was willing to come!
- The sense here is that as he grew healthier
and in stature physically, he grew in the same way spiritually! Men saw a
taller stronger person. God saw a burgeoning spiritual giant!
- Samuel didn't need a perfect environment. He
had a perfect, complete heart toward the Lord, one that prefigures Christ, who
will have the same statement made of Him in Luke 2:52.
• Luke 2:52 : "And Jesus increased in wisdom and
stature, and in favor with God and men." : Jesus, the greater Samuel, was born under greater religious
hypocrisy. Samuel will lead the people to the Lord in revival and to their
first King.
- Jesus will lead His people into His Kingdom
as their King!
Conclusion
- As we close, let us ponder our response to
the Lord. Is our family more like Elkanah's or Eli's? Are our hearts faithful
and fruitful or false and futile?
- God seeks those who will worship Him in
Spirit and Truth, and the vision of Christ our King is that which impels us to
consider our ways before the One that we will one day give an account to!
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