A Pilgrim's Journal

The first 7 chapters of 1 Samuel, and a bit of chapter 8, tell the story of how God raised up a new leader for Israel once their old leader was falling away.

Eli was a man who respected God. He was a priest, and held the things of God in high esteem. But there was something missing. Even though Eli knew the voice of God, and even though God did speak to him through prophets, the Bible says that it didn't happen very often:

	And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And
	the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no
	open vision.
	   1 Samuel 3:1

Some translations use the word "rare" instead of "precious."

Eli had set his sons in authority over the people, and they were so corrupt that they would claim improper portions of the sacrifices, and they would have sex with the women who served in the tent of meeting.

When Eli heard of these things, he pleaded with his sons, but they would not listen to him (2:23). And that's all that Eli did. He could have corrected them, rebuked them more harshly, and removed them from office, but he didn't.

I wonder why he didn't. Verse 2:29 says that Eli honoured his sons above God. As far as I know, these two sons were the only sons that Eli had. It could be that he felt helpless in the face of his sons' disobedience and then did not trust God to provide another priest to follow, if he removed his sons from office.

Eli does seem very grateful for Samuel. Perhaps he saw in Samuel the eager and obedient son that he always wanted.

	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.
	   1 Samuel 2:20

In the midst of all this corruption was a woman who was barren: Hannah. She was married to a man (Elkanah) who faithfully paid his vows to the Lord each year. This man had two wives, and the success that the other wife had in bearing children was a source of friction between her and Hannah.

In great anguish of heart, Hannah asked for a son from the Lord, and promised that that son would be given back to God, and would serve him all his life. God answered her prayer, and Samuel was born.

I find this an amazing act of faith on Hannah's part. It was a bit desperate as well. But out of this desperation and faithfulness, all of Israel was blessed. To ask for a son, only to then give him up, and not see him except for the annual visit for sacrifices, would be a hard thing to do. But this is what Hannah promised, and this is what Hannah did.

God rewarded Hannah for her sacrifice and faithfulness: she afterward had 3 sons and 2 daughters.

The Lord spoke to Eli twice, warning him that what his sons were doing could not be ignored. And this punishment would come on Eli as well, for his line would be removed from the priestly service for this unfaithfulness.

What I see in Eli is something I also see in myself. He heard God's warnings, he knew what was right and wrong, he knew that something was amiss. But either he didn't know how to fix it, or he didn't have the strength to do it. Instead, he fatalistically threw up his hands, and waited for the inevitable.

When the second message came to Eli, through Samuel, Samuel didn't know who was talking to him, but Eli did:

	And Eli perceived that the LORD had called the child.  Therefore
	Eli said unto Samuel, Go, lie down: and it shall be,
	if he call thee, that thou shalt say, Speak, LORD; for thy
	servant heareth.
	   1 Samuel 3:8b-9a

Even then, Samuel was cautious, for when the Lord came to him again, Samuel replied:

	And the LORD came, and stood, and called as at other times,
	Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for thy servant
	heareth.
	   1 Samuel 3:10

Samuel didn't call just anyone Lord, but he was willing to obey and listen. The next morning, Eli commanded Samuel to tell him what the Lord had said. Samuel was afraid to say it, but did anyway. It was a second message to Eli, that because of the vile acts of his sons and Eli's failure to restrain them, Eli's priestly service would end.

Eli knew Who was talking:

	And Samuel told him every whit, and hid nothing from him.
	And he said, It is the LORD: let him do what seemeth him good.
	   1 Samuel 3:18

Eli still threw up his hands. Yes, when the Lord speaks, we cannot change it. But even Ninevah's destruction was delayed when they repented at the preaching of Jonah. Wasn't it Eli's responsibility to repent, to change his ways, to obey, and to rebuke his sons? Surely God would have found a way to be merciful if he had.

Instead, Eli waited, with a trembling and a dread of what was coming, like a deer caught in the headlights. And the end came soon.

Israel and the Philistines then went to battle. There were a series of fights. The first time, Israel lost. They thought they were missing something, so they brought the Ark of the Covenant along to the next battle, trusting in the Ark instead of God:

	And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel
	said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the
	Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD
	out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us,
	it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.
	   1 Samuel 4:3

Note they were trusting in the Ark to save them. Of course, this didn't work, and they were defeated again, and this time the Ark was captured and taken by the Philistines!

Imagine Eli at this point. He is staying at Shiloh, and knows Israel is heading out to battle #1. He is a priest, but has no word from the Lord, and does not know what to do or say to ensure victory. Instead, he has had two messages from God that destruction is coming to him personally.

Battle #1 is lost, and the elders come marching up and ask for the Ark of the Covenant. Three of Eli's most precious things then leave to go to the battle: the Ark of the Covenant, and his two sons.

Here's a striking picture of what dreading the future looks like:

	And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came
	to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth
	upon his head.  And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat
	by the wayside watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God.
	And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city
	cried out. 
	   1 Samuel 4:12,13

Battle #2 was also lost. Eli's two sons, and Eli himself, all died that day.

Let us learn from Eli. What are we dreading? Is there something we know we can change, but haven't yet? Is there something messed up in our lives that gives us trouble in our souls when we think about it? Is there some hard decision or task that we have been avoiding? Has God sent us warnings about anything in our lives? from authority? from His Word? from friends or family?

Let us repent and turn to God and obey what we know to be right.

It can happen to anyone. Check out 1 Samuel 8:1-3. Guess who's sons also turned out bad?