1 Samuel 2:27-36
The Lord rejects Eli’s household, and he sends a prophet to deliver the message to Eli. For me, as a parent and grandparent verse 27 is a key verse. “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?” It's well defined in Scripture that anything we give more value to than God has become an idol to us. Eli had allowed his sons to receive the honor that only God has a right to, and now it is going to cause pain and suffering for Eli’s household forever!
It is easy to do this and not have any understanding that the kids or grandkids have filled a place in your heart that is only allowed for the Lord. So be careful, do not bring judgment on your family. Eli had many warnings, it was being reported back to him the actions his sons were taking that were against the commandments of God, and he chose sons over God.
Now God had declared that the line of Aaron would be the priestly line forever and it would be the tribe of His priest to go up and offer offerings at His alter for the sins of the people.
But once more we find a crucial verse in 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.”
Be very careful where your theology takes you at this point, this is not God putting us on a performance-based acceptance. God is not saying I will love you if you perform in the way I desire. He has shown His love for us while we were His enemy by sending His only Son to pay the penalty for our sins. This verse is not directed to a non-believer, but to one who is a follower of Christ, a person who God has chosen, and yet they honor stuff and people before God. Jesus had this to say in Matthew 15:7-9, “You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.”
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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