When Self Becomes God

Intro:

Turn to 1 Samuel 2:12

WESTMINSTER SHORTER CATECHISM…107 questions, life & faith....

BEGINS with the QUESTION: “What is the chief end of man”

(A) “Man’s chief end is to glorify God and to enjoy him forever.”

HUMAN BEINGS....MADE in IMAGE of GOD… FOR GLORY of GOD!

CREATION POINTS to the CREATOR...

PAINTING GLORIFIES PAINTER

SCULPTURE GLORIFIES SCULPTOR.

As HUMANS we EXIST for the GLORY of GOD, and we EXIST to FIND our FULFILLMENT and joy in life IN HIM and in serving Him...

CULTURE/WORLD— PURPOSE is SELF-GRATIFICATION.

DO WHATEVER MAKES YOU FEEL GOOD...

HAVE YOUR OWN TRUTH.

ESS. YOU’RE god....

TEMPTATION— LIVING WITH SELF as an IDOL...

IF we AREN’T CAREFUL we’ll PURSUE our own PLEASURE in life at the EXPENSE of OTHERS, and we can MAKE OURSELVES, OUR DESIRES in life and our joy, the god WHOM WE ACTUALLY SERVE...

And this is what we’ll see in today’s passage.

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Recap:

Last two weeks: HANNAH

BARREN & DESPERATE

GOD ANSWERED her PRAYER— BABY SAMUEL

DEDICATED her SON to the Lord FOREVER

SAMUEL REMAINS in SHILOH (WORSHIP CENTER)

TEXT CLOSED...“the boy [Samuel] was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli the priest.”

&& HANNAH & FAMILY GO HOME...

(T) So this week, we’re going to GET a PICTURE of what SHILOH LOOKED LIKE at this point in time.

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Text:

Setting (v12):

1 Samuel 2:12–36 (ESV)

12 Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the Lord.

LOVE SUBTLE INTRODUCTIONS???

LAST WK…THINGS GOING WELL (SAMUEL)…

NOW, NARRATOR JUMPS to PRIESTHOOD in SHILOH

ELI (high priest & judge of Israel)

SONS of ELI (Hophni & Phinehas) effectively RUNNING the SHOW.

Sons of Eli:

WORTHLESS MEN/ scoundrels…DON’T KNOW the LORD = Yahweh wasn’t their God.

Their LIFESTYLE PROVED they DIDN’T KNOW the LIVING GOD...

BORN INTO PRIESTHOOD NOT ENOUGH!!

IF HE’S YOUR GOD = LIVE LIKE IT...

IF HE’S LORD…HE’S BOSS.

LORD JESUS CHRIST = LORD & BOSS!

He’s the ONE to WHOM we OWE our COMPLETE ALLEGIANCE in life!

It’s NOT ENOUGH to KNOW the RIGHT ANSWERS on a MULTIPLE CHOICE TEST, we have to LIVE UNDER the LORDSHIP of CHRIST...

(T) And you might have thought that this INTRODUCTION to Eli’s sons was a BIT RASH, but we’re going to TAKE a LOOK at what their ACTIVITY looked like. Look at verse 13. It reads,

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Inciting Incident: (v13-14)

13 The custom of the priests with the people was that when any man offered sacrifice, the priest’s servant would come, while the meat was boiling, with a three-pronged fork in his hand, 14 and he would thrust it into the pan or kettle or cauldron or pot. All that the fork brought up the priest would take for himself. This is what they did at Shiloh to all the Israelites who came there.

1st problem: PUTTING THEMSELVES ABOVE OTHERS...

GREEDY— ended up MAKING up their OWN RULES...

GOD ISN’T VAGUE… (EXODUS & LEV.)

SIZE

SHAPE

COLOR

MATERIAL

ORDER

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WITHIN the LAW, PRIESTS would be GIVEN THEIR DUE

LIVED OFF OFFERINGS…NO “SECULAR” WORK

PRIESTS GOT PART of SACRIFICE…PROVISION for THEM...

DEPENDING on SACRIFICE…LAW WASN’T VAGUE!!

