1 Samuel 2:11-36 - God’s Sovereign Hand Over a Corrupt World

Background for entire book. This how does your passage fit?

1 and 2 Samuel should be considered one book. The division only come because of scroll length.

Before Samuel the book of Judges rehearse how Israel failed to remain faithful to YHWH and love according to the constitution [10 Commandments/Law] YHWH established with the after delivering them from slavery in Egypt.

It was a period of moral chaos and revealed that Israel needed wise and faithful leadership. Samuel is the answer to how God provides that leadership they need.

“everyone did what was right in their own eye” [find all the places this is used in Judges.]

200 years of extraordinary social upheaval in Israel. [The middle of the 11 century BC.]

These were the 200 years after the Israelites had come into the land of Canaan under the leadership of Joshua. The era is often referred to as the period of the judges.

Much of it is recounted in the book of Judges, which concludes with this summary: “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25).2 In other words, there was no established and permanent political authority in the land. Anarchy reigned. There was a crisis of leadership in Israel. Or so it seemed.

The three main figures of the book is Samuel, Saul and David. [Serves as a helpful breakdown for the book as well. [ [1-7] [8-14] [15-31] ]

They three transition Israel from a groups of tribes to a unified kingdom ruled [by the books closures by king David] in Jerusalem.

Samuel is the prophet in the first part of the book and the transition from Judge in Israel to king.

Saul rise and fall then David rise and then falls as well.

Samuel links Israel’s era of uncertainty under the judges’s leadership, the rise of the monarchy under Saul and the flourishing reign under David. Samuel also rehearses Israel’s struggle to conquer and subdue her enemies that were left unconquered during the conquest.

Some of the things we see in the narrative of Samuel is

YHWH’s uniqueness as Israel’s God.

Israel’s status as God’s chosen people.

Humanity Failure and God’s faithfulness to himself through it.

God’s Divine sovereignty

God’s Divine Blessing

Samuel answers the question how would God cause His people to survive considering the two centuries of corruption, instability and even corruption in the nation’s leadership and people recorded in the book of judges. What is the solution for the special people that God made His own?

A secondary questions would be what can we learn about God and ourselves from His dealing with His people during this curial time in their history.

1 Corinthians 10:11 “11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.”

Romans 15:4 “4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”

Observations and Questions

The Over All Text

Oberservations made on printed sheet

Paste Text here and break it down

Word & Phrase Study

Paste Text Underline key words to study

11 Then Elkanah went home to Ramah. And the boy was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli the priest.

The verbal construction suggest an ongoing activity, something ingrained in Samuel’s lifestyle.

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

1 Samuel 1:16 “16 Do not regard your servant as a worthless woman, for all along I have been speaking out of my great anxiety and vexation.””

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.

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.”

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.

18 Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy clothed with a linen ephod.

Was ministering - it emphatic because it juxtaposition with the description of Hophni and Phinehas.

Ephod - a sleeveless, hip-length garment that only members of the Levitical tribe were authorized to wear.

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.

Robe- a longer outer garment worm by members of the Levitical tribe involved in priestly service

Leviticus 8:7 “7 And he put the coat on him and tied the sash around his waist and clothed him with the robe and put the ephod on him and tied the skillfully woven band of the ephod around him, binding it to him with the band.”

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.

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.

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.

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

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?’

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.” ’

Goal/Purpose

What are you trying to accomplish with this sermon. Should be linked to the inspired meaning of the text.

People to pray

Who are some people this sermon will benefit?

Who are some people that represent groups of people to keep in mind when thinking through Application.

Prayer

What should you be asking God for yourself and your people.

What are some hurdles or hindrances to understanding this text.

Opening Statement [HOOK]

Is there something that relates well to this topic that will draw your people into understanding why they need to open their bibles to this passages.

Newspapers, radios, television and now social media.

All wonderful technologies meant to bring us closer together and make us aware of what is going on in the world.

Sadly with it, these invention have brought a clearer perspective on the evil and corruption that is in our world.

Let me be clear the evil has always been there and the potential for greater evil has always been in man’s heart.

But out connectedness exposes us to evil even from other parts of the world, at a rate that doesn’t allow us to digest the previous diet evil we were exposes to before bombarding us with more.

The interesting affect of this is our heart can become desensitized to it. It can start to become the normal expectation.

