Contrasts are effective because they are so clear. While we are tempted to view life in shades of grey, obedience to God does not fit so easily. You are either faithful to God, or unfaithful. We either obey God, or we sin. We are either faithful servants, or unfaithful.
In the early chapters of 1 Samuel, contrasts have been clear. In Chapter 2, the contrast is between faithful little Samuel who grows under God’s blessing, and Eli’s unfaithful sons who fall under God’s curse. This passage reminds us that faithfulness to God is so terribly important, especially for those put in positions of leadership in God’s Church.
After Elkanah and Hannah returned home, Samuel remained as promised at the Temple in Shiloh to serve God in the presence of Eli, the High Priest (v.11).
Contrasted to Samuel, who ministered to God, were Eli’s sons. They are described as “worthless men” who were unbelievers (v.12). Their first set of sins were “liturgical sins” against the commands God gave about sacrifices and worship.
While the Law provided generously for the feeding of the priests (Leviticus 7:28-36), the sons helped themselves to more by stealing some of the cooked sacrifices meant for the worshipper’s family (vv.13-14). Worse still, the sons would help themselves to portions of the fat (the yummiest part) which was specially reserved for God (Lev. 3; vv.15-16). They held the offering to God in contempt (v.17).
Compared to this contempt, little Samuel was faithfully serving God in a cute little ephod (v.18). Every year, Samuel’s mum would make him another robe to wear as he served God, and Eli would bless Samuel’s parents for their faithfulness to God and their love for their son (vv.19-20). God indeed blessed Hannah and gave her further sons and daughters, as Samuel “grew in the presence of the LORD” (v.21).
Compared to their faithfulness, Eli’s sons were morally unfaithful. They had turned the women who served the Temple (Ex. 38:8) into their concubines (v.22). Everyone in Israel knew it, but all Eli did was tell them off (vv.23-4). While Eli warned, his sons did not listen, because their sins were so disgusting to God that hardened their hearts against repenting, “for it was the will of the LORD to put them to death” (v.25).
In contrast to this moral unfaithfulness which brought scandal on the Temple and the priesthood, “Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the LORD and also with man” (v.26).
The present unfaithfulness could not remain, God had to purge the evil. So God sent a prophet to Eli to announce judgement (v.27).
In the past, God had been good to Eli and his family, rescuing them from Egypt and choosing Aaron and his descendants to be his priests, enjoying a special fellowship with God (vv.27-8). Yet Eli had failed to properly discipline his sons and stop their sinful liturgical and moral offences, apart from some weak words of displeasure and warning (v.29).
Due to Eli’s own unfaithfulness by failing to guard the Temple’s sanctity and purity of its worship, God would bring judgement on Eli’s house. Eli’s family would be all but wiped out (vv.30-32), and his two sons would both die together on a single day (v.34).
While one of Eli’s line would be spared, his descendants would later die by men’s hands (v.33; 1 Sam. 22) and would be poor (v.36). A faithful priest would instead be raised up to serve God (v.35). We see this in Samuel’s priestly service, but later in Scripture in the service of Zadok (1 Ki. 2:27, 35).
This passage focuses on the unfaithfulness of Eli’s sons to God. Their unbelief borne out in their abuse of worship and morality. It reminds us today that we must be careful in who we appoint to church leadership. Unbelief will display itself in corrupting worship and God’s teaching to serve oneself, through money, gratification, and power. God’s judgement will follow, on those that commit it and those that allow it.
It also warns us about our sins. We do not want to be as Eli’s sons were, so grievously sinning that God hardens our hearts to warnings to repent, when judgement swiftly follows. May none of us face that terror.
Instead, we should seek to serve as faithful servants of God like Samuel did, quietly ministering and growing in God’s favour, choosing God as our portion over what belongs to God. He will bless those who do so, as he blessed Samuel, Hannah, and Elkanah.
Thankfully, for all our unfaithfulness, there was one who was truly a faithful servant of God all his days. Jesus, who lived a perfect life and offered a perfect sacrifice as our Great High Priest, covers our unfaithfulness as God’s servants with his own faithfulness. He is the ultimate faithful priest raised up by God. It is because of Christ’s faithfulness, that we may seek to be ever more faithful servants of God.