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HOPHNI/PHINEHAS (SONS) REWROTE RULES!

GOD GAVE HIS LAW…THEY MADE THEIR OWN RULES...

PRIESTS SERVANT---3-PRONG FORK, TAKING AS MUCH AS THEY COULD.

RESTAURANT: EVER SHARE APPETIZER & SOMEONE HELPS THEMSELVES??

ALL NACHOS STICKING TOGETHER…ONE NACHO??

WORSHIPERS BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF BY PRIESTS!

ABUSING OFFICE to INDULGE THEMSELVES...

MANY TELEVANGELISTS TODAY DO THIS....

Abuse of people is an affront to God.

MISTREATING OTHERS---MISREPRESENTING GOD...

(T) And you MIGHT be THINKING that a LITTLE SELFISHNESS on the part of some priests ISN’T TOO BAD...., but it GETS WORSE and worse as we move on. Look at verse 15.

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Growing tension (v15-16):

15 Moreover, before the fat was burned, the priest’s servant would come and say to the man who was sacrificing, “Give meat for the priest to roast, for he will not accept boiled meat from you but only raw.” 16 And if the man said to him, “Let them burn the fat first, and then take as much as you wish,” he would say, “No, you must give it now, and if not, I will take it by force.”

In SACRIFICES, the FAT of the ANIMAL was BURNED as an OFFERING to the LORD.

The PRIESTS are CUTTING LINE AGAINST GOD, can you imagine this!

2nd problem: Putting themselves above God

PEOPLE JUMP LINES…ILLEGALLY PASSING in TRAFFIC…TRYING to GET AHEAD....PATHFINDER YESTERDAY

***ONE MANIFESTATION OF SELFISHNESS...

WHEN SELF BECOMES GOD.... BOTH GOD & OTHERS ARE CAST ASIDE...

PRIESTS GOT THEIR PORTION B4 GOD!!

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IF SOMEONE CORRECTED…THEY WERE THREATENED!

Imagine this...

IMAGINE CHURCH LEADERS TAKING ADVANTAGE LIKE THIS....

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SEEMINGLY SMALL…BUT DISOBEDIENCE = DISOBEDIENCE…PRINCIPLE...

WORD of GOD = our RULEBOOK…WE DON’T GET to REWRITE THE RULES!

PEOPLE TRY & FINAGLE TOUGH PASSAGES

REJECTING GOD’S REVELATION & RULE == REJECTION of GOD HIMSELF

JESUS SAID… “IF YOU LOVE ME, YOU’LL KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS”

PRIESTS HAD BECOME THEIR OWN GODS...

LIVING for SELF…DIDN’T KNOW LORD

PUTTING THEMSELVES ABOVE OTHERS & GOD!

REJECTING GOD’S WAYS = REJECTING GOD.

(T) And then the text says in verse 17,

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Summary/Climax1 (v17):

17 Thus the sin of the young men was very great in the sight of the Lord, for the men treated the offering of the Lord with contempt.

0 STAR REVIEW FROM GOD! Ouch!

You EVER STRUGGLE ORDERING SOMETHING on AMAZON BECAUSE you’ve seen FEW NASTY REVIEWS??

PARALYZING to ME!

THE LORD’S REVIEW IS THE ONLY ONE THAT COUNTS IN LIFE!!

THE AVERAGE DOESN’T MATTER....ONLY GOD’S DOES.

IN GOD’S EYES…THEIR SIN was “VERY GREAT”

***TREATED OFFERING W/ CONTEMPT = NO REVERENCE FOR THE HOLY....

CONTEMPT= DISDAIN, disregard, thinking something is BELOW CONSIDERATION...

ORDAINED SERVICE to THE LORD ALMIGHTY…DIDN’T MATTER TO THEM.....

(Q) WHEN you COME to WORSHIP TODAY...do you EVER FALL into BEING APATHETIC, not really caring…GOING THROUGH the MOTIONS…TREATING the WORSHIP of our GREAT GOD & Savior with DISDAIN and LOW REGARD?