Have you every looked around and thought to yourself that “the darkness seems to be winning”

Everywhere turn, it seems like corruption is in charge

Leaders who abuse their positions, the systems reward greed and dishonesty, and people in power who trample the weak to serve themselves.

The old saying the good die young and the old raise hell on earth seems all to fitting sometimes.

As we move forward in 1 Samuel 2 this morning, this narrative reads like a modern-day news headline, only with a 11th Century BC twist.

Set against the backdrop of nearly 200 years of social anarchy in Israel. If this narrative was reported today it would read something like.

Another Tabernacle Scandal - When Priest become Predators

Reporting from Shiloh, Israel — In what has sadly become a familiar tale, reports are once again surfacing of corruption and scandal among the nation’s spiritual leaders.

The sons of Eli, serving as priests at the Tabernacle, have been accused of exploiting their sacred office for personal gain.

Worshipers arriving with their offerings complain that before their sacrifices could even be presented to “the Lord, the priests’” [Add Air Quotes] attendants seized the choicest portions of meat for themselves.

Some have even alleged that if worshipers objected, they were threatened with violence.

Others whisper about immorality and shameful behavior in the courts of the Tabernacle itself.

It is hardly the first time the people of Israel have had to shake their heads in disappointment at the moral failures of those entrusted to lead.

What should be a place of holiness has become, in the words of one disillusioned worshiper, “just another marketplace for greed and corruption.”

Observers note that these leaders appear to thrive despite their dishonesty, trampling the weak and serving themselves with impunity. Once again, many are left asking the hard questions: Does God see? Does He care? Has evil finally seized control of His own house?

As the darkness deepens and the people despair, one can only hope that this is not the end of the story.

Could it be that the Lord Himself is at work, unseen, preparing something greater?

For now, we watch and wait.

Stay tuned as this story develops.

All too common and familiar, but there is someone in Israel who doesn't have the same perspective.

She is not so naive to think that evil doesn't exist. No she just knows her God is in perfect control of all circumstances.

In verses 1-10 of chapter 2 Hannah articulated in her wonderful prayer that she knew there was NONE holy like God. That He is the Rock. She knew He is the God that knows, The one who weighs actions, the God who kills and brings to life and the God who judges the end of the Earth. Hannah’s saw the whole world in light of this reality, including her own circumstances. And she conducted her life. Accordingly she respond to her suffering with prayer and to her blessings with praise.

There’s really only two ways to view the world.

Either God is in control and He CARE or HE’s NOT.

I wonder friend which view do you have?

Background to Understand

Who ?

What?

Where?

Why?

How?

So what?

Near Context to Understand

Proposition Statement

4 Characteristic of God Work in the Midst of a Corrupted World.

Exegetical Outline

God’s Sovereign Hand Preserves His People in the Midst of Corruption [vv11-12, 18-21, 26]

He Preserves His Service for them. - Samuel [11] [Samuel serves as a quiet contrast throughout this section with is a silent witness of YHWH’s provision in the mist of the darkness. YHWH is already at work no slogans, no bill-boards, no fancy speeches. Just providence in the shadows, control in the quiet, sovereign the silence ]

1 Samuel 2:11 “11 Then Elkanah went home to Ramah. And the boy was ministering to the Lord in the presence of Eli the priest.”

He Preserves His Presence with them. [v:18]

1 Samuel 2:18 “18 Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy clothed with a linen ephod.”

He Preserves His Blessing to them - Hannah [19-21]

1 Samuel 2:19–21 “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.”

Note that his families devotion to YHWH has NOT wavier even after receiving the blessing of Samuel.

The yearly visit and gifts from Hannah was proof that Samuel still occupied a space in her heart

You can imagine her week after week, diligently working on the new Robe. Guest at how much he grew. Thinking about her special boy.

Hannah and Elkanah fade to the background of this narrative, but their house hold of noisy children should act as a witness to the God who gives blessing to His people.

Samuel grew in the presence of the Lord.

literally Samuel grew with the Lord.

This same term is used of Moses’ position when he received 10 commandment

Exodus 34:28 “28 So he [Moses] was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.”

Samuel enjoyed a childhood marked by divine favor and a lifestyle evidencing a Moses-like relationship with YHWH.

