God reigns over corruption
1 Samuel • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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· 13 viewsIn spite of corruption, Jesus is our completely faithful leader.
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Transcript
God reigns over corruption
1 Samuel 2:11-36
BI:
Introduction: McMillions
This bloke Jerome Jacobson was a police officer who became the director of security for Simon Marketing. And his job was to transport these small pieces of stickers from a printing plant to packaging plant. And at the packaging plant he would randomly select stickers to stick them to cups and cartons that had golden arches on them. if you didn’t know, I’m talking about the monopoly promotion at McDonalds. I think it’s being run now right at Maccas. Jacobson’s job was to make sure no one got their hands on the promotion stickers otherwise the game would be ruined. You can win a burger or fries or a sundae and if you got a property set you could win an awesome holiday. Even though Jacobson had a good and steady income $70k a year. we’re talking abot the nineties, he had a good reputation, an important job, this guy was corrupt. In 1995 on route to the factory, he had a female auditor to watch him. this was standard practice. he went to the place she could not go. the mens bathroom. Here he swapped out the prize stickers with common ones. And went on his way to the packaging plant. to protect himself He would go on to sell the prized stickers to friends, strangers you know for $45k for a $200k prize. It's lucrative. Win win.
Jacobson was trusted with millions of dollars in prize money. but He abused his position of power. He was to make sure the game ran with integrity. But he stole $24 million because he was greedy. He wanted to fatten his own bank account. This bloke was the real life hamburgular.
In todays passage we see something similar. Leaders in positions of power who are downright corrupt.
But that doesn’t surprise you does it? We know leaders can be corrupt. we know it. And in fact we shouldn’t be surprised because in that time, Israel experience a time of crisis. There was no law and order. In fact, the book before 1 Samuel, in Judges 21:25 the end of the book ends like this.
In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. And it started at the top of the food chain. Corrupt leadership.
That’s what we see at the beginning of the passage. It begins with Eli’s sons, Hophni and Phinehas. They have been introduced earlier in chapter 1. We know they are priests. But the thing is; they are not upright men.
1. Their completely corrupt leadership
They are completeIy corrupt leaders. In fact, one commentator calls them unrestrained thugs. It’s staggering. Come to Verse 12
1 Samuel 2:12 (ESV)
Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the Lord.
Imagine being described like that. Worthless. A thug. Good for nothing. Literally, wicked. Like Lord Vordemoort in Harry Potter – we’ve been reading Harry Potter to the older kids. He’s wicked. Or Scar in the Lion King. Just evil. Hophni and Phinehas are wicked. They did not know the Lord.
And this is absolutely terrible. Why? They are priests. They are leaders of God’s people. Right.
Remember that the tabernacle was where you came to meet with God. It was where you come to do business with God. it’s where God dwelt. And Hophni and Phinehas have the job of helping the Israelites to meet with their God. They had a solemn duty to teach God’s law to God’s people. Not only that, they offered sacrifices to atone – to pay for - the sins of God’s people. They were the go-between men. Priests. Leaders of God’s people. Yet these priests did not even know God.
How can it be? How can the priests of God not know God? it sounds so ridiculous. it’s like going to a mechanic to get your car fixed and the bloke has no idea how to pop the bonnet. Or going in for surgery on your hand and the doctor does not even know medicine. How can that be?
Of course if that were to happen, you’d take your business elsewhere. But the problem is, there wasn’t another tabernacle. There was no where else to go. And these were the only priests. It’s Shiloh or nothing. So you are stuck with these priests.
And it’s bad enough that they don’t know God. I guess you could do your job but don’t believe in it. But they are completely corrupt. They deliberately abused their power for gain. Not to honor God’s holiness. But to sin in the presence of God.
How? They sent their servants to steal the best bits of the meat for themselves. Look at verse 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, 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.
Now the law set out in Leviticus in chapter 7 tells us that the priest is already given the breast and right leg of the sacrifice. God was generous to them. But for Eli’s sons it wasn’t enough. They wanted more. So they exploited the people they were meant to serve. And worse than that, it’s like they wanted roasted Peking duck with the fat not the more bland Hainanese chicken. Look at verse 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.”
Now the meat sacrificed was not chicken. It was lam. But you get the point. They worried about their palette. It was not to sacrifice to God. Certainly not to please God. to serve the people. No. They didn’t know God. They certainly didn’t love God’s people. And if you dared question them, well, they acted like mafia ring leaders. verse 16
1 Samuel 2:16 (ESV)
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.”
No wonder the writer sums up the situation in these words.
1 samuel 2:17
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.
They are corrupt priests. Corrupt leaders. They treated God with contempt. But that’s not all. Like a terrible infomercial, I was watching just for a brief moment the benefits of manuka honey. I don’t understand how you can watch 1 hour of an infomercial. Just keeps going and going and going. But there’s more here.