WORSHIP CENTER—PLACE WHERE GOD’S GLORY SHOULD SHINE BRIGHTEST!!

NO FEAR OF GOD THERE @ SHILOH....

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BAD SITUATION....& WORLD TODAY = BAD

**NEWS— means WE GET TO HEAR IT ALL!

Countless Christian leaders falling short

World = wicked...

You might be asking yourself, “Does God even care?”

GOD = NOT INDIFFERENT to PROLONGED, UNREPENTANT SIN…ESP. of THOSE WHO CLAIM TO REPRESENT HIM....

GOD’S DELAY = ACT of MERCY

Transition: And now, we’re going to see one of the things that God is up to in light of this, look at verse 18.

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Contrast/Foil (V18-21):

18 Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy clothed with a linen ephod. 19 And his mother used to make for him a little robe and take it to him each year when she went up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

20 Then Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and say, “May the Lord give you children by this woman for the petition she asked of the Lord.” So then they would return to their home. 21 Indeed the Lord visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew in the presence of the Lord.

SEEMINGLY RANDOM??.

Young & FAITHFUL SAMUEL= GOD’S ORDAINED REPLACEMENT!!

See, while Hophni and Phinehas are making shipwreck of their lives and the priesthood, Samuel is faithfully ministering to the Lord.

WEARING an EPHOD...PRIEST’S TUNIC…& MINISTERING

SAMUEL LOOKED & ACTED the PART

B4 JUDGMENT on PRESENT ADMINISTRATION…GOD WAS RAISING A REPLACEMENT!

NO MORE ISRAEL W/O LEADERSHIP...

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IMAGINE: ISRAELITES GOING to WORSHIP= probably upset & complaining, “WHERE IS GOD??”

MAYBE YOU’VE SEEN WORLD TODAY & THOUGHT THE SAME....

We must remember that GOD’S ACTIVITY ISN’T ALWAYS A CATASTROPHIC, immediate UPHEAVAL of the STATUS QUO…sometimes GOD is SILENTLY RAISING up SAMUELS to take the place of those living in contempt of God. God isn’t inactive, He’s just working behind the scenes.

SOMETIMES UPHEAVALS…NOT ALWAYS.

BUT GOD IS ALWAYS WORKING!!-

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INSIGNIFICANT FAMILY = CONTRASTED to ELI’S family.

Eli & priesthood should be doing God’s work...

Elkanah’s family, faithfully coming to worship, Hannah knitting robes for Samuel

DON’T HAVE TO BE IN MINISTRY to MAKE A DIFFERENCE....

PRIESTHOOD was LETTING GOD DOWN...

ORDINARY FAMILY was being USED BY GOD...

This seemingly insignificant family in Ramah, in their routine faithfulness, is a model of obedience to Yahweh.

Elkanah & Hannah MADE WORSHIP a PRIORITY…set apart act in life...

INTENTIONAL w/ kids…HANNAH KNITTING ROBES for Samuel...

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BECAUSE of HANNAH’S SACRIFICE, giving Samuel to the Lord…she’s HONORED w/ 5 MORE KIDS!!

You CAN’T OUTGIVE GOD!!

Barren has six children!

When you value the giver over the gift, look what can happen...

(T) And so we’ve now been introduced to this terrible situation in Shiloh with ungodly, degenerate priests, and this lovely family in Ramah who come every year to worship.

We have both the example of who to model, and who to avoid, and let’s see where this contrast gets even more stark. Look at verse 22.

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Inciting Incident (v22):

22 Now Eli was very old, and he kept hearing all that his sons were doing to all Israel, and how they lay with the women who were serving at the entrance to the tent of meeting.

ELI NOT RUNNING SHOW…because of old age.

Yet he HAD HIGHEST POSITION/AUTHORITY (Judge/High priest)

Adding to LIST of SINS:

Greedy

Selfish (above others & God)

Sexual immorality at the entrance to the tabernacle!

COMPLETE CONTEMPT of GOD & HIS LAWS & standards....