He Preserves His Growth in them [26]

1 Samuel 2:26 “26 Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man.”

While the sins of Hophni and Phinehas were increasing i n magnitude, Samuel stature and good standing were increasing.

Luke 2:52 “52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.”

God’s Sovereign Hand is Never Bound by Corruption [vv12-17, 22-25

Highlight the activity of the priest, but show how God is at the same time raising up a new leader for his people.

1 Samuel 2:12–17 “12 Now the sons of Eli were worthless men. They did not know the Lord.

The first introduction to Eli’s sons was back in vv:1:3 and we are not told anything in particular about them until now.

The introduction to these men as worthless prepares us for what we see in chapter 4 when they are both killed.

But more than that you are prepare to agree with the narrator perspective when he details what they are up to.

They are referred to as worthless men.

Think back to vv:1:16 Eli misunderstood Hannah to be a worthless women.

It’s a daughter of Belial. [It is a term used frequently in the books of Samuel to designate those who are under the covenant but unfaithful to it.

The term can mean different thing depended on the context [death, wickedness, rebellion]

It last develop to be a term meaning “Prince of Darkness”

2 Corinthians 6:15 “15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?”

Here it is used to describe these men who are exceptionally wicked and morally corrupt individuals.

The inditement which produced their actions is found in the reality that they did NOT know the Lord.

It the same phrase used by Pharaoh

Exodus 5:2 “2 But Pharaoh said, “Who is the Lord, that I should obey his voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord, and moreover, I will not let Israel go.””

Pharaoh was not suggestion ignorance of who YHWH was he was asserting his defiance of YHWH. Pharaoh refuse to acknowledge the Lord.

In the same way. The sos of Eli were refusing to acknowledge the Lord. They would act as lords unto theirselves.

NIV Study Bible on know - In OT usage, to "know" the Lord is not just intellectual or theoretical recognition. It is to enter into fellowship with him and acknowledge his claims on one's life. The term often has a covenantal connotation (see Jer 31:34; Hos 2:20).

This corruption was taking place in Shiloh where they holy tabernacle was set up for the time being. This is the certain of God’s dwelling place at this time in history.

It a terrible thing when the people that are suppose to lead other to the Lord don’t know Him themselves. We grow to expect opposition from outside the church. We kind expect society at large to be against Christ’s bride. But the gangrene link slow creeping death of unholy leaders who are indifferent to the faith the proclaim to lead.

The people of Israel likely anticipate attached from the Canaanites of the Philistines, but for the priest of Israel to the cause of their slow demises is a unseen left hook that would have left them floor and unaware of how they ended up down.

Matthew 15:14 “14 Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.””

Luke 6:39 “39 He also told them a parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?”

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.

This practice in Shiloh by the Priest are perverted and far from anything prescribe by God in the Torah. God provided means for the priest to be cared for.

Leviticus 10:14–15 “14 But the breast that is waved and the thigh that is contributed you shall eat in a clean place, you and your sons and your daughters with you, for they are given as your due and your sons’ due from the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the people of Israel. 15 The thigh that is contributed and the breast that is waved they shall bring with the food offerings of the fat pieces to wave for a wave offering before the Lord, and it shall be yours and your sons’ with you as a due forever, as the Lord has commanded.””

Deuteronomy 18:1–8 “1 “The Levitical priests, all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the Lord’s food offerings as their inheritance. 2 They shall have no inheritance among their brothers; the Lord is their inheritance, as he promised them. 3 And this shall be the priests’ due from the people, from those offering a sacrifice, whether an ox or a sheep: they shall give to the priest the shoulder and the two cheeks and the stomach. 4 The firstfruits of your grain, of your wine and of your oil, and the first fleece of your sheep, you shall give him. 5 For the Lord your God has chosen him out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the name of the Lord, him and his sons for all time. 6 “And if a Levite comes from any of your towns out of all Israel, where he lives—and he may come when he desires—to the place that the Lord will choose, 7 and ministers in the name of the Lord his God, like all his fellow Levites who stand to minister there before the Lord, 8 then he may have equal portions to eat, besides what he receives from the sale of his patrimony.”

Numbers 18:18 “18 But their flesh shall be yours, as the breast that is waved and as the right thigh are yours.”