Not only were they greedy gluttons but they turned the tabernacle into a brothel in verse 22. They completely corrupt leaders. Friends, this is where you confess sins not where you commit sins. And it’s not as if you know when you might sin, you try to cover it up hide it, like Jacobson right. Trying to hide the winning maccas stickers. These guys deliberately committed sins out in the open. In public. Everyone knows. In fact, the news of their corrupt ways has spread like wildfire. And it’s come to the ears of their father, Eli the priest. So Eli warns his sons.
1 Samuel 2:23–25 (ESV)
And he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people. No, my sons; it is no good report that I hear the people of the Lord spreading abroad. If someone sins against a man, God will mediate for him, but if someone sins against the Lord, who can intercede for him?”
Eli’s warning is clear, isn’t it? Hophni and Phinehas were not just sinning against a person. They sinned directly against God. You see, the sacrificial system was God’s way to deal with sin. He gave them this system. The lamb died in place of the person who had sinned. It was the means to deal with sin. and remember God was generous. He wanted to be in relationship with his people. Because he is perfect. He is holy. He is God. So he set this system up to deal with their sins in that time.
But Hophni and Phinehas said pfft whatever. They abused the way in which their sins could be dealt with. They sinned directly against God. They are completely corrupt leaders.
So, what hope remained for them? Theres no other way for their sins to be forgiven. No way to be right with God.
Can you see how corrupt Hophni and Phinehas are? They are complete corrupt leaders. Greedy, sexually immoral, treated God with contempt and and to cap it all off, they ignored their father’s rebuke, verse 25 second half
1 Samuel 2:25 (ESV)
But they would not listen to the voice of their father, for it was the will of the Lord to put them to death.
While Eli’s sons did not know God, God knew Eli’s sons.
But you know what the surprise is? We have seen their sin. God will judge them. That’s been the focus of the passage so far. But who does God speak to about all this corruption? He speaks to Eli, their father. And this prophet rebukes him. But actually verse 29 listen carefully to what God says
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?’
Eli does rebuke his sons, but he did not do what is right. He does not call his sons to repent. He tries to reason with his sons to stop their wicked ways. But he does not call them to turn back to God. He honored his sons above honoring his Lord. That was his sin.
He played the nice dad, who raised the issue of sin. But he should’ve been the brave priest pleading with his sons to repent from sin. He should’ve offered a sacrifice for their sins.
He played the nice dad who rebuked his sons, but he should’ve been the strong leader who removed his sons as priests. So he was guilty. He scorned the lord’s sacrifice. He failed to maintain the holiness of the priesthood.
He fails to restrain his kids. He honored his sons above honoring God.
And church I want to take a side step and speak to you about honoring our children above honoring God. I really wrestled with whether I should talk about this. Because I know it certainly a sensitive topic for parents. Raising children is hard work. I mean it is sensitive for me when someone comments on my parenting. So hear me say this from the perspective someone has failed over and over again. That line there ‘You honor your sons above me’ really struck me. That struck me because modern parenting is honoring our kids above honoring God. that’s what it is. It’s about their happiness. It’s about them. We can be so focussed on our kids rather than God. The kids music. The kids birthday parties. The kids entertainment. We want them to be happy and I get that. And I’m not saying hey stop those things. But I am asking the question, are we teaching them to value, to love other things rather than their loving God. It’s the constant battle Joy and I face. Should the kids do this birthday? Should they join this club? Hmm how does it impact our ability to serve people? Are we honoring our Lord? Do i really wanting them to grow as disciples of Jesus. Is that showing not just in words, but actually what we do? See, It’s not about their happiness. of course i’m not saying be a grinch, but God wants us to raise our children to honor Him above all else. To love Jesus above all else. And so often, we do need to lovingly discipline and follow through on consequences? Do we put boundaries and say no? stick to them. Eli didn’t do this. Do we say, hey that’s sin? That dishonors God. let’s pray together and ask God to forgive us. Thank you Jesus that we’re saved. Do all this of course lovingly, gently. We want our children to honor their Lord as they grow up. This is way too important. Proverbs 22:6
Train up a child in the way he should go;
even when he is old he will not depart from it.
Clearly, Eli did not.
God would punish Eli. He honored his sons above honoring God. So God promised to end his entire line. Verse 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.
Eli and his sons showed absolute contempt. They will be punished. Sin has consequences. God promises to end his line. God promises Hophni and Phinehas will die on the same day. It’s a scary prospect to fall into the hands of the living God.
Very dire isn’t it? the passage is depressing isn’t it? This is the sad state of affairs in Israel. It looks hopeless. It looks helpless. it’s complete corruption.
But…
Even though Eli failed to raise up faithful leaders for God’s people.
God did not fail to raise up a faithful leader for his people.
2. But God is raising up a faithful leader
And in fact, ultimately God does not rely on anyone to fulfil his purposes. He can fulfil his purposes in spite of his people. Because God is always at work. here He is raising up a faithful leader.
For Eli’s sons were not the only boys serving in Shiloh as priests.
There was another young boy. A boy not from the line of priests. But from a mother who made a promise to God.
