Fri.’s Devo - God’s Judgment on the House of Eli

Read: 1 Samuel 2:22-4:22; John 5:24-47; Psalm 106:1-12; Proverbs 14:30-31 Eli heard all the evil things his sons were doing as priests. He went to them and rebuked them, but he did not remove them from their position as priest. *** A prophet came to Eli and gave him a word that by taking the choicest meat from the sacrifices for himself, he was scorning the Lord. Eli also honored his sons above the Lord by letting them get away with the same thing. Since his family did not honor the Lord, the Lord will not honor them. God will cut off the strength of Eli’s legacy and there would not be an old man in his descendants. They would all die young. One would be left to grieve the death of all his descendants. His two sons would both die on the same day and God will raise someone else to be a faithful priest. Everyone left in Eli’s household will beg for silver and bread from that faithful priest. *** Meanwhile, Samuel continued to grow taller and in God’s favor and man’s. One night he heard Eli calling him but every time he went to see what Eli wanted, he said he had not called him. The third time this happened, Eli perceived that it was the Lord calling Samuel and told him to how to respond. *** When the Lord came the fourth time, Samuel was ready to listen. He told him that He was about to punish Eli’s house for their iniquity and his sons’ blasphemy. No sacrifice would be able to atone for their sins. *** In the morning, Eli made Samuel tell him everything the Lord had said. *** Samuel became known as a prophet. Everything he said came to pass. Israel went to war with the Philistines at Aphek. They were defeated the first day so they decided to bring the ark of the covenant with them to save them. Hophni and Phinehas, Eli’s sons brought the ark and all the camp of Israel gave a shout that shook the earth. The Philistines were filled with fear because they knew what God had done to Egypt. They told their men to fight harder and they did. They defeated Israel, stole the ark and Hophni and Phinehas were both killed. *** A man from the battle ran and told Eli who was sitting on his seat by the road. When he heard the news that his sons were killed and the ark was taken, he fell over backward and broke his neck and died. He had judged Israel for 40 years. *** Phinehas’ wife was pregnant at the time and when she heard the news, she went into labor and died giving birth to a son. In her grief, she name her son, Ichabod because the glory of God had departed from Israel. *** In John, Jesus is still speaking to the Jews who were mad because he had healed the paralytic on the Sabbath. Jesus explained how to receive eternal life. He told them what will happen to all the people who are in Sheol, when he dies. They will hear his voice and Jesus will execute judgment on them. Those who have done good will rise to life, and those who have done evil will be judged. *** God would testify on Jesus’ account. He had sent John to testify about Jesus. John was a light and those who heard him rejoiced, but Jesus testimony is even greater than John’s. The works God gave Jesus to do will bear witness that God sent him. *** Jesus accused them of searching the word to find eternal life, while missing that the scriptures talk about him. He is the way to eternal lie. He knows that they do not have the love of God in them because they could not receive the one who God sent. They do not seek God’s glory, but one another’s glory. Jesus will one day be their judge. Even Moses accuses them because they don’t obey his laws. If they can’t obey Moses’ law, how can they believe Jesus’ words. *** Lord, may we not be like the Jews who could not understand what was happening in their day. May we discern the day we are living in and stay faithful to our faithful God.