The priest were already allotted the breast and the right leg

Leviticus 7:28–36 “28 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 29 “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, Whoever offers the sacrifice of his peace offerings to the Lord shall bring his offering to the Lord from the sacrifice of his peace offerings. 30 His own hands shall bring the Lord’s food offerings. He shall bring the fat with the breast, that the breast may be waved as a wave offering before the Lord. 31 The priest shall burn the fat on the altar, but the breast shall be for Aaron and his sons. 32 And the right thigh you shall give to the priest as a contribution from the sacrifice of your peace offerings. 33 Whoever among the sons of Aaron offers the blood of the peace offerings and the fat shall have the right thigh for a portion. 34 For the breast that is waved and the thigh that is contributed I have taken from the people of Israel, out of the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons, as a perpetual due from the people of Israel. 35 This is the portion of Aaron and of his sons from the Lord’s food offerings, from the day they were presented to serve as priests of the Lord. 36 The Lord commanded this to be given them by the people of Israel, from the day that he anointed them. It is a perpetual due throughout their generations.””

However, these priest exploited the people they were suppose to be serving.

and they were lazy because they sent servants to do their dirty work.

This was the custom of the priest - there is a little word play here. it’s could be translated this was the “justice or judgement” of the priest. The leaders in those days were called judges. The priest in Shiloh were bringing their own version of justice to Isreal.

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.” 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. [revile, to scorn, to reject, despise, abhor (hate extremely or with contempt), spurn, treat with contempt, ”

The NOT only were glutinous taking heaps of boiled meat, but they were also thieves stealing from the people and from God. They were taking from the offering before the portion designated for the Lord.

This description indicates that Eli's sons were "skimming off the top" so to speak, taking parts of the sacrifices reserved for God and thereby essentially stealing from God Himself! That is a frightening thought, so one is not surprised at their just demise at the hands of the Philistines. Their demand for raw meat would include the fat which was to be offered to the Lord. In essence they were stealing

Leviticus 3:3–5 “3 And from the sacrifice of the peace offering, as a food offering to the Lord, he shall offer the fat covering the entrails and all the fat that is on the entrails, 4 and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them at the loins, and the long lobe of the liver that he shall remove with the kidneys. 5 Then Aaron’s sons shall burn it on the altar on top of the burnt offering, which is on the wood on the fire; it is a food offering with a pleasing aroma to the Lord.”

Leviticus 7:30 “30 His own hands shall bring the Lord’s food offerings. He shall bring the fat with the breast, that the breast may be waved as a wave offering before the Lord.”

The young priest would turn to treating with temple thugs to extort the meat from the people.

Contrast - 1 Samuel 2:18 “18 Samuel was ministering before the Lord, a boy clothed with a linen ephod.”

The priest were despising the Lord while Samuel was serving Him. He was with Him. In the Face if the Lord.

Samuel’s life was marked inwardly by his relationship with the Lord and outwardly by his priestly attire.

Their glutenous hearts and appetite for BBQ will cost them their lives.

1 Samuel 2:22–25 “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. 23 And he said to them, “Why do you do such things? For I hear of your evil dealings from all these people.

Eli sons where having sexual relations with the custodial women at the tabernacle. We typical see people in power abusing the status in sexual misconduct.

They turned the tabernacle into a brothel, a place where sin was commited rather than confessed.

Numbers 6:2 “2 “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When either a man or a woman makes a special vow, the vow of a Nazirite, to separate himself to the Lord,”

Exodus 38:8 “8 He made the basin of bronze and its stand of bronze, from the mirrors of the ministering women who ministered in the entrance of the tent of meeting.”

[rework - but maybe NOT use] Sadly, in the conduct of these young men we recognize two forms that corruption in leadership commonly takes. The greed of verses 13–17, where leaders use their position for personal gain, has damaged many in leadership. The particularly powerful and perverse form of greed mentioned in verse 22, sexual immorality, where leaders use their position to exploit others for their own sexual pleasure, is all too familiar

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 the judge used the imagery of a legal dispute in warning his sons.

[rework] - in a case pitting two people against each other, God could work wither through His revealed law or through circumstances to exonerate the person charged with wrongdoing. However, if a person were pitted against the Lord in coutr, the human could expect only condemnation. Hophni and Phinehas, having committed capital offenses [Leviticus 7:25; 22:9], could only expect the Lord to bring the death penalty upon them.

