About 1 Samuel 2
1 Samuel 2
Samuel served as a priest, prophet, and judge in 1 Samuel.
He is God’s instrument in Israel’s transition from the period of judges to the monarchy, and he functioned as God’s kingmaker.
Samuel anointed both Saul [1 Sam 10:1] and David [1 Sam 16:13].
He served God faithfully during Saul’s reign, but died before David took the throne.
“But Samuel, though he was only a boy, served the Lord.”
In the second half of chapter two of 1 Samuel, we are reintroduced to the priest Eli and his sons, Hophni and Phinehas.
We are immediately told of their lack of care for the Lord and their roles as priest and how they took more than the allotted parts of the sacrifices the Israelites made to God - even taking for themselves first before serving God. Not only that, but they were also “seducing the young women who assisted at the entrance of the Tabernacle” (2:22, NLT) - and Eli was aware of everything.
Eli rebukes them, or what he considers a rebuke, but does nothing to stop his sons from sinning.
“Why do you do such things? I hear from all the people about these wicked deeds of yours. No, my sons; the report I hear spreading among the Lord’s people is not good. If one person sins against another, God may mediate for the offender; but if anyone sins against the Lord, who will intercede for them?” His sons, however, did not listen to their father’s rebuke, for it was the Lord’s will to put them to death.
- 1 Samuel 2:24-25, NIV
Eli had the authority to remove his sons from their priestly position, yet he did not. Their sin was not only against the people, their position and the sacrifices, but also against God Himself, an act that marked their death sentence.
Each time the narrative informs of Eli and his sons, it contrasts it to Samuel… while Hophni and Phinehas were grievously sinning against God, Samuel is described as:
serving the Lord, though he was only a boy. [2:18]
growing up in the presence of the Lord. [2:21]
growing in favor with the Lord and the people. [2:26]
Things are so bad that God has to send a prophet to pronounce judgement on the house of Eli.
“This is what the Lord says: ‘Did I not clearly reveal myself to your ancestor’s family when they were in Egypt under Pharaoh? I chose your ancestor out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, and to wear an ephod in my presence. I also gave your ancestor’s family all the food offerings presented by the Israelites. Why do you scorn my sacrifice and offering that I prescribed for my dwelling? Why do you honor your sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every offering made by my people Israel?’
“Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that members of your family would minister before me forever.’ But now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained. The time is coming when I will cut short your strength and the strength of your priestly house, so that no one in it will reach old age, and you will see distress in my dwelling. Although good will be done to Israel, no one in your family line will ever reach old age. Every one of you that I do not cut off from serving at my altar I will spare only to destroy your sight and sap your strength, and all your descendants will die in the prime of life.
“‘And what happens to your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, will be a sign to you—they will both die on the same day. I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who will do according to what is in my heart and mind. I will firmly establish his priestly house, and they will minister before my anointed one always. Then everyone left in your family line will come and bow down before him for a piece of silver and a loaf of bread and plead, “Appoint me to some priestly office so I can have food to eat.”’
- 1 Samuel 2:27-36, NIV
In chapters to come we will see the fulfillment of what God has said to Eli.
Until then, let’s talk a little about a few things that stood out to me in this chapter:
Eli rebukes his sons, but does not actually punish them, though it is within his power to remove them from their priestly position. Despite knowing that their sin was against God, Eli was quite honestly, indifferent to their actions. I would even go as far as saying that he rebuked them just to say he did. We do that too. We see people doing things in the presence of God that are against the Lord and we don’t correct them - we don’t even point it out, because ‘it’s not our job to judge people’. However, judging is not the same as correcting. Scripture says in Luke 17:
“Be alert. If you see your friend going wrong, correct him. If he responds, forgive him.
Luke 17:3, MSG
The word correct is derived from the Latin words ‘cor’ meaning together and ‘regere’ meaning guide, creating the word corrigere, evolving into correct: made straight, amended.
As such, when you are correcting someone, you are simply coming together with them and guiding them in the right direction. You are not pointing a finger at them and going down the list of everything they are doing wrong. When you’re correcting someone, you are coming alongside them, bringing awareness to what they’re doing wrong - not based on your personal opinion, but on the Bible - and helping them maneuver the road to righteousness.
I will also add that this is specifically for fellow believers. Eli’s sons were in the presence of God and were carelessly sinning against Him. They knew the Law, they knew that what they were doing was wrong, yet they still proceeded, and Eli allowed them. People that are not Christians are not meant to be corrected by us. That’s the mistake a lot of Christians make, they come with a list of all the things people doing wrong, but don’t guide the way to how to live the right way, as a result, all they are doing is preaching their opinion - Biblical facts, yes, but as a nonchristian, why should I care about what your Bible says? Specially when you’re coming at me in such an appalling manner…
How can you correct someone without coming across as judgmental?
You live life like Samuel. In the presence of God, growing in favor with God and with people.
In order for Samuel to grow in favor with people he had to be in their presence. Meaning, he interacted with them, he did life to some extend with them. He knew them and they knew him. Moreover, Samuel having favor with God contrasts him with Eli and his sons and people could see that. As a Christian, what makes you different from the people of the world? Are you different in the way that you love others? Express your thoughts? Forgive people?
How we life our life determines the likelihood of people - whether Christians or not - accepting our correction.
I personally would not accept correction from someone I don’t know, would you?
As such, if you don’t have a relationship with God, how likely are you to accept correction from Him? Relationship, not religion, because religion can get tiring, it can get boring, and it can make you care so little for it that you do reckless things as Eli’s sons did, because in spite of what you think, deep inside you don’t really have a reverence for God. Meanwhile, in a relationship you know God, and He knows you. You communicate with Him, you know His voice and His heart and because you know each other, you are more welcoming to what God says to you.
This is why there are Christians who live like the world does and others that don’t. How you live your life determines whether you follow a religion or are in a relationship with the Living God.
I will leave you guys with the promise God makes in 1 Samuel 2:30 in 4 different translations:
I will honor those who honor me and I will despise those who think lightly of me.
- NLT
For those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me will be insignificant and contemptible.
- AMP
I will honor those who honor me, but I will put a curse on anyone who hates me.
- CEV
I will honor those who honor me. But I will turn away from those who look down on me.
- NIRV
What is your view on God and whose lifestyle are you living?
Eli’s apathetic lifestyle
Hophni and Phinehas destructive lifestyle
Samuel’s submitted lifestyle.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!