**WHEN SELF BECOMES GOD, there’s NO LIMIT to the MORAL DECAY that can take place...

(T) And so Eli the priest, the man with more authority in Israel than anyone else is fully informed on this situation, and what does he do? Well, let’s see. The text says,

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Rising Tension (v23-25)

23 And he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. 24 No, my sons; it is no good report that I hear the people of the Lord spreading abroad.

25 If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?” But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the Lord to put them to death.

ELI CONFRONTS…but DOESN’T ACTUALLY DO ANYTHING.

DOESN’T FIRE/REMOVE THEM from being priests

Slap on wrist.

REMINDS THEM they’re SINNING AGAINST GOD…& will have to FACE GOD’S JUDGMENT SOLO...

GOD ALREADY JUDGED—HARDENED/CALLOUSED HEART. “WILL of GOD-PUT TO DEATH”

(T) But in the midst of this turmoil, there’s good news. Verse 26 says,

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Contrast/Foil (v26):

26 Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man.

ANOTHER CONTRAST…Eli’s household = falling apart.

Samuel growing in age & favor with God & man.

YEARS of SIN PRIESTHOOD/ CONTRASTED SAMUEL’S years of FAITHFULNESS & growth.

THERE’S HOPE FOR THE FUTURE!

While JUDGMENT was IMPENDING for the PRIESTHOOD, their GOD-ORDAINED REPLACEMENT was taking shape and BEING PREPARED...

God isn’t absent during the bad times, He might just be moving behind the scenes!

(T) And now, we saw an initial judgment offered against Eli’s sons, but we’re going to see where things get worse. Verse 27 reads,

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More tension (v27-29)

27 And there came a man of God to Eli and said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Did I indeed reveal myself to the house of your father when they were in Egypt subject to the house of Pharaoh? 28 Did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? I gave to the house of your father all my offerings by fire from the people of Israel.

29 Why then do you scorn my sacrifices and my offerings that I commanded for my dwelling, and honor your sons above me by fattening yourselves on the choicest parts of every offering of my people Israel?’

PROPHET REBUKES ELI....

BEGINS BY RECOUNTING GOD’S GRACIOUS CALL to Aaron the priest…GRACE = PRIVILEGE!!

Last week:

HANNAH’S RESPONSE to GRACE....WORSHIP & SACRIFICE...

NOW...PRIESTS HAD SCORNED GOD’S GRACE.....

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***Interesting note: REBUKE WENT to ELI…NOT SONS....

ELI’S SONS = RUNNING the SHOW...

ELI DIDN’T REMOVE THEM...

Judge & High Priest....most authority in Israel. #1 guy!

Doesn’t have them removed for their debauchery...

COMPLACENT BECAUSE HE WAS COMPLICIT!

ELI BENEFITED…GOT FAT OFF THEIR ABUSE OF OFFERINGS!!

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CAN’T CALL OUT EVIL IF YOU’RE BENEFITING FROM IT........

IMAGINE SOMEONE STEALING from the OFFERING PLACE... and then PAYING the person who caught them to KEEP it QUIET...

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ELI’S SONS INDULGED APPETITES OF SIN.... BUT ELI WAS ALSO TO BLAME...

CHOOSING the COMFORTABLE PATH of TOLERATING and being PASSIVE towards sin...

Christians today struggle with this… “If I speak up about my views, I might be ostracized at work or in the family”

PERSONAL COMFORT should NEVER take PRECEDENCE over the STANDARDS of the WORD of GOD.

OUR WORLD DEMANDS APPROVAL & EVEN CELEBRATION of SIN....

* Having the CHRISTIAN BAKER, BAKE THE CAKE....

In response to a militant culture...“Are we willing to honor others above God by excusing sin?”

Dale Davis, “We do not necessarily seek God’s honor when we spare human feelings” (Davis, p. 37).

Sometimes in an effort to be “nice” Christians actually misrepresent God by putting a stamp of approval upon things that God hates.

NOT NECESSARILY MILITANT BUT FIRM on standards.

The test of true devotion to God comes when there are things battling for our allegiance and honor. The question is, where will we stand?