Their major issues is they are sinning against the very means that God provided to deal with their sin.

Hebrews 10:26 “26 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,”

Hebrews 10:29 “29 How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?”

Hebrews 6:6 “6 and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt.”

Eli’s words are true but they lack authority. They lack a backbone. Its something pathetic about them. He is pleading with sons instead of rebuking worthless men.

The Lord’s will to put them to death.

it pleased the Lord to put them to death [execute judgement]

Their hardness was both their own choice and God’s judgement on them for that choice.

It was like the hardening of Pharaoh’s heart in the days of Moses.

Pharaoh hardened (Exodus 8:15; 32; 9:34; 7:13-14; 22; 8:19; 9:7; 35) his own heart and God hardened Pharaoh’s heart (Exodus 4:21; 7:3; 9:12; 10:1; 20; 27; 11:10; 14:4; 8).

One truth does not exclude the other truth.

Although it would be misleading to say that the Lord takes pleasure in killing people [Ezekiel 18:23; 33:11; 2 Peter 3:9], it is certainly true that he delights in bringing justice to the world order. Justice is a central trait in God’s character [Exodus 34:7; 2 Chronicles 12:6] , and the implementation of divine justice always bring satisfaction.

[rework] - We do well to allow verse 25b To percolate into our minds. It is easy to read it to hastily, as if it said that. Hophni and Phinehas Did not listen to Eli and, consequently, Yahweh decided to put them to death. But the text does not say that; It says Eli’s sons did not listen to him because [for] Yahweh had decided to put them to death. HNP resistance was not the rationale for Yahweh’s judgment, but the result of his judgment. A perfectly just judgment. We cannot divorce verse 25 from the previous account of HNP imprudence and immorality.In that light verse 25b Says that for their persisting rebellion, Yahweh decided to put them to death and that, therefore, they had not listened to Eli’s plea. So the tax teachers that someone can remain so firm in his rebellion that God will confirm him in it, so much so that he will remain utterly death too, and unmoved by any warning of judgment or plea for repentance.

W.G. Blaikie: Hophni and Phinehas experienced the fate of ment who deliberately sin against the light, who love their lusts so well that nothing will induce them to fight against them; they were so hardened that repentance became impossible, and it was necessary for them to undergo the full retribution of their wickedness.

Romans 1:18–32 “18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 24 Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, 25 because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen. 26 For this reason God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature; 27 and the men likewise gave up natural relations with women and were consumed with passion for one another, men committing shameless acts with men and receiving in themselves the due penalty for their error. 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.”

[Rework] - be careful of your response to such teaching. Some of you may become THWH’s prosecutors, alleging he is deficient in mercy. Other may be intellectually curious about the mechanics of hardening, at what precise point in sin’s progress does it become impossible to repent? Both the critic and the curious are wrong. Out place is NOT to question or to comprehend but to tremble before a God who can justly make sinners deaf to the very call to repentance.

Contrast - 1 Samuel 2:26 “26 Now the boy Samuel continued to grow both in stature and in favor with the Lord and also with man.”

I want us to be careful NOT to see this corruption as a them problem, but recognize its a us problem. The defiance of God in these leaders hearts reside in our as well. And apart from the work of God’s grace in our lives, we would take the same course of action, if NOT worse.

Important recalibration that is needed for our lives is to realize that Samuel who seems to be in the background of all this corruption is NOT in the background. The Narrative is actually about hIm. [or what God is doing through him and bringing him up during this time] There is theology even in the struture of the narrative. The author keeps reminding you to keep you eye on Samuel. As he speaks about the corruption and the impotentacen you should be asking yoursleve, what is Samuel doing.

Its’ imperative for us as Chirstians to think about the world we live in the right way. The things God is working out in this world is not the backgroud. Its the main thing. He purposes being played is what we should keep our eye on.

THis has implication for what is going on it the word now. Wars, scandals, etc [find more thing to list] You may be tempted to look at all these things and think that God is working in the background to accomplish his purpose, but Believer let me encourage you to think more Biblically that everything else that is happening in the world is bag groung noise for God working out his plan. The sovereign king is moving everything in human history to set up the return of His and to bring to completion of the purpose of creating the world to have representative for Himself, to rule, to in relationship with him. To be with man and man with him.