See if Eli’s sons are wicked, Samuel is faithful. And we see it in the passage don’t we? The writer talks about him growing in favor with God. God raised up Samuel. He became a worthy minister – or servant – of God’s people in verse 11. Look there
Then Elkanah went home to Ramah. And the boy was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli the priest.
And jump down to verse 18
Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy clothed with a linen ephod.
There’s progress. Notice he is no longer being supervised by Eli the priest.
And more than that in verse 26, And as Hophni and Phinehas drifted further away from God, this boy Samuel grew closer to God. so verse 26
Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man.
God was working in the background. See you could’ve missed this as you read the passage today. you could almost miss that God is working in the background. God wants to remind us again and again he has not abandoned his people, despite how bad it looks. Despite how sinful they are. He would provide the leader that they need.
And as God rejects Eli and his line, he promises another leader. He is raising up a faithful leader. in verse 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.
In the midst of corrupt leaders, God was at work raising up Samuel, a faithful leader. He would be a faithful priest serving in Shiloh. And yet when you read verse 35 carefully, you think to yourself, Samuel, wellll He didn’t live forever. He died. And his line was not faithful. And in fact, God tells us later on in 1 samuel 8:3 his sons took bribes and perverted justice.
Actually, God was at work in raising up another leader,.
3. Our completely perfect leader
Even here God is pointing us to Jesus. He is our completely perfect leader. The perfect high priest.
See like Samuel, Jesus grew in stature and in favour with God and man. See what 1 Samuel 2 26 says and Luke 2 52 up on the screen there.
1 Samuel 2:26 (ESV)
Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man.
Luke 2:52 (ESV)
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.
In fact, Jesus was raised at a time when Israel was corrupt. It’s leadership was completely corrupt.
Herod tried to protect his power.
The Pharisees tried to keep their power
And Pilate was scared to lose his power.
And it’s astonishing. Even in corrupt leadership in the midst of it, God is working in the background. He would save his people despite corrupt leaders.
Herod tried to kill Jesus when he was a baby
The Pharisees did all they could to trap Jesus when he taught
And Pilot was the weak leader who allowed Jesus to be crucified.
And even though they killed Jesus, god was working in the background to save his people. The cross is how god saves his people from their sin. Jesus showed himself to be the perfect faithful high priest we need.
Jesus was never on about his own gain. He treated women with all purity and respect. And He knew God. he loved God deeply. And as he obeyed his Father, Jesus gave himself up for the sake of others. He humbled himself. He humbled himself all the way to the cross to die for our sins. he did not commit sin at the place where sins were forgiven. No Jesus stepped into the grave to grab death by the throat, and he overcame death. he defeated sin and death. This is our greatest need. To have our sins forgiven. and this is what Jesus did on the cross. Jesus is the high priest we need.
So he is the one who has a permanent priesthood. He is always able to save completely those who come to God through Him.
And Hebrews 7:26 says it’s just so wonderful
For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
He is the completely perfect leader we need. and we can trust. He is the high priest who truly meets our needs.
4. Implications
so what does this all mean for us?
A. Jesus is the only completely faithful leader
Friends, I want you to know that Jesus is the only completely faithful leader. We can be tempted to look at the church and it’s leaders, leaders of denominations and boy can it be frustrating. Sometimes it gets me down. i hear that Another pastor theologian bites the dust. And it just damages the cause of the Gospel. You could think, if only he didn’t lead like that, this ministry would still be going. I was lamenting a ministry that has gone belly up the other day because of it’s leadership. It had so much potential. We’ve seen how Hophni and Phinehas were so corrupt. it damages God’s people. it truly does. But you know, you have feel down but never despair. God is always at work in the background. God will work it all out for his glory, for our good. Trust him. He is the one working it all out. he has brought once barren Hannah a son. He is raising up a faithful leader in Samuel, this young boy here. And he raised up Jesus. Jesus who is the completely faithful leader. So Look to him as the one who never lets you down. Look to him. He never sinned. Look to him, He always leads in perfect love. Look to him, Jesus who died for your sins, my sins, he is the only completely perfect leader.
But I also think from the passage, it’s easy to point stand above and point at and rant about bad leaders. But may I suggest before we point the finger at others, we should humbly look at our own lives.
B. Jesus wants true repentance
because JEsus wants true repentance. That with sting of the passage. For just like Hophni and Phinehas showed contempt to the sacrificial system, do we show contempt to the sacrifice of Jesus for our sins? Are you living in sin? Deliberately? Are you greedy, honoring our children more than God, sexually immoral. Are you living this way and not repenting? If you are, then you must repent, Jesus wants you to repent of sin. He wants you to make the most of the opportunity to call others to repent. He wants you to turn away from sin before it’s too late. Repent before God lets us over to our hard hearts.
But the fact that you are here says it’s not too late. Anyone who will turn to Jesus will be forgiven. Anyone living in deliberate sin will be forgiven. he has died for sin once for all. he will forgive your sins. So heed the warning and turn back if this is you.
For friends, yes corruption is all around, but God has worked to raise up Jesus our completely perfect leader. trust him and repent. live with him as your perfect leader who will never let you down.
Let’s pray