(T) And then this prophet continues with this rebuke and says,

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Climax (v30-36):

30 Therefore the Lord, the God of Israel, declares: ‘I promised that your house and the house of your father should go in and out before me forever,’ but now the Lord declares: ‘Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed. 31 Behold, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your father’s house, so that there will not be an old man in your house.

32 Then in distress you will look with envious eye on all the prosperity that shall be bestowed on Israel, and there shall not be an old man in your house forever. 33 The only one of you whom I shall not cut off from my altar shall be spared to weep his eyes out to grieve his heart, and all the descendants of your house shall die by the sword of men.

34 And this that shall come upon your two sons, Hophni and Phinehas, shall be the sign to you: both of them shall die on the same day. 35 And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do according to what is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever.

36 And everyone who is left in your house shall come to implore him for a piece of silver or a loaf of bread and shall say, “Please put me in one of the priests’ places, that I may eat a morsel of bread.” ’ ”

Homiletical Idea:

Those who persist in sin, disregarding the Lord and His commands, will surely face His judgment.

PROPHET PRONOUNCES INCREDIBLE JUDGMENT!

SIGN—Hophni & Phinehas will DIE the SAME DAY...

Their descendants will be stuck envying others because of their indulgent sin!

GOD WASN’T NEGLIGENT or approving of their sin…God just had HIS OWN TIMING.

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GOD HAD A REPLACEMENT:

Samuel

after judgment (killing of priests at Nob), ZADOK the PRIEST…serving David the King...

**Upcoming FAITHFUL PRIEST would be GIVEN A SURE (faithful) HOUSE.

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ULTIMATELY JESUS…PRIEST & KING!

(T) CONSIDER ELI’S WARNING....GOD OPPOSED…WHO CAN HELP??...

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Gospel:

EVERYONE BORN OPPOSED to GOD....

WE’RE BETTER than THESE PRIESTS…BUT BETTER ISN’T GOD’S REQUIREMENT

STANDARD = PERFECT OBEDIENCE to the Law.

Creation is sin-stained. None who are righteous.

All have sinned & fallen short

Eli’s day: Who will intercede for a man sinning against God??

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Yet, GOD SO LOVE the world, he PROVIDED US with a SAVIOR & INTERCESSOR

Jesus Christ’s righteousness & blood intercede for us...

He ever lives to make intercession for us...

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And you can receive that intercessor by faith today.

SALVATION = FREE GIFT OFFERED BY GRACIOUS GOD to SINFUL PEOPLE....

When all men are called to account, the righteousness of Christ must be yours to be saved!!

All of us have shortcomings…but if we are redeemed, we can have hope for that day!

WHEN GOD COMES to REVIEW YOUR LIFE…DO YOU HAVE THE INTERCESSOR???

ONLY WAY TO HAVE HOPE..

***TALK AFTER SERVICE??

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Takeaways

Learn about God:

GOD is WORKING in the WORLD, even when we can’t see it.

Life of faith requires trusting our Sovereign God.

GOD WILL HONOR THOSE WHO HONOR HIM, & bring low those who despise Him.

God isn’t indifferent to sin

God care when His people are contemptuous towards Him.

Learn about Us:

OUR OBEDIENCE TO GOD IN WORSHIP MATTERS! And it must COME FROM THE HEART!

Sons of Eli had contempt…indifferent…calloused..

Elkanah & family had hearts of worship…faithful!

Disobedience is ultimately the fruit of honoring something else above God.

Eli honored sons first

Sons honored self, sinful appetites first

God took the backseat in their lives.

App:

(Q) How do you value worship in this life?

Are you INDIFFERENT to the HOLINESS & SIGNIFICANCE of WORSHIP?…OFFERINGS FROM CALLOUSED HEART??

HAVE YOU SCORNED GRACE of GOD…??

Have you dishonored God by dishonoring others?

Do you put your needs above other’s including God’s?

Are you indifferent to the evil around you?

Coming to worship....Is your heart filled with faithfulness, joy, love…or contempt & complacency?

This text today calls us to some self-reflection, as we want to by the Lord’s grace be more like Samuel’s family in our service to God than Eli’s.

Close in prayer