God’s Sovereign Word Exposes and Judges Corruption [vv27-34]

1 Samuel 2:27–34 “27 And there came a man of God to Eli and said to him,

An unnamed prophet comes to Eli was God’s Word. out of no where

Man of God - second most common designation for a prophet in the OT [71 times.]

This man can as the bearer of the Word of God wanted to speak so he brought a nameless faceless person to deliever His truth. Which shows that the messenger means nothing. Its the message that is important.

God will protect His people from being overcome by evil. If Hophni and Phinehas threaten to destory God’s people then they will be destroed to spare God’s people. It’s a work of judgement, it a harsh word, but it is at the same time a saving word, a merciful word, a protecting word for the people of GOd.

Dale Ralph Davis: a Merciful Meddling of God’s Word

Rehearsal of God previous Grace to them - “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?

Father - Arron the first priest and his sons.

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?

Exodus 28:1 “1 “Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.”

[This information might be better explained at the beginning to show they are already acting outside their role] - One of the small puzzles of Biblical history (simply because we lack complete information) is how Eli came to be Israel’s leading priest. Although he is never called “chief” or “high” priest, it seems clear that he was in charge at Shiloh. Aaron was the first “chief priest” (Ezra 7:5), and the priesthood was given by God to his sons “forever” (Exodus 29:9). The role of chief priest passed to Aaron’s third son, Eleazar (Numbers 3:32; 20:24–29; Deuteronomy 10:6; cf. Numbers 4:16), the first two sons of Aaron having died in rather unfortunate circumstances (Leviticus 10:1, 2). From Eleazar the chief priesthood passed to his son Phinehas (who was a far cry from his later namesake at Shiloh!) and his descendants, who were given by God “the covenant of a perpetual priesthood” (Numbers 25:13; cf. Judges 20:27, 28; 1 Chronicles 9:20). While the role of chief priest appears to have been passed on from father to eldest living son for several generations, there is no clear indication that this was a divine requirement. [The promises of Exodus 29:9 (to Aaron and sons) and Numbers 25:13 (to Phinehas) promise priesthood, but not high-priesthood. ] We do not know how the responsibility for the tabernacle/temple at Shiloh came to be in the hands of Eli, who was not a descendant of Eleazar but of Aaron’s fourth son, Ithamar. It is possible that a chief priest in Eleazar’s line may have died without leaving a son old enough to take on the role. In addition to his credentials as a descendant of Aaron, Eli may have been related to the Eleazar p 66 family by marriage. He may, therefore, have been the best available person to take over the responsibility.7

The Lord ordained that the sacrificial meat portions given to Him by offers were to be eaten by the priest

Leviticus 7:34 “34 For the breast that is waved and the thigh that is contributed I have taken from the people of Israel, out of the sacrifices of their peace offerings, and have given them to Aaron the priest and to his sons, as a perpetual due from the people of Israel.”

Leviticus 10:14 “14 But the breast that is waved and the thigh that is contributed you shall eat in a clean place, you and your sons and your daughters with you, for they are given as your due and your sons’ due from the sacrifices of the peace offerings of the people of Israel.”

However, the priest were fattening themselves by eating the choice parts of every offering [literally - the first of every freewill offering] that is, the fatty portion that was to be burned in the fire.

Leviticus 7:25 “25 For every person who eats of the fat of an animal of which a food offering may be made to the Lord shall be cut off from his people.”

The thought is “in light of all these privileges and gift from me, why do you treat my sacrifices and offering as common and honor your sons above me.”

He did not take decisive action when his boys persisted in the offense against the Lord.

Perhaps, Eli could NOT stop his sons from committing the sins they were committing, but he could have stopped them from doing them as priest.

God rebukes Eli for being too understanding. Being kind to the point of tolerating sin does not honor God. If you allow or tolerate sin you are essentially allows God honor to take the back seat.

God graciously choosing is a theme found throughout scripture.

Deuteronomy 4:37 “37 And because he loved your fathers and chose their offspring after them and brought you out of Egypt with his own presence, by his great power,”

Deuteronomy 7:6–7 “6 “For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for his treasured possession, out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. 7 It was not because you were more in number than any other people that the Lord set his love on you and chose you, for you were the fewest of all peoples,”

Deuteronomy 10:15 “15 Yet the Lord set his heart in love on your fathers and chose their offspring after them, you above all peoples, as you are this day.”

the point here is that Eli must acknowledge the gracious sovereign choice by God NOT only of Israel but particularly of the house of Aaron.

