Those Who Despise Me Shall Be Lightly Esteemed

This morning we are going to be examining the story of the downfall of the house of Eli. Eli is a priest, in fact he is functioning as the high priest, he is the spiritual head of all of Israel, and he allows himself to make some pretty bad spiritual decisions that cause God to judge not only Eli himself, but the rest of his family legacy. That is how bad things got for Eli. I want to share with you one verse in this story as we begin. It is the verse that we will be driving towards as we tell this particular story.

1 Samuel 2:30 ESV

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.

Eli, made a series of bad spiritual decisions (we would call that sin), that ultimately led him, to despise the very name of God.

How is it, that Eli (and by way of extension any of us) could allow sin to get so bad in his life, that he ended up despising the very name of God?

I. Scene #1- The Big Problem (2:12-17)

A. When we sin we exchange God’s ways for our own ways for selfish reasons (2:12-15)

1 Samuel 2:12–15 ESV

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

i. In the OT Law God had already provided a system for the priests to be provided for.

Leviticus 7:34–36 ESV

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.”

b. Hophni and Phineas devised their own methods for getting the very best pieces of meat. They would send out a servant with a three pronged fork and take exactly what they wanted.

c. They would even take the meat before the fat was burned. The fat was usually burned for the Lord.

Leviticus 3:5 ESV

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 7:25 ESV

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.

Hophni and Phineas exchanged God’s ways for their own ways and their motivation was complete selfishness. They were not satisfied with what God had provided for them. They wanted more. What they ended up doing was exchanging their fellowship with God for a piece of meat. How often is that the reason behind our own sin? We buy into the lie that our own way is better than God’s way. But if we stop and evaluate our thinking we surely would see just plain old selfishness at the center of our sin.

B. Sometimes our sin can force others to disobey God, or it can do damage to other’s view of God. (2:16-17)

1 Samuel 2:16–17 ESV

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.

i. The laypeople in Israel were at least trying to get the priests to give the Lord his portion first. But if they refused the priests would take the offering by force.

ii. “The MT suggests that the priestly actions were causing the worshipers (Hb. hāʾănāšîm, “the men”) to look disrespectfully upon the freewill offerings made to the Lord. Priestly abuse was giving religion a bad name in Israel.”[1]

iii. It was for this reason, the fact that they were causing the worshipers of God to look disrespectfully upon the offerings of the Lord, that the sin of Hophni and Phineas was VERY GREAT in the sight of the Lord.

How is it, that any of us could allow sin to get so bad in our life, that we end up despising the very name of God?

Proposition #1- Sometimes we allow sin into our lives because we do not see the seriousness of our sin through God’s eyes

Application: Each young person must diligently seek to see their sin through God’s eyes, they must honestly ask themselves if their life is honoring God above everything or everyone else or if their life is despising God.

II. Scene #2- The Big Contrast (2:18-21)

A. When we are struggling in our sin it is helpful to remember the spiritual value of walking closely with God (2:18-19)

1 Samuel 2:18–19 ESV

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.

i. Samuel is sharply contrasted with Hophni and Phineas.

Spiritual Contrast:

1 Samuel 2:11 ESV

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

1 Samuel 2:21 ESV

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.

1 Samuel 2:26 ESV

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

“In each of the last three statements, Samuel is described by the root gdl (‘grow, mature, become great’). Note in 2:17 how the narrator characterizes the sins of Hophni and Phinehas as ‘very great’ [gedolah] in the LORD’s sight.’ Thus, both Samuel and the sons of Eli are ‘great.’ Samuel is becoming a great man of God, while Hophni and Phinehas are becoming great sinners.”

ii. Yes Hophni and Phineas were indulging in prime rib with the fat still on, but look at what they were missing out on! No steak is worth that.

Illustration: Deardorf and Hearts

B. When we are struggling in our sin it is helpful to remember the physical value of walking closely with God (2:20-21)

1 Samuel 2:20–21 ESV

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.

i. Samuel's parents are sharply contrasted with Hophni and Phineas’ parents

As we will see a little bit later Eli was a terrible father to his sons.

But Hannah and Elkanah were godly examples to Samuel.

Hannah’s vow

Elkanah’s approval

1 Samuel 1:23 ESV

23 Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you; wait until you have weaned him; only, may the Lord establish his word.” So the woman remained and nursed her son until she weaned him.

Hannah’s prayer

1 Samuel 2:1 ESV

1 And Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord; my horn is exalted in the Lord. My mouth derides my enemies, because I rejoice in your salvation.

And now in Chapter 2, Samuel's parents receive a blessing from the High Priest in Israel and God chooses to bless them with 5 more children. And Samuel continues to grow in great in the Lord! (Parents, what an incredible responsibility we have in influencing our children! Hannah and Elkanah didn’t put anything ahead of God, not even Samuel himself. Do you think that rubbed off and had an impact on Samuel?)

Wow! What an incredible blessing by God. God not bound to bless us physically in this dispensation, but often time He does. What would you be will to trade in exchange for God’s blessing? Prime Rib?

How is it, that any of us could allow sin to get so bad in our life, that we end up despising the very name of God?

Proposition #2- Sometimes we do not understand the close relationship with God that we give up when we continue in our sin

What are you exchanging right now for your close fellowship and blessing by God? What is worth more to you than God’s fellowship and blessing? New car? Video games? Sports? A relationship? A Job? We give up our close fellowship and blessing by God, we despise the very name of God by continuing in our sin, Why? Because we don’t understand what we are giving up. Nothing is worth more than close fellowship with God. Do you believe that?

III. Scene #3- The Big Failure (2:22-26)

A. Honoring God sometimes requires us to make very difficult choices (2:22-25a)

1 Samuel 2:22–25 ESV

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.

i. Eli, when he is very old, hears all that his sons were doing in Israel. (Why has he not stepped in and dealt with these issues a long time ago?)

ii. The sins of Hophni and Phineas have progressed to sexual immorality with the women serving at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting.

a. “Perhaps these women were Nazirites involved in volunteer service at the worship site (cf. Num 6:2; Exod 38:8); alternatively they may have been cultic prostitutes. However, they were being treated as though they were pagan shrine prostitutes (cf. Hos 4:14).”

iii. Eli does call them on their sin, and gives them a stern warning. They are sinning not against man only, but against God. Since their sin is against God who can intercede for them? It is like going to court against God- does anyone have a chance of winning that kind of court case?

B. Honoring God sometimes requires very difficult consequences (2:25b)

1 Samuel 2:25 ESV

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.

iv. Hophni and Phineas would not listen to Eli’s warning- it was the will of the Lord to put them to death. This would be similar to God hardening the heart of Pharoah so that he would not let the children of Israel. If you read that text carefully, Pharoah is the one who initially hardens his heart, then God continues to do so. Hear I think you have much the same thing. For year after year Hophni and Phineas have willfully disobeyed God and continued in their sin. Now, God had determined to do what Eli should have done himself.

v. Eli didn’t go far enough in dealing with this sin problem. It was necessary for him to take further action to deal with this sin problem, even if they were his own children. Honoring God should have been more important to Eli, that keeping his sons from the consequences of their sins.

How is it, that any of us could allow sin to get so bad in our life, that we end up despising the very name of God?

Proposition #3- Sometimes we are unwilling to obey God when dealing with the consequences of sin

Application: Parents must honor the Lord in their lives even if it means making hard decisions in the lives of their children.

(i.e. Pastor Mike Harding not attending the wedding of his daughter because she willfully chose to marry an unbeliever.)

IV. Scene #4- The Big Confrontation (2:27-36)

A. God’s grace should cause us to honor Him with our lives (2:27-28)

1 Samuel 2:27–28 ESV

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.

i. God revealed Himself to house of Eli’s father (Aaron) when they were in Egypt

ii. God choose Aaron out of all the tribes of Israel to be His priest

iii. God gave Aaron the privilege of serving Him, to go up to the altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before Him.

iv. When we stop and think about all that God by His grace has given us that should cause us to be grateful and to serve and honor Him with our lives.

B. Willful refusal to deal with sin is akin to despising God (2:29-30)

1 Samuel 2:29–30 ESV

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.

i. God asks Eli, “why do you scorn” the sacrifices and offerings of God? To kick ⇔ scorn v. — to look down on with disdain, conceived of as kicking someone. Eli was guilty of scorning the sacrifices of God- this seems to imply that he was actively participating in the sins of Hophni and Phineas.

ii. Eli is also condemned for honoring his sons above God by fattening himself on the choicest parts of the offerings of God’s people. Again Eli is complicit in the sins of his sons. It is interesting how God view Eli’s sin. He views Eli’s sin as honoring his sons above God.

iii. Thus Eli had broken God’s contract- If Eli had kept God’s laws he and his household would have gone in and out before Him forever, but not any longer. Why? Because God honors those who honor him, but those who despise God shall be lightly esteemed. To be despised ⇔ be light v. — to be despised, conceived of as being light or thought of lightly.

Hebrews 10:29–31 ESV

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? 30 For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.” 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

iv. Eli’s sin was akin to despising God- looking down on God with contempt. This is what Eli was doing by honoring his sons more than he honored God.

C. God’s response to willful refusal to deal with sin is His judgment (2:31-36)

1 Samuel 2:31–32 ESV

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.

i. God will cut off the strength of Eli’s house (lit. shatter the arms of”)- there will no longer be an old man in his house. Their position of power and importance would be cut off.

1 Samuel 2:33 ESV

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.

ii. This would be the cause of his descendants weeping his eyes out and grieving his heart.

1 Samuel 2:34 ESV

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.

iii. Hophni and Phineas would die on the same day

1 Samuel 2:35 ESV

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.

iv. God will replace Eli’s house in the duties of the priest. He will raise up for himself a faithful priest.

1 Samuel 2:36 ESV

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.” ’ ”

v. Everyone left in Eli’s house would have to beg even for a morsel of bread- no more steak for them.

How is it, that any of us could allow sin to get so bad in our life, that we end up despising the very name of God?

Proposition #4- Sometimes we forget that God honors those who deal rightly with sin, and judges those who despise Him

Summary:

Eli, made a series of bad spiritual decisions (we would call that sin), that ultimately led him, to despise the very name of God.

How is it, that Eli (and by way of extension any of us) could allow sin to get so bad in his life, that he ended up despising the very name of God?

I think the whole point of this story can be summed up in this statement:

Sermonic Proposition:

Honoring God above anyone or anything sometimes requires difficult decisions when dealing with sin.

How is it, that any of us could allow sin to get so bad in our life, that we end up despising the very name of God?

· Sometimes we allow sin into our lives because we do not see the seriousness of our sin through God’s eyes

· Sometimes we do not understand the close relationship with God that we give up when we continue in our sin

· Sometimes we are unwilling to obey God when dealing with the consequences of sin

· Sometimes we forget that God honors those who deal rightly with sin, and judges those who despise Him

The fact of the matter is this: Honoring God above anyone or anything sometimes requires difficult decisions when dealing with sin.

Are we willing to make those difficult decisions? It comes down to nothing less than a decision to either honor God with our lives or despise Him!

Far be it from me, for those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be lightly esteemed.