Tell me if you’ve heard this one before: Pastor gets up every Sunday and preaches his sermons, he is well liked and everything seems to be going good with the ministry, then one day you hear through the grapevine that he ran off with the female music leader. Or maybe this one, the pastor is a great preacher, everyone enjoys his sermons, but he is found in his office with the pianist by one of the elders of the the church, but not everyone wants to see him go because he’s just too good at speaking. There are countless examples of pastors falling to sin. How about the pastor who, unknown to his congregation, was selling the church’s property out from under them. Or the pastor who keeps asking for his pay to be increased, at the expense of those around him. But it’s not just pastors. What about President Clinton in the 90s, Nixon in 70s, Kennedy in the 60s. What about the teachers who take advantage of their students, or the celebrities who are caught up in all sorts of acts of depravity?
The old saying, absolute power corrupts absolutely, is not quiet right. A better saying would be, power brings out corruption. Positions of influence and power allow the sin that corrupts us to flourish if not kept in check. No matter if you are a seasoned pastor, or just getting started as a YouTuber. If sin is given a blind eye, it will derail anyone’s life.
And it’s this idea of the sin of a leader that brings us back to our summer series where we are picking it back up in First Samuel chapter 2, verse 12. As we open up to First Samuel 2:12, let’s look back on the first week and bring ourselves back up to speed on where we are.
In our first week, we looked at where the books of Samuel come into the story of God’s redeeming work. God had brought the nation of Israel out of slavery in Egypt to the Promise Land by way of Moses’ leadership. Joshua then led the nation over the Jordan River, conquering the vast majority of the land. Then God used Judges to implement his judgment against the nations who continued in the area. However, these Judges mirrored the sinful spiral that Israel, as a nation, was descending into, which led to a civil war between the Hebrew Tribes. Yet God gave hope as he prepared the landscape for a redeemer was to come.
The books of Samuel show us that narrowing work of God, as he continues to work in the short and long term with Israel and the world. This narrowing begins with the heartfelt desire of a woman. Hannah desired a son, and God granted her prayer. Hannah returned the boy to the Lord, singing of his greatness and showing how faithful she was. It is here that we pick our passage in First Samuel 2:12.
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.” 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. 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.
Our passage today comes in three parts: The sin of Eli’s sons, Eli’s realization of his sons’ sins, and God’s passing of judgment.
In the passage we just read, we see how deep the sin of the sons’ is. Now what we read is that they took more meat than what was allotted to them. This was a direct violation of Leviticus 7:31, and the provision that God had set out for them. To us, that might not sound that bad, all they were doing was taking extra food for themselves. But it goes deeper than that. The first word that describes Eli’s sons is that they are worthless. The Hebrew word is bliya`al (bel-e-yah’-al) and means wicked. In the book of Judges, it is a word that is used to connect the evil of people with the work of Satan. In other words, a person has become so evil, that they are of no worth for the community. They are destroyers to the goodness of what God is doing. The action of rebellion in taking more than God allotted is simply a symptom of the deeper depravity that is going on in their lives.
The next thing that describes them is that “They did not know the Lord.” This means they did not concern themselves with understanding, or seeking, or being in the will of God. Their desire was for themselves, and reveals that the evil of the Book of Judges was alive and well even in the priests of God.
This is contrasted with Hannah and Samuel. Hannah receives a blessing from Eli and by God in having more children. Whereas Samuel grows in God’s presence, more on this in a little while.
Let’s continue reading in verse 22,
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.
The worthlessness of the sons comes out even more. Not only are they taking additional food, but they are also engaging in immoral acts with women coming to the tabernacle. They were taking advantage of their spiritual office and committing acts with women who desired to be closer to God.
Whether Eli brushed over their sin when he was younger, or it just became apparent as Eli grew older, he rebukes the sons, but they do not listen. They are already too deep into their depravity to hear him, and God has already passed his judgment on them.
Yet, Eli sees a need for an interceder between man and God, but since there is none at this time, their is no one to argue on their behalf to God. God’s judgment then has no restraint and pours out on the sinful. This won’t be the last time the Scriptures point us to the need for an intercessor between God and man.
Again, this is contrasted with Samuel, who we’re told is growing; this time in physicality and in favorability in the sight of God.
We pick up the final section in verse 27,
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.”’”
This is God’s judgment on Eli’s house. Since Eli didn’t correct his sons sooner, whether by indifference or lack of supervision, and has seemed to also been fine with eating the meat they bring to him, God has brought judgment on the whole household. This proclamation of judgment is brought to Eli by an unknown prophet, who beings to speak of God’s grace on the linage of Aaron. Yet, this grace will not be extended to Eli’s linage.
Yet, there is still hope. A faithful priest will rise where there was none. Implying that the boy Samuel, who is growing in the presence of God. Who is becoming stronger physically, and who has God’s favor on him, will be that priest. And our passage ends with the destruction of Eli’s line assured by God.
Eli’s sons are not unique and we have similar abusers of authority today. We have pastors and teachers, evangelists and prophets, ministers and “apostles” who use their offices of authority to take more than they should from the people of God. They use their authority to coerce and manipulate women into immoral acts. They mesmerize and brainwash others by slick words and outgoing personalities.
Right now, there is a man going viral on social media claiming to be the successor of both Jesus and Muhammed. He is claiming to be Al Mahdi, or the Islamic Messiah. He is claiming to be the true Pope of the Catholic Church. Yet, he is just another, in a long line of spiritual abusers just like Eli’s sons. However the trap is, we can point to people like that and easily see the depravity and falsity they do, but become blind to the one’s around us. Those that seek more and more money, who speak out of both sides of their mouths, who manipulate and denigrate those around them.
This is what the Catholic Church did when they swept the sexual abuse of children under the rug. It is what the Alliance did when they did not confront Ravi Zacharias in his immoral acts. We cannot point to a leasder’s sinful acts, and turn a blind eye to the one’s around us and let it happen.
Jesus’ words in Matthew 7:15-23 sound heavier with this situation, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. 21 Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ 23 And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”
This is why we are not to trust in man for our spiritual connection to God. Man is not our interceder. Man is fallen apart from Christ’s work, and we should not place out trust into any one human spiritual leader as our end all, because they can become corrupted by the office they hold. Jesus is our one and only interceder.
Recently Pope Francis died and Pope Leo was elected. Millions mourned the passing of the one and celebrated the new, but this is a man who, though may or may not have spiritual wisdom, is just another man.
The passage we read today, points us to a greater priest who is incorruptible. In the short term, that was Samuel, but in the long term, we are being pointed to Christ. As the Hebrew writer reveals, “14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Hebrews 4:14-16)”
Humans struggle with sin even when they come to Christ. To look to any singular human individual as the end all of spiritual guidance is to leave ourselves open to spiritual manipulation. There is only one spiritual guide we need, and that’s Jesus himself. Pastors are good to aid us in our walk, teachers are good to help us see things we haven’t before, but it’s only Jesus who saves, heals, and guides by the Holy Spirit to bring us ever closer to our Father and his will. When we have Jesus as our ultimate teacher, it will be easier to discern those that want to manipulate us, calling them out when necessary.
My challenge for you this week is to ask yourself, is there a human spiritual teacher, or pastor, or guru, who you think can do no wrong? Do you follow this person in everything they say? If you do, you need to break free of that. I’m not saying they’re not a good teacher or pastor, but Jesus needs to be the only one who can do no wrong in our eyes. Seek the Lord to break you of this attachment.
If you do not have such an attachment, then pray for those who do. Those who are spiritual deceived by people like this Al Mahdi, and other false teachers, pastors, and prophets. Cult leaders love these types of people, but so do false pastors and teachers. Pray for them that God would break them of these sinful attachments.
Let us be Jesus people. With one Lord, and one confession of the only High Priest we need. Amen.
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