Accusation of what they did wrong - 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?’

Eli was not responsible for his sons action. He was responsible for unwillingness to act. He could have removed the from the priest. He could have made it clear to all if the people what he thought about their actions by kicking them out. The might have continued to sleep with the women in the tabernacle, they might have continue to run amuck with their gang of temple thugs, but it would have ben clear to everyone that they were rebelling against God. Eli should have done what we call today church discipline and put the outside the covenant people of God and make it clear to everyone.

Eli took no action to expel them from the priestly office. There was no church discipline. His sons should have been a the unemployment office for their transgression, but since Eli wouldn’t step in, YHWH will vindicate His own glory.

Eli was guilty of the sin of thinking that being nice to people is the most important virture. It can become easy to practice a gutless compassion that never wants to offend a person.

Niceness is not the same as love. Becuase niceness can ignore God’s law and holiness and in doing so despise and compromise on it. True love never allows this to happen because is governed by truth.

Announcement of coming judgement- 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.

God had said, “And the priesthood shall be theirs by a statute forever” (Exodus 29:9).15 This promise was reiterated with fresh emphasis to Aaron’s grandson, Phinehas, after he had demonstrated remarkable zeal in his service of God and Israel. God said, “Behold, I give to him my covenant of peace, and it shall be to him and to his descendants after him the covenant of a perpetual priesthood, because he was jealous for his God and made atonement for the people of Israel” (Numbers 25:12, 13).

They breach the contract they had with God. Now he will remove them as beneficiaries of His promises.

Galatians 6:7 “7 Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”

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.”

Much of what had been announced lay in the future, and Eli himself would not see it. However, he would see a terrible sign that would confirm the message of this man of God.

The grace of God toward the house of Eli (vv. 27, 28), like the grace of God toward us, calls the recipients of such kindness to “renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age” (Titus 2:12)

God’s Sovereign Word Secures the Future in the midst of Corruption. [vv35-36]

1 Samuel 2:35–36 “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.

This promise appears to have been fulfilled with the rise of Zadok, who displaced Abiathar as the high priest in Israel

Zodok and his priestly line fulfill this prediction of the faithful priest. When Soloman’s banishes Abiathar, Eli’s descendants, from priestly service.

That text only specifies that Abiathar banishment fulfills the prophecy about the fall of Eli’s house; it makes no direct assertion about the identity of the faithful priest. However, Solomon’s elevation of Zodok as sole high in place of Abiathar implicitly places Zodok in the role of the faithful priest.

1 Kings 2:26–27 “26 And to Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go to Anathoth, to your estate, for you deserve death. But I will not at this time put you to death, because you carried the ark of the Lord God before David my father, and because you shared in all my father’s affliction.” 27 So Solomon expelled Abiathar from being priest to the Lord, thus fulfilling the word of the Lord that he had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.”

1 Kings 2:35 “35 The king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada over the army in place of Joab, and the king put Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar.”

1 Chronicles 29:22 “22 And they ate and drank before the Lord on that day with great gladness. And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and they anointed him as prince for the Lord, and Zadok as priest.”

for one of Solomon’s early acts as king will be to expel Abiathar from the priesthood and banish him. When the historian records these events, he will add the comment, “thus fulfilling the word of the LORD that he had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh” (1 Kings 2:27).

Human resistance and disobedience will not stymie YHWH’s purpose. Trenchant rebellion does not send YHWH into a state of helplessness and frustration. YHWH will rule hHis people if NOT through particular leaders the apart from them and in spite of them.

YHWH is stubbornness. And it is a beautiful stubbornness.

Israel may suffer from degenerate priest, but YHWH will judge them and raise up a priest for Himself. He is determined. He WILL have the leadership that He desire in Israel for His people. This is NOT anything anyone can do to stop Him from accomplishing it from securing what His people need. This is the stubbornness that the Christian finds security in that when YHWH determine to accomplish something for the good of His people there is nothing that will stand in his way.

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.” ’ ”

Conclusions

Discussion Questions and Hand out Material

The mircocosim this scene presents of the blessing and the curse that YHWH presented to His people at the end of Moses’ life in Deuteronomy 26.

Point 1: God’s Sovereign Hand Preserves His People in the Midst of Corruption (vv. 11–12, 18–21, 26)

At work, when colleagues cut corners or act dishonestly, remember that God can preserve your integrity and honor faithful labor.

In school, when it seems easier to cheat or blend into peer pressure, trust that God strengthens those who walk in integrity like Samuel.

When church leadership falters or disappoints, know that God always preserves a faithful remnant to carry His purposes forward.

In government or national leadership, even if corruption is widespread, God protects His people from being swallowed by it.

If family members set a negative example, God can still shape your life for good apart from their failures.

When friends lead you toward compromise, God’s Spirit enables you to remain steadfast in truth.

God’s preservation is not just defensive—He actively grows you in Christlike character even in hostile settings.

Take heart: God’s hand preserves His people not merely to “survive” corruption but to shine as lights in the darkness.

Point 2: God’s Sovereign Hand is Never Bound by Corruption (vv. 12–17, 22–25)

At work, though office politics may seem to determine success, God can exalt the humble and bring down the proud.

In school, when teachers or administrators misuse authority, remember that God’s purposes for your growth and witness are not hindered.

Even if church leaders fail morally or spiritually, the kingdom of God is not bound—Christ remains Head of the church.

Corruption in national leadership cannot restrain God’s purposes for His people; He directs the course of history for His glory.

If a friend betrays you, God can use even that betrayal as part of His plan to deepen your dependence on Him.

If a family member mistreats you, trust that their actions cannot undo God’s good purposes in your life.

Corruption cannot bind the gospel—God is still saving, sanctifying, and sending His people into the world.

Because God is never bound, you can live faithfully without fear, knowing His plans will prevail even in broken environments.

Point 3: God’s Sovereign Word Exposes and Judges Corruption (vv. 27–34)

At work, God’s Word unmasks dishonest practices—use Scripture as your compass to walk in light, not darkness.

In school, His Word equips you to discern truth from lies, guarding you from the corruption of cultural pressures.

When church leaders abuse power, God’s Word exposes sin and promises that He will bring just judgment.

In national life, though leaders may misuse authority, Scripture declares that no ruler is beyond God’s accountability.

If a friend mocks your faith or tempts you to sin, God’s Word exposes that path as destructive and warns you away.

If a family member pressures you to compromise your values, cling to the Word that reveals God’s better way.

God’s Word doesn’t just expose corruption “out there”—it exposes sin in us, calling us to repentance and renewal.

This judgment is hopeful: it assures us that evil will not have the last word, because God’s justice will stand.

Point 4: God’s Sovereign Word Secures the Future in the Midst of Corruption (vv. 35–36)

At work, your career isn’t secured by favoritism or politics, but by God’s providence and timing.

In school, your future is not determined by corrupt systems, but by the God who orders your steps.

In church life, though leaders may fall, Christ promises to build His church and secure its future until He returns.

In national leadership, governments rise and fall, but God’s kingdom is unshakable and everlasting.

If a friend abandons you, God’s Word promises He will never leave you nor forsake you.

If family conflict makes the future seem uncertain, rest in the hope that God’s plans for you are for good, not for harm (Jer. 29:11).

Because Christ is our High Priest (fulfilled beyond Samuel), our eternal future is secure regardless of present corruption.

Hope is certain: God’s Word guarantees that His purposes will be accomplished, and His people will be kept to the end.

Application for Contemporary Christians

In workplaces or schools: When authorities or systems hinder your witness, remember that God can preserve, empower, and even expand your influence through challenging seasons.

In church or organizational leadership: Even when leadership persecutes or silences faithful servants, God remains at work—protecting, vindicating, and raising up new platforms for the gospel.

In national politics: When governments seek to suppress the church, God is still orchestrating sovereign breakthroughs—even turning persecution into fertile ground for gospel spread.

In personal hardship (family/friends): When relationships pressure or isolate you, God may be shaping your character and using your waiting season for His redemptive purposes.

In spiritual development: Turbulent, oppressive contexts often cast believers into deeper dependence on God, strengthening their testimony and reach in ways that surprising deliverance later reveals.