1 Samuel 2:22-26: The Second Offense Of Eli’s Sons
“Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord's people to transgress. If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall in treat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the Lord would slay them. And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the Lord, and also with men.”
- 1 Samuel 2:22-26 (KJV)
This passage is not focused on Eli’s sons as much as it is on Eli himself. He was old and in no condition to lead Israel as high priest. “He heard all that his sons did,” but Eli only rebuked them about it.
“They lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.” This means the sons of Eli we committing sexual immorality with the women who came to worship at the tabernacle. This was an ancient version of the modern “preacher sex scandal.”
It is possible that the “women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle,” were in some way workers at the house of the Lord as we see in The Book of Exodus:
“And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the looking glasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.”
-Exodus 38:8 (KJV)
1 Samuel 2:23-26 The vain, ineffective rebuke of Eli to his sons.
“Why do ye such things?” It is an understandable question, but a needless one. It doesn’t matter why because there could be no good reason. They can’t excuse their sin; they had to be responsible for it instead.
Eli did about the worst thing a parent can do in trying to correct their children; just talk. All he did was whine about what they did wrong, but he never took the necessary actions to correct the problem. Parents would be better off to yell less, lecture less, and to take sensible action more often, letting the children see the consequences for their disobedience.
The biblical scholar John Trapp, writing from the 17th century, advises Eli on what he should have said; “Draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore... ye degenerate brood and sons of Belial, and not of Eli; ye brats of fathomless perdition... It is stark stinking naught that I hear, and woe is me that I yet live to hear it; it had been better that I had died long since, or that you had been buried alive, than this to live and stink above the ground.”
“Ye make the Lord’s people to transgress:” Again, this was the great sin of Eli’s sons. It was bad enough that they stole and indulged their own lusts; but they also, by their corrupt behavior, made people hate to worship God with their offerings at the tabernacle as we also read in The First Book of Samuel:
“Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the Lord: for men abhorred the offering of the Lord.”
- 1 Samuel 2:17 (KJV)
They led women worshippers into sexual immorality.
“If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall in treat for him?”
We see the answer to Eli’s Question in The First Book of John:
“My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:”
- 1 John 2:1 (KJV)
We thank God that there is someone to intercede for us when we sin against the Lord.
“Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the Lord would slay them.” This striking statement may seem unfair to some. They picture Eli’s sons wanting to repent and listen to their father, but God prevented them. This is not the case at all. God judged Eli’s sons this way: He gave them exactly what they wanted. They did not want to repent, and God did not work repentance in their hearts.
“And the child Samuel grew on, and was in favour both with the Lord, and also with men.” What a contrast to the wickedness of Eli’s sons! This shows that although Eli was far from a perfect father, he was not a chronically bad father, because he essentially fathered Samuel and he grew up to be a godly man.
Remember there is only perfect Father, He who sired the perfect Son!
“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.”
- Matthew 5:48 (KJV)
God bless!
